How to Treat Torsion of a Testicle

Torsion of the testis or testicular torsion is a condition that occurs when the spermatic cord becomes twisted and cuts off the blood supply to the testicle. The condition can occur in infancy and adolescence or as a result of trauma to the area. It is a serious ailment and treatment must be sought quickly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Look at the symptoms. Evaluate your symptoms to see if you have a testicular torsion. Common signs include severe pain in the testis, swelling, vomiting and light-headedness.
2. Contact your doctor. Set up an emergency appointment to go in to see your physician. Let them know the symptoms that you are having and if any trauma has occurred that led to these symptoms.
3. Go to the emergency room. In the case that you are unable to contact your doctor, seek out treatment for a testicular torsion from your local hospital's emergency room.
4. Allow your doctor to perform an examination. He should examine the area to confirm your symptoms and come to a definitive diagnosis. An ultrasound may be used to check the blood flow in the testis.
5. Expect emergency surgery to correct the torsion of the testis. It is a minor surgery in which the testis is sewn to the inner scrotum to prevent the condition from occurring again.

Tips & Warnings

• Complications can arise as a result of a testicular torsion. If blood has been cut off from the testis for a long time, atrophy of the testicle can occur. In this case, the testicle will need to be removed.
• If the condition is not corrected within several hours of occurring, you may lose complete function of the testicle.