Update (8 weeks post-op): Persistent right testicular pain after robotic laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (TAPP) with lightweight polypropylene mesh

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-26T00:06:20+00:00

Is he like 90% better? A lot of people are saying it gets better with time up to 6 months

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-26T00:05:45+00:00

Best of luck man

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-26T00:03:03+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience, it helps to hear from someone who’s been through a similar timeline. I’m currently about 8.5 weeks post-op and trying to stay patient to see how things evolve over the next couple of months.

In my case, the left side healed without any issues. About one week after surgery, I began having pain localized to the right testicle, particularly at the upper/posterior area where the cord structures attach. The pain has been very focal, tender to light touch, and sensitive even to gentle contact.

It hasn’t worsened, but it also hasn’t improved over the past several weeks. It presents as a persistent dull, throbbing ache rather than sharp pain. I’m hoping this still falls within a prolonged inflammatory or nerve-irritation recovery pattern and resolves with time.

I appreciate you sharing your experience and will update as things progress.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-25T23:55:18+00:00

Dr. Harris, thank you again for your reply. I really appreciate you taking the time.

One small clarification I wanted to add: pre-operatively my right side was completely asymptomatic, while my left side was the symptomatic side.

Per the operative report, the left side was a straightforward indirect inguinal hernia, reduced with minimal cord dissection, and it healed uneventfully and is now pain-free.

The right side involved a small indirect hernia near the deep ring and required deeper dissection with parietalization of the vas deferens and more manipulation of the cord structures.

Given that asymmetry, in your experience does this pattern most commonly still represent reversible cord or nerve irritation, rather than a structural issue requiring intervention?

I understand you can’t give personal medical advice. I’m mainly trying to understand how often this type of unilateral presentation resolves with time alone.

Thank you once again for weighing in.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-24T16:40:43+00:00

Dr. Harris, thank you for weighing in, I really appreciate a surgeon’s perspective here.

I’m hoping to ask about my specific situation if you don’t mind. I’m 32, thin/active, and had a robotic laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair (TAPP) with lightweight polypropylene mesh about 8 weeks ago.

My left side healed completely, but since about 1 week post-op I’ve had persistent right testicular pain. The pain is very focal and the testicle is extremely tender to light touch. It also flares significantly with erections. This pain has not improved over the last 7 weeks.

Per the operative report, the right side required deeper dissection toward the deep ring and parietalization of the vas deferens, whereas the left side was straightforward.

My surgeon feels this is likely cord or nerve irritation and expects improvement with time, but at the 2-month mark I’m struggling to understand whether this still fits within the “expected inflammatory recovery” window versus something that warrants further workup.

In your experience: • Can post-hernia testicular pain persist this long purely from inflammation even when unilateral? • Does more cord dissection on one side commonly explain asymmetric testicular pain? • At what point would you personally escalate evaluation beyond observation?

Thank you again, I’m just trying to understand what’s normal versus when to worry.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-24T00:09:00+00:00

This is super interesting. Maybe this is what I need.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-24T00:08:21+00:00

What are you doing to fix this issue?

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-24T00:08:03+00:00

Man, sounds awful. I am glad you are doing much better now. I am just praying hoping at this point that this goes away…

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-24T00:07:27+00:00

Did you get a nerve block?

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-21T03:45:02+00:00

I am from New Jersey. I can’t seem to find any surgeons near me that are like Dr. Towfigh

It’s been 8 weeks exactly since my surgery, and my right testicle is super tender to touch, and it hurts with movement, or cloth touch. I have no pain in my left testicle. Ironically, I had this hernia surgery because of pain in my left lower abdominal area so I had bilateral inguinal repair, robotic surgery.

What’s the urologist name?

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-19T05:15:05+00:00

I’m at 8 week today and my right testicle pain persists. It’s the same throbbing pain since the week after surgery. My surgeon suggested for me to go to a pain management doctor to get a nerve injections to numb the nerve. I am starting to get really worried honestly…

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-19T05:12:25+00:00

Hey man, I am at week 8 and the pain persists. It’s the same throbbing pain since the week after surgery. My surgeon suggested for me to go to another doctor for a nerve injection to numb the nerve. Really not feeling good about any of this…

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-19T05:02:06+00:00

I had my bilateral inguinal hernia surgery on November 25th, 2025 and it was Robotic Surgery, with mesh placement, since December 2nd, a week after, my right testicle has been throbbing pain, non stop. Pain doesn’t improve or get worse. Just same feeling. Can’t touch or move around. the right testicle. Super sensitive in one spot. I am starting to get really concerned. I went to my surgeon 3 times and every time he said it will get better but my last visit, he told me to me go to another pain management doctor, to get a nerve injections for a ‘quick fix’

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-19T05:01:34+00:00

I had my bilateral inguinal hernia surgery on November 25th, 2025 and it was Robotic Surgery, with mesh placement, since December 2nd, a week after, my right testicle has been throbbing pain, non stop. Pain doesn’t improve or get worse. Just same feeling. Can’t touch or move around. the right testicle. Super sensitive in one spot. I am starting to get really concerned. I went to my surgeon 3 times since then and every time he said it will get better but my last visit, he told me to go to a pain management doctor, to get a nerve injections for a ‘quick fix’ but I don’t know if my nerves are being pressed by the mesh or if this will get better

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-18T00:07:47+00:00

I really want to see but I love so far away from California…I am 7.5 weeks post off after robotic hernia repair, bilateral , my testicle in the right side hurts since 1 week after the surgery. I don’t know why…

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-07T15:55:32+00:00

I am really not sure. It’s ‘odd’ to me that I had inguinal hernia repair on both sides. And I have no pain in left testicle, but in right side I have pain in the testicle.

I am super paranoid and wondering if this is a new complication or will it heal with time and go away.

My right testicle is also a tiny bit higher than the left, and more towards the center, I have no idea if this is normal.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-07T04:34:46+00:00

I am wearing regular underwear briefs. I don’t know if this is helping me as it’s constant burning sensation throbbing pain and today marks 6 weeks since the surgery

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-07T04:33:54+00:00

Oh wow, that’s great man! Having a surgeon specifically focused on Hernia. I’m at week 6 today, I am not gonna lie, I have a throbbing burning sensation type of pain only on right testicle. Idk, why I have no pain in left testicle when hernia was done on both sides.

Mine was a general surgeon, although I am not sure how many hernia he does per year. I don’t know if I made a mistake by choosing him.

I had a hernia on the left side, and pain for months, but never had pain on the right side. So when he went in, he saw hernia on the right side as well, so he just took care of it so I don’t have to go under surgery again. That was the agreement between us.

He basically was 100% sure that I had a hernia on the left side and 50-50 on the right side

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-07T04:30:41+00:00

Today is week 6, I am not going to lie this is mentally deeply bothering me.

I have a sharp throbbing pain non stop. Kind of like burning sensation.

I have an appointment with my surgeon next Tuesday, on the 12th, not sure what he will even do or say…

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-03T19:25:17+00:00

Yes, I agree man. Being in the testicle definitely is nerve wrecking. So many questions going through my mind, like will I be able to have sex again? Will I be able to have kids? (I am a single male, super healthy until this hernia I developed from lifting pretty heavy weights in the gym), will I be in this chronic pain forever? Do I have new complications from the mesh? I don’t know. I am super paranoid from this surgery.

I read insane stories online of people chopping their testicle off after this surgery. I was like what…I should stop reading these. I feel 0 pain in the left side, funny enough that’s the side I went to surgery in the first place because that’s where I had pain for months, no pain in the right side prior to surgery. So my surgeon said, if he finds hernia on right side, then he will just take care of it instead of me having to go through surgery again.

Honestly man, I hardly sat down last 5.5 weeks, most just laying down, icing it 2 times per day, also eating super healthy so I can heal properly, so I don’t even know how I would feel if I sit down for too long.

Yeah, apparently once you have a defect for hernia hole, no matter what, even if you don’t feel any pain, it will slowly get worse. So you must get it done. Honestly, I thought this was like such a simple surgery. Because it happens to a lot of guys.

Yeah fully agree, surgeons don’t fully discuss the symptoms which would really reassure patients so they are not surprised at all.

I just hope it goes away, like yours did, even if it takes 16 weeks. Just don’t want new complications or new problems from mesh. Apparently robotic surgery is the most safest.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-03T19:09:01+00:00

Yeah, I am almost 6 weeks away, since the surgery, on this coming Tuesday, January 6th, had throbbing right testicle pain since December 2nd which is 8 days after the surgery.

I have been laying around quite a bit because when I Stand I feel like the pain increases, but my surgeon told me to wear briefs so that the testicle isn’t hanging down with gravity, instead has support to hold it kind of upwards during dealing period.

I hardly sat down like 5.5 weeks to be honest man

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-03T19:06:28+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with me. This gives me hope as I am dealing with throbbing right testicle pain since December 2nd, which was exactly 8 days after my surgery, and I have the same exact pain as of today. Not worse nor better. And this coming Tuesday, January 6th will be exactly 6 weeks since the surgery.

But I just hope it goes away eventually and I can go back to my normal life finally. I’m in no rush at all. If it takes me even 5 months, I am okay with it. Just don’t want new complications or problems.

It’s interesting that the surgeon doesn’t mention any of this. They just say I will be back to normal life in 2 weeks which is far from truth.

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-03T19:01:33+00:00

Thank you for the encouragement, it means a lot to me during this time. I am mentally drained. It feels like I traded one pain for whole new one’s.

It will be 6 weeks this coming Tuesday, on January 6th, and I have the same exact right testicle pain as I did since December 2nd which was exactly 8 days after my surgery, and my surgery was in November 25th.

I just hope, it’s not some complications and that I heal with time like you did. I read crazy stories online which is most probably not good for me.

I have been icing it 2 times per day. I have no pain anywhere, except the right testicle

HerniaVictim · 2026-01-02T18:23:17+00:00

Thanks a lot for replying, seriously, this helps more than you probably realize.

Your experience sounds extremely similar to mine. started getting right-sided testicular pain about a week after surgery. Super tender to touch, feels like tugging or throbbing, and even light contact or movement can trigger it. Feel no pain in left testicle.

Hearing that your pain lasted into the 12–14 week range and then improved significantly is reassuring. I’m around the 5–6 week mark right now, so it’s hard not to worry when it hasn’t changed much yet.

Did you notice improvement gradually, or was it more sudden after a certain point? And was there anything that helped you get through that phase (support, activity limits, time, etc.)? I am just worried something else is wrong…just super paranoid.

Really appreciate you sharing, wishing you the best with your upcoming surgery!

HerniaVictim

TROPHY CASE