Men’s Health Awareness Month

November is Men’s Health Awareness Month

Trainee Clinical Negligence Solicitor, Sarm Aghahoseini, is currently investigating a clinical negligence claim which relates to epididymal cysts and testicular torsion and, with November marking the beginning of Men’s Health Awareness Month, he thought it would be appropriate to explore this topic in detail.

Sarm says, “as men, we often feel that seeking help and worrying about our health is seen as ‘not being manly’ and that we should ‘just get on with it’. Consequently, we put off obtaining medical advice, particularly if it relates to private / sensitive parts of our body. However, it is vitally important that we move away from this stigma and start taking our health seriously.

That being said, part of the problem stems from a lack of insight / knowledge as to the symptoms and presentation of certain conditions, rather than not wanting to get help. With that in mind, let us now take a look into what testicular torsion is and how we can help”.

Testicular torsion

Testicular torsion occurs when the tissues around the testicle (known as the testis) are not attached properly. This can cause the testicle to twist around the spermatic chord, reducing the blood supply to the testicle and causing pain and swelling.

Testicular torsion is most common in males from ages 12-18, however, it can occur at any age.

Signs and symptoms of testicular torsion include:

The following is a list of symptoms which you may experience if you are suffering with testicular torsion:

• Sudden, severe pain in the scrotum
• Swelling of the scrotum
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• A testicle that is positioned higher than normal or at an unusual angle
• Frequent urination
• Fever
• Discolouration in your scrotum

Treatment options

Testicular torsion is a serious medical condition and should be treated as an emergency. The most common form of treatment is surgery, a procedure known as an orchiopexy. This operation is performed by a urological surgeon and involves making a small incision in the scrotum to untwist the testicle, thereby restoring blood flow to the area. The testicle will then likely be secured to the inner wall of the scrotum with stitches, to prevent the same issue occurring again.

Timing is critical when it comes to treating testicular torsion. If the surgery occurs within 6 hours, there is a high chance that the testicle can be saved. However, if blood flow to the testicle has been restricted for too long, the testicle may ‘die’ and need to be removed. The longer the condition goes without treatment, the more likely it is that the testicle will need to be removed, with only around 10% of people keeping their testicle if treatment is received after 24 hours.

It is important to be aware that testicular torsion is not a condition that can ‘fix itself’ or that will go away in time. If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms and suspect you may have testicular torsion, you should present to your nearest A&E department as soon as possible.

How we can help

If you have suffered from testicular torsion, and the diagnosis was delayed due to the failure to perform or correctly interpret a scrotal ultrasound, and as a result you have lost your testicle, you may have a valid claim for clinical negligence.

Here at Been Let Down, we specialise in bringing clinical negligence claims against healthcare providers. We have a dedicated team, including four Grade-A solicitors, one of whom also sits as a Deputy District Judge. With our vast experience in bringing a variety of claims, we will handle your claim efficiently but also with empathy. Our approach and success has also seen us recently ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for clinical negligence.

Contact us today

If you’re searching for advice about how to start a medical negligence claim, get in touch and find out how we can help with your case.

Please call us on 0800 234 3234 or contact us and a member of our legal team will call you back.