HEALING Surgery proceeds without complication in almost all cases. However in rare cases, complications can occur, and it is appropriate to mention some of these. • There are complications that can take place after any operation under general anaesthetic, but Dr Garvey only uses the best Hospitals with the lowest infection rates, and the best Anaesthetists to keep any operative complications to the lowest achievable rates. • Post-operative urinary retention (full bladder) occurs in about 5 – 10% of male patients.. This is usually a complication of the anaesthetic given and the amount of pain-killer used in the first 24 hours after the operation. If this complication occurs, a urinary catheter needs to be inserted and then removed the following morning. If unable to void a second time, then the catheter has to stay in a couple of days longer and a consultation from a Specialist Urologist may need to be arranged. • Other possible complications include post-operative haemorrhage or haematoma (bruising) in the wound which may need to be evacuated at a second operation, but usually the body is able to absorb this bruising in the tissues without another operation. The artery to the testicle could also be caused to go into spasm by the mere fact of opening up the groin canal and retracting the spermatic cord out of the way to perform the operation. However, this is a theoretical risk and this has not been encountered in Dr Garvey’s large series of operations. • Injury to the nerves in the groin by being entrapped in scar tissue can also occur rarely, and if this happens, the wound has to be opened and the nerves have to be freed from the scar tissue. This is a very late complication and has only very seldom been encountered. Return to running algorithm