Can men who have varicose vein surgery play sports?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Vo Thien Ngon - Urologist - General Surgery Department - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital

Varicocele surgery is a simple interventional surgery, so after surgery, the patient will return to normal very quickly and almost without any problems in daily life.

About 10% of men have varicocele. However, many patients have no uncomfortable symptoms, no abnormalities in sperm count or quality. Others may have mild pain, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, more pain in the afternoon, evening or after standing for a long time, sitting a lot, doing strenuous work.
Normally, if there is no pain, no obstacle in fertility, the person with varicocele will be monitored by the doctor, without further treatment or prescribed medication. In case the patient has pain, varicose veins that are unsightly or have fertility problems, the doctor will appoint surgery to treat the disease thoroughly.
When performing varicocele surgery, the doctor will make a small incision in the lower abdomen or above the groin with a length of about 2-3cm and then proceed to separate the varicose veins from the vas deferens, ligation or cut them off. The surgery usually lasts about 1 hour and the patient can be discharged the same day if in good health.

Because it is a surgery with small incisions and relatively simple, after surgery, the patient will return to normal very quickly and hardly have any problems in daily life. About 5-7 days after surgery, the patient can return to normal activities.
At this time, the patient can participate in gentle sports activities such as walking, doing strength training exercises. During the first month after surgery, the patient should not participate in sports activities that require high physical strength such as running fast, kicking a soccer ball,...

Patients and family members should pay attention to the following issues after performing varicocele surgery:

Should eat light food such as porridge, milk, fruit, ... to avoid bloating, indigestion like when eating solid food. If there is tightness, bruising or redness of the scrotum after surgery, the patient should lie still in bed for the first 24 hours and use a cold towel to cool the scrotum for the first 1-2 days. After 48 hours of surgery, the patient can return to study and work as before. Should use cotton bandage or gauze to cover the incision if there is mild pain, little swelling of the scrotum and there is oozing from the incision to keep it clean. Eat foods rich in nutrients after surgery to nourish the body. Use pain relievers exactly as directed by your doctor. Re-examination 2 weeks after surgery to check the condition of the incision.

Varicose veins should abstain from?
Do not run, jump, do heavy exercise, do too much activity within 48 hours after surgery. Do not soak in a soapy bath for the first 5 days after surgery to avoid infection. Do not play heavy sports for the first month after surgery. Within 2 weeks after surgery, if the patient with varicocele has one of the following manifestations such as fever, convulsions, nausea or vomiting, rash, itching, rash, painful incision, redness, swelling, If there is a bad smell, a lot of bleeding, prolonged pain, a swollen scrotum, etc., you should immediately re-examine to be examined, diagnosed and treated promptly.