What to Expect Before Surgery
After arriving in Atlanta the day before your surgery, please come to your appointment with Dr. Fara Movagharnia on time, and then you can go to your hotel if there are not any issues that need to be attended to at the hospital. On the day of your consultation you should have a light breakfast and lunch. It will be easier for you post operation. Since you will be taking pain medicines there is a high chance of constipation and to avoid that light food is recommended prior to surgery. You are not allowed to eat or drink anything past midnight the night before surgery.
If you are from out of town, please make sure you have reserved a nice clean motel or hotel room, whichever makes you comfortable. For assistance on the names of places to stay, call our office at 770 951 7595. The day before surgery, it is recommended that you get food and snacks so you do not have to leave the hotel the night after your surgery.
After meeting with Dr. Movagharnia you will be told when to arrive at the hospital for your surgery the next day. Please be on time.
On the day of your surgery you must take a shower using the antiseptic soap you will be given. When you brush your teeth, do not swallow water. Do not apply any lotion or deodorant. Do not wear any makeup, contact lenses or nail polish. Remove all your jewelry and/or metal piercings from anywhere on your body.
If you are over 50, you should have already provided a copy of an EKG performed within 6 months at most. If you do not have it you will be required to have one at extra cost plus an additional fee for a professional reading of the EKG, which will be billed to you separately.
What to Expect After Surgery
After you have recovered and are discharged from the hospital, someone must take you home. You cannot drive or take a taxi. You need to walk or exercise your legs to avoid blood clots. DVT (deep vein thrombosis) formation can be lethal. At the same time you must rest so that you do not cause any bleeding. A bag of ice wrapped in a towel can be very beneficial to minimizing swelling and for comfort. Do not ever apply ice or heat to bare skin. When you are discharged from the hospital, you will be almost pain free, because Dr. Movagharnia will block the pain with an injection of a numbing medicine around the surgical sites. That medicine will wear off in couple of hours. It is like going to your dentist. After couple of hours, you will have discomfort, and if the nurses at the hospital have not given you pain medicine prior to discharge, you may want to take a pill so you do not get sudden pain. Pain medicines are to be taken if needed, but you must finish your antibiotics to avoid infection. The pharmacy next to the hospital offers medicines at a very low cost, which sometimes costs around $12 for the entire prescription if you do not have insurance for medications. If you have insurance, bring your card so the pharmacist can check to see if your co-pay is lower than that or not. Dr. Movagharnia will give you detailed postoperative instructions which you should follow so that you do not increase your chances of a complication and prolong your recovery.
Swelling and possible bruising can last for a few weeks. You can shower after two days. Pat your scrotum dry. You will have scar gel glue over your incisions. Do not peel it off as it will come off on its own. Keep your incisions clean and dry. It is best to wear tight underwear to avoid swelling. You may feel the end of the spermatic cord for few weeks, but once the swelling is gone that will resolve also. There is a small chance that you may feel a small amount of blood collected in the scrotal area. Do not worry unless that expands. If you wear tight underwear, that problem can be avoided and resolved. Warm and cold compress can help. You cannot perform any strenuous activity for 4-6 weeks after surgery but you can return to work when you are comfortable and not taking any pain medicine.
I will see you in my office the day after your surgery and then you can fly or drive home (if you are not taking the pain medication). Please keep in touch postoperatively if you have any questions.