Testicular Fine Needle Aspiration Discharge Instructions

Testicular Fine Needle Aspiration Discharge Instructions


Please review and follow the instructions below in addition to any specific instructions that you may get from your doctor. 

After your procedure

  • It is normal to have a small amount of thin, clear, pinkish fluid drain from the insertion sites for a few days after the procedure.
  • If there is a gauze in place, you may remove the gauze dressing after 24 hours.
  • You may have some bruising in the area. The bruises should slowly lighten and be gone in about two weeks. You should feel back to normal within a couple of weeks.
  • You may have a small amount of scrotal swelling.
  • It is normal to have blood in your semen the first few times you ejaculate.

Activity and diet

  • Rest for the remainder of the day.
  • Do not do any strenuous activity or lift anything over 10 pounds for 1 week (a gallon of milk is about 8 pounds).
  • Do not submerge yourself in water for 1 week (no swimming, hot tubs, or bathtubs). You may shower after 24 hours has passed.
  • Do not have sex or ejaculate for 1 week after the procedure.
  • Drink plenty of fluids and follow your normal diet.
  • Talk to your doctor about when you may return to work. This may vary based on the type of work you do.  

Medicines

  • You may return to taking your regular medicines as directed.
  • Try using Tylenol Extra Strength first to relieve pain before taking any prescribed narcotic pain medicine. Narcotics (oxycodone or Percocet) may cause nausea, dizziness, and constipation, and you should not drive while on narcotics. Note that most pain medicines cause less stomach upset when taken with food. 
  • If you were prescribed a medicine called meloxicam, a strong anti-inflammatory and pain relieving medicine, do not take ibuprofen or other NSAIDs while taking meloxicam. You may take Tylenol Extra Strength to relieve pain more as needed.
  • For comfort and swelling 
  • Every 30 minutes, place ice on your scrotum (keep a towel between the ice and your skin) for 8 to 10 minutes. Do this while you are awake for the next 24 to 48 hours.
  • Wear a jockstrap or supportive underwear for the first 2 weeks or as needed to help ease aching.

Follow up

  • You will have a follow up appointment in 1 to 2 weeks to discuss your results. 

Contact your doctor if you have 

  • Severe pain that your medicine does not relieve
  • Trouble urinating
  • Bleeding from an insertion site that does not stop after pinching the site between 2 gauze pads for 10 minutes
  • Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher
  • Signs of infection at the site, such as redness, increased soreness, swelling, foul odor, or discharge 

If you need medical attention right away and cannot reach your doctor, go to the closest emergency department.
 

© 2022 — June 3, 2022, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

This handout is for informational purposes only. Talk with your doctor or healthcare team if you have any questions about your care. For more health information call the Library for Health Information at 614-293-3707 or email: health-info@osu.edu.