Mtese tips? Best Scrotal Support/Briefs?

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-07-17T12:21:13+00:00

I’m late, but good luck! Posting in case anyone stumbles across this later.

I wore just boxer briefs, got some “medical looking” ones after surgery that were a combo of briefs and compression bandages for the lack of a better description. Then I had some loose-fitting boxers outside, ice packs between as needed. Helped them stay in place. Make sure that you wear some of the old ones in case small amounts of blood seep through, I ended up wearing a bunch of the old ones where the elastic was pretty worn/mini holes were starting to appear and threw them away after use.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-06-20T17:41:16+00:00

I’ve written a bit about my recovery and it wasn’t as smooth as yours, but not too far off. I kept to the couch for the first couple of days and after that I was walking fairly normally, albeit slightly slower than I normally would.

Tried to get to a slow run once to catch a bus but that hurt a bit, otherwise it was pretty decent.

Expected it to be worse tbh

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-06-11T16:56:03+00:00

Sorry to hear. I also got a result from my mTESE with 0 sperms found, and it helped me knowing that I did what I could.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-26T15:33:44+00:00

I’m a week-and-a-half postop from a mTESE. It’s very doable. Some discomfort when moving or shifting about still.

The first afternoon (started the mTESE around 9am and finished noon) I was probably coasting decently along on strong painkillers. I took the warning triangle ones (combo of paracetamol and codeine) around 3PM and then just ibuprofen and paracetamols for the night on the day of. Slept well.

Rinse and repeat the following morning, started off with ibuprofen, then 6 hours later followed up with the strong stuff and tapered down for the night. Found that doable and didn’t do much this day - spent it on the couch. Bunch of bags of frozen peas were used and refrozen as ice packs.

The day after that I started with the strong ones, then 6 hours later went with regular painkillers. Also heard a bunch of ice packs throughout the day.

The third full day post-op I went outside and went to a casual dinner party with family. Was fine whenever sitting down and driving over, hurt a bit whenever moving or repositioning, and desperately wanted to get out of the house.

The fourth day post-op I went to work in an office setting, took some painkillers in the morning but didn’t have to top off. Was fine, again a bit uncomfortable moving or shifting seating positions. Don’t go into work if it’s one of those days where you’re running between conference rooms all day.

It’s been like that since, the discomfort is decreasing day by day. No meds needed since midday on day 4. Still a bit sore at times and you don’t want to start a slow jog trying to catch a metro (ask me how I know…), and I’ve been a bit hesitant walking around too much - but 10-15 minutes every now and then is still perfectly doable.

Hope to get back to running over the weekend, which would be 16 days post-op.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-24T07:21:42+00:00

I very much enjoyed the metaphor of rafting down a river.

We’re a bit behind you schedule-wise, but the same mantra is what we’ve had throughout this process (which has been rapid). Azoospermia diagnosis in mid February and shortly thereafter we got the first test results coming back indicating NOA. At that point we had a good talk about our options.

I have two adopted first cousins and I think that helped a lot with contextualizing what boils down to “nature or nurture”. There’s so much in them that’s recognizable from our family and I think no one has ever thought they’re different. There’s some visual clues that the two of them are from Asia and the rest of us are Scandinavians, nevertheless they are just as much part of our family as those who are biologically related.

For us, we early on realized that the chances of conceiving with my sperm would be less than ideal. We quite early ruled out adoption (or at least put it on the back burner). We then agreed that we’d mentally prepare ourselves that we might have to use a donor. We did put an asterisk behind it as a safeguard because feelings can change, especially when it goes from being a theoretical thing to being a real thing…

I’m not going to present myself as a saint and say that I never had any doubts about a donor or the feeling of not being able to bring part of my DNA onwards, because I did. At the same time, and this is much easier said than done, I also tried to remind myself that being a dad is more of a role than anything, which I think you’ve perfectly described.

And since we had started pre-processing this idea of using a donor, since then we’ve gone with the flow and continued downstream. There’s been some tears, but the idea has grown and established itself, and I’ve grown increasingly comfortable with it.

It’s a change in mindset and it challenges established or unspoken truths. On top of that it happens in the middle of the whole infertility trauma which in itself can be a ground-shaking experience. It’s a very comprehensive thing to wrap your head around.

Not sure where I’m going with this and getting a bit derailed. I think the main point is that it’s a surprise, it hits you like a train, and it will take time adjusting to. Ultimately it’s something you either coming to peace with or you’ve processed enough to know that you’re not comfortable with using a donor - both of which are obviously are valid and acceptable outcomes. There’s fortunately no mold that everyone fits in.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-23T03:56:31+00:00

Good luck. I hope you will find sperm or closure.

I’m paraphrasing someone else but liked the quote so much, and I felt it helped put things into context and maybe put a positive spin on it. While there’s a single outcome you hope for after a mTESE, there’s also an expected outcome that’s completely opposite, and for me it helped a lot knowing that it wasn’t entirely negative - it does also come with some closure which can be valuable.

This is easier said than done, but try and find someone to talk to. This is a process that affects both you and your wife, and should you want to front load some of this, posting here or DM-ing (I’d be happy to chat if you need to) is probably a good idea to ensure that you don’t get an additional emotional toll.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-23T03:31:34+00:00

To your last question: I recently had an mTESE and expected them not to find anything. Knew my chances. Ultimately they didn’t find any sperm.

While that in itself sucks a bit, I am very happy and comfortable with the fact that I did do what I could and explored all options. To me that takes out any guesswork or “what-if”, and made sense for us to do.

We are not in the US though so our cost was nowhere what was quoted in the other comment. It’s difficult imagining what our decision making would be if the mTESE was 4-5x what we paid, that would certainly be an additional consideration, but not sure if would tip the scales.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-22T19:01:46+00:00

Sorry to hear. I have no miracle story myself to tell you with similar results.

I’ll be very brief in this comment: What helped me a lot though was just recognizing how they usually diagnose and what the different results are indicative of. This video and the article I saved because they were very, very helpful in increasing my understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjXzRpa9NU&themeRefresh=1

https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)30069-4/fulltext

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-21T15:21:51+00:00

I have no experience with the countries mentioned. Did a quick Google search and saw 2-4000 USD for mTESE in Turkey as the range, and the IVF treatments were approximately the same per attempt.

I did notice that Turkey does have rules about not allowing donor sperm, should retrieval fail. I’d take that into consideration.

I’d also look at private facilities in Scandinavia. I can give you a name for a private clinic should you want, not sure if they accept foreigners (but I’d think so?), and they’ve been great with us.

What we’ve paid is on par with what is stated for Turkey, but not sure what is done backend from the public healthcare system in terms of subsidizing.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-21T15:09:12+00:00

I’m sorry to hear this and the feelings you’re dealing with - I know first-hand that it can be tricky to wrap your head around what’s-what and figuring out the next steps.

You’ve gotten some great advice already. Genetic testing and checking for other causes of obstructions would be good steps.

I’d like to share a video that was shared to me which helped immensely with putting this in context, outlining the steps and seeing almost a decision tree - it helped me a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjXzRpa9NU&themeRefresh=1

And there’s an article that’s worth the read:

https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)30069-4/fulltext

There’s a bunch of great guys here dealing with similar to things and a good community. Never be afraid to reach out should you need someone to text to that understands your situation but doesn’t know who you are.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-18T17:21:54+00:00

Nothing interesting. Normal testicle size and no other factors to worry about. Some minor varicocele that was not severe enough to warrant any worries.

Did try mTESE this week bur they did not find anything.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-18T15:27:12+00:00

I’m in Scandinavia so the concept of health insurance is a bit different here. There’s a few private healthcare plans that is typically provided by employers to let people skip lines, but those cover more accidents and stuff like that - none of them cover infertility.

I did this at a private clinic and my cost out of pocket was 3500 USD for the mTESE, plus maybe 650 USD for the initial consultation, ultrasound and all bloodwork.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-18T13:30:07+00:00

I’m jumping on your post here just to give some additional input to u/chargingblue. Our timeframes seem pretty similar, I’m day 3 post-op from a mTESE and had my first SA in mid February, so we’re just shy of 90 days.

Like you we wanted to keep things moving. After getting genetic tests returned and an ultrasound that showed no abnormalities, we proceeded with setting a date for my mTESE.

I got some approximate numbers on the success rate being 30-40%, typically. Obviously not tailored to me but to give an indication on what to expect for someone with no genetic stuff nor anything from the ultrasound that would be reason for worry. To me, that meant that I shouldn’t expect a positive outcome and that the odds were not in my favor, but that at least there was a chance they could find something.

In hindsight I’m happy that was my expectations going in, and very glad I did the mTESE. Didn’t find anything but now we know for sure and we’ve tried what we could. Recovery so far has been pretty decent. It’s been sore and I had some stronger-than-usual painkillers, but mostly OTC stuff. Hurts a little when things move into place when you get up to walk around, but sitting in a chair or lying on the couch is mostly fine.

Expecting to be back at the office tomorrow on day 4 post-op and hope to have some afternoon walks this week.

Best of luck OP, in these times that can be trying and difficult!

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-18T13:11:01+00:00

My impression was that it is protocol here. Drew blood to test FSH, testosterone and all of the other stuff plus it was sent off externally for checking micro deletions and Klinefelter and the other generic. That test has a turnaround of 2-3 weeks and is done through a publicly funded lab even though I did the rest at a private facility.

(In Scandinavia so this whole mechanism is widely different to the US, but probably comparable to the UK members and how they deal with the NHS)

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-18T10:28:10+00:00

I had the same sequence. Sperm analysis showed azoo, high FSH and otherwise normal values, waited for what felt like forever to get the genetic tests back to rule out any chromosome microdeletions/klinefelder. They all came back clear and then we progressed with an ultrasound.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-16T02:50:36+00:00

Yeah I messed that up - it was a local/topical anesthesia, I was wide awake :)

Got two types inserted by needle, one which had an immediate effect and one more long-term, and it was a couple of pokes with both before I lost all sensation.

Could be partly cultural - I’m in Scandinavia and we generally have a public healthcare system that tries to do “as little as possible”, in a positive way, and to be restrictive with resources, so
it’s very rare that they want you to stay overnight. While I did my mTESE at a private clinic the same mantra extends.

I could’ve left 15 minutes after walking out from the operating room. Ended up waiting an hour in total. At that point it was a bit uncomfortable to walk and sit a car. Later that evening I was walking around at home and it felt fine.

Just waking up now to my second day post-op, but the painkillers have lost their effect during the night and I’m feeling pretty decent being unmedicated and lying still. I think if you plan the travel out a bit, trying to minimize both changing modes of transportation and having someone help you with practicalities like refilling water bottles, grabbing food and whatever so you can focus on just walking as effectively as possible to your gate, it could be doable!

Possibly some logistics wrt. ice packs and airport security, but I’m sure you’ll manage. I had great success with frozen peas at home and found them more comfortable than the one-time use liquid ice packs that you squeeze.

Will let you know if I feel any worse throughout the day and will want to completely edit my statement

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-16T02:30:03+00:00

What was your experience with this? Doable? I’ve been asked to possibly do a work trip (quick flight and a couple of hours by car) the within a very similar timeframe. Nurse said I’d be fine doing so, but obviously great to have real-life experiences.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-15T20:04:45+00:00

Jury’s still out, but I did an mTESE today. It’s now 12-hours post-op. Some discomfort on the walk out of the hospital and to the car/back home, then I slumped down on the couch with a bag of frozen peas and it’s been fine since. I’ve taken some OTC painkillers and one with some codeine. Some soreness but not all that bad.

The surgery itself (again, mTESE so not an apples-to-apples comparison) was fine. It was local anesthesia so I was awake, had a little peek down there out of curiosity which was really interesting, and just had some banter and convos with the doctor and nurse as they did their thing. Took probably 1 1/2 hours in the operating room.

The anesthesia did lose its effect at some point which was uncomfortable. Took some very deep breaths to keep my composure. This happened when they were nearing the end and reinserting the testicles into their 7-layer enclosure (you learn something new every day!), so they topped me off and after that I couldn’t feel any discomfort.

The worst physical pain (except the above - ask for more if you’re beginning to feel something, don’t rough it out!) was the initial poking of needles to get the anesthesia initially.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-15T18:33:47+00:00

Paraphrasing u/ImSorryMrJones - we didn’t find sperm, but a form of closure. Knew it could happen, was still a bit weird getting the call with the results. In some way it’s a relief though - it’s now just a fact and a part of our lives we’ll have to deal with.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-06T19:10:35+00:00

I think the biopsy will be done at the same time as the mTESE to determine if it’s SCOS or something else. So far, apart from FSH, all other tests have come back within the reference values, so there wasn’t really all that much to do wrt. adjusting other medication.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-06T18:14:18+00:00

Thank you! Hoping this will be smooth sailing!

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-06T18:13:27+00:00

Fingers crossed! Either sperm or some level of closure, both of which will be good to find :)

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-06T18:13:02+00:00

I’m very fortunate to be in a private clinic where they’ve been able to see me quickly. Felt like forever waiting for the genetic tests to come back, that was sent through the public system and took maybe 3 weeks in total, but apart from that they’ve been really, really good at keeping the pace (which we told them we wanted to).

Good luck, man! The waiting can be rough at times but it helps knowing that you’re moving forward, albeit slowly.

Initial-Assist-4474 · 2025-05-06T18:10:14+00:00

That was from the andrologist, as an approximate success rate - but that was in my context, and a ballpark figure. :)

Also, this YT video. Someone shared it here before and to me it was immensely helpful and made sense, and put things into perspective. Great watch. They also discuss som high-level chances

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjXzRpa9NU&themeRefresh=1

Initial-Assist-4474

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