The unusual price some people pay after donating a kidney? The balls are swollen

Donating a spare kidney is one of life’s most precious gifts. But the act can come with more problems than advertised for men. Research out today finds that many men who donate kidneys will later need surgery to repair their swollen scrotums.

Scientists examined the medical records of matched kidney donors in Ontario, Canada. About one in eight male donors will eventually need surgery to treat fluid buildup in their scrotums, they found. The researchers said the findings should not discourage men from becoming kidney donors, but stressed the need for greater awareness of this potential persuasion.

“Past and future male donors should be informed of the risk and be advised of the symptoms to be careful after the donation,” they wrote in their paper, “published on Monday on internal medicine.

Design swelling

Our body carries two kidneys, although we only need one to function normally. That means kidneys are one of the few organs we can safely donate while alive (we can donate parts of other organs, such as liver or lungs).

Studies have found that regular donors last as long as they usually do and are likely to have few, if any, long-term health effects. But any surgical procedure, including kidney donation, can come with its own potential risks, both long-term and long-term.

Kidneys are usually removed from the provider through a laparoscopic nephrectomy, which makes a small incision in the abdomen. This procedure is generally safe and takes less recovery time than open surgery. Doctors have noticed, however, that some male donors who undergo surgery will develop a fluid-filled sac in their scrotum – a condition known as hydrocal hydrocele. This fluid build-up surrounds the testicle and appears on the same side as where the procedure was performed.

Sometimes, this condition will resolve on its own, especially when it occurs in very young children. But in older men, they are more likely to persist and may cause visible swelling, discomfort and pain. In more severe cases, people will need surgery to drain or remove the hydrocele.

Although this problem is known to occur in men who donate their kidneys, the researchers say theirs is one of the first studies to examine how long men will need the surgery.

The group analyzed health data linked to citizens living in Ontario, Canada (the country provides lifelong care, which makes it easier for researchers to study the health effects of people). They identified and followed nearly 900 men who donated living kidneys between April 2002 and March 2023.

All in all, about 8% of men received elective surgery following kidney donation during the study period, compared to 0.2% of donors. Most of these operations (more than 90%) are performed to remove a hydrocele. The scene of the operation and woke up slowly.

Based on this data, researchers estimate that about 14% of male kidney donors – one in eight victims – will need surgery over the course of eight years, compared to one in every 143 non-donors. They also estimate that about 30% of male donors will eventually get an ultrasound of their scrotum.

Should men donate their kidneys?

The findings do not contradict previous studies establishing the long-term safety of living kidney donations. And the researchers certainly aren’t calling for men to stop donating their kidneys while they’re alive, noting that most male donors will never need the operation. “Continuing to promote living kidney donation is important, as the practice benefits donors, recipients, families and society,” they wrote.

But almost half of living kidney donors are men, and even if having a swollen scrotum isn’t a life-threatening problem, it can still be pretty bad. So while this risk may be small, it is a real problem that doctors and others should try to reduce.

“Our discovery is worth taking action from the transplant community to protect this practice,” said the investigators.

These actions may include informing prospective and past male donors of the risks; To ensure that donors are not obliged to pay the cost of Spotal surgery if it happens. And studying whether it is possible to safely change the way kidneys are obtained from male donors to reduce their chances of developing the condition.