Urology in Medellín

Varicocele and hydrocele surgery in Medellín

Q: How much does varicocele surgery cost in Medellín?

As a reference for the private market in Colombia, a varicocelectomy costs between COP 1,300,000 and COP 4,000,000, depending on the urologist, the technique and the clinic. Embolization is quoted at the assessment. The consultation with the urologist costs COP 220,000 to COP 300,000 and the testicular ultrasound COP 100,000 to COP 190,000, plus COP 40,000 if Doppler is added. The exact cost is confirmed in the formal quote.

Q: Does every varicocele need surgery?

No. A varicocele that appears only on ultrasound is not operated on, nor is it operated on for fertility when the semen analysis is normal. Surgery is usually indicated when the varicocele can be felt, the semen analysis is abnormal and the couple is trying to conceive with no other cause that explains it, or when the pain does not ease with a scrotal support.

Q: What is the best technique to operate on a varicocele?

According to the European guidelines on sexual and reproductive health, subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy is the most effective and has the fewest complications: the varicocele comes back in 0.4% of cases and a hydrocele remains in 0.44%. The laparoscopic technique reports recurrence rates of 3% to 6% and embolization of 3% to 11%. The final choice depends on your case and the surgeon.

Q: Does a varicocele cause infertility?

It can affect semen quality. It is present in about 15% of men and in 35% to 40% of those who seek care for infertility, but many men with a varicocele are fertile. When it is operated on for fertility, spontaneous pregnancy usually occurs between 6 and 12 months afterwards.

Q: How long is the recovery from a varicocelectomy?

It is an outpatient procedure: you go home the same day. Most people return to work that does not require physical effort after 2 or 3 days; for 2 weeks it is best not to lift more than about 4.5 kg (10 lb), and strenuous exercise is resumed after 2 or 3 weeks. Swelling and bruising subside in 3 to 4 weeks.

Q: Can a hydrocele come back after surgery?

It can happen, although the repair is highly effective. In a series of scrotal surgeries for benign conditions, most of them hydrocelectomies, 6% had a recurrence. Draining the hydrocele with a needle is not recommended because the fluid comes back.

Q: Is a hydrocele the same as a hernia?

No. A hydrocele is fluid around the testicle; an inguinal hernia is fat or intestine that comes down through the groin. One clue is that a hernia changes size when bearing down or during the day. Sometimes both are present, and then the hernia is repaired promptly and the hydrocele can be treated in the same operation.

Q: When does an adult need circumcision?

When the foreskin does not pull back and a corticosteroid cream used for 3 months has not worked, or when inflammation of the glans is severe. It is done under local anesthesia in about 20 to 30 minutes, and it is recommended not to have sexual intercourse for 6 weeks. If the foreskin gets stuck behind the glans, it is an emergency.

Two scrotal swellings that look alike from the outside and are treated differently

A varicocele is a group of enlarged veins; a hydrocele is fluid around the testicle. Both are usually benign and do not always need surgery. MDE Care is not a clinic: we coordinate your consultation with the urologist, the ultrasound, surgery if it is indicated and your stay if you are coming from another city or another country.

See what applies to you Request an appointment

Outpatient Microsurgery: 0.4% recurrence From COP 1,300,000

Urologist talking with an adult patient next to the ultrasound machine before assessing a varicocele

Assessment with ultrasound

examination, Doppler and plan in Medellín

Guide · 1 minute

What do you have and what is usually done?

Enter your age, choose what you notice and answer the questions for that case. We show you what the guidelines say about operating or not, the technique usually considered and its figures.

1. How old are you?

Your guidance

Enter your age

Complete the questions to see your guidance.

* Guidance for adults based on the European guidelines on sexual and reproductive health (EAU, 2026), the AUA/ASRM male infertility guideline (2024), MedlinePlus and the WHO. It does not replace the examination by the urologist. Your answers are not sent or stored. If you have sudden, severe pain in a testicle, go to the emergency room.

Quote · 30 seconds

How much varicocele, hydrocele or circumcision surgery costs

Choose the procedure, the tests you do not have yet and your stay if you are coming from another city or another country. We show you the cost of each part and the estimated total.

Procedure

Before

Select what you do not have yet.

After

Stay in Medellín

If you are coming from another city or another country.

Estimated total

Varicocelectomy and your selection

COP 1,520,000 to COP 4,300,000

Microsurgical varicocelectomyCOP 1,300,000 to COP 4,000,000

ConsultationCOP 220,000 to COP 300,000

Request an assessment

* Estimated private-market values in Colombia, the sum of the components; they are confirmed in the formal quote, which details fees, anesthesia and operating room. Embolization and removal of a cyst are quoted at the assessment. The stay corresponds to the partner recovery house, standard room.

What kind of lump is it?

Varicocele, hydrocele and epididymal cyst

All three are benign and are felt as a swelling in the scrotum, but they are different things: veins, fluid around the testicle or a small lump separate from it. That is why they are treated differently.

Varicocele

Enlarged veins

How it feels

Enlarged, twisted veins; less noticeable when lying down

Where

Most common on the left side, between ages 15 and 25

Symptoms

Dull ache or heaviness; many have no symptoms

Confirmed by

Physical examination; Doppler if the examination is inconclusive

Hydrocele

Fluid around the testicle

How it feels

Smooth, oval swelling, like a water balloon

Typical sign

It lights up when a flashlight is shone on it

Symptoms

Rarely painful; bothersome when large

Confirmed by

Examination and ultrasound

Epididymal cyst

Small lump separate from the testicle

How it feels

A small lump in the duct behind the testicle

What it contains

Fluid; if it contains sperm it is called a spermatocele

Symptoms

Almost always none

Confirmed by

Testicular ultrasound

Signs that change the approach

A lump that is part of the testicle

It has a higher risk of being a tumor: have it evaluated soon.

Urologic oncology

Swelling that changes size when bearing down

It may be an inguinal hernia, which is treated by general surgery.

Hernia surgery

Sudden, severe pain

It may be testicular torsion: go to the emergency room.

Not every varicocele needs surgery

When is a varicocele operated on?

A varicocele is the enlargement of the veins that run along the spermatic cord, because their valves do not close properly. It is usually harmless: the decision to operate depends on the grade, the pain and whether a pregnancy is being sought.

Usually operated on

A palpable varicocele, an abnormal semen analysis and a couple trying to conceive with no other cause that explains it.

May be considered

Pain or heaviness that does not ease with a scrotal support, or a testicle that is shrinking.

Usually not operated on

A varicocele seen only on ultrasound, or a normal semen analysis. Without symptoms or a pregnancy being sought, monitoring is enough.

Under 18

It is assessed with its own criteria and follow-up over time.

Surgical microscope in an operating room, like the one used in microsurgical varicocelectomy

Grade I

Felt when bearing down

Grade II

Felt at rest

Grade III

Visible and felt at rest

Subclinical

Only on Doppler ultrasound

Techniques compared

Varicocelectomy: which technique and with what results

The European guideline compares the techniques by two figures: how often the varicocele comes back and how often a hydrocele appears afterwards. Microsurgery has the lowest.

Usually preferred

Subinguinal microsurgery

A small incision in the groin, below the abdomen; the enlarged veins are tied off under the microscope.

Recurrence

0.4%

Hydrocele afterwards

0.44%

Outpatient; requires training in microsurgery

Reference cost

COP 1,300,000 to COP 4,000,000

Laparoscopic

Through small incisions in the abdomen, with a camera; the veins are tied off above the groin.

Recurrence

3% to 6%

Hydrocele afterwards

7% to 43%

Enters the abdomen; it leaves the most hydroceles afterwards

Reference cost

Quoted at the assessment

Embolization

An interventional radiologist guides a catheter through a vein and closes the enlarged veins from the inside.

Recurrence

3% to 11%

Hydrocele afterwards

10%

With sedation or anesthesia, depending on the case; normal activity within 24 hours

Reference cost

Quoted at the assessment

Figures from the European guidelines on sexual and reproductive health (EAU, 2026), which pool published series; there are no large trials comparing all techniques with each other. Open high ligation, less used today, reports recurrence rates of 15% to 29%.

Varicocele and fertility

When it matters for having children

Varicocele is common, and many men who have it are fertile. It matters when the semen is abnormal.

Men in general

15%

Of the male population has one; some without symptoms.

Abnormal semen analysis

25%

Of men with abnormal semen have one.

Seeking care for infertility

35% to 40%

Of men seeking care for infertility have one.

Spontaneous pregnancy

6 to 12 months

After varicocelectomy, when the indication was fertility.

The full work-up of a man who wants to have a child is done in the andrology consultation, and that of the couple in fertility. If your varicocele appeared only on ultrasound or your semen analysis is normal, the European guideline does not recommend surgery.

Hydrocele and cyst

When is a hydrocele operated on?

In adults, a hydrocele does not go away on its own, but it is almost never harmful: it is operated on because of symptoms, not risk.

Operated on

If it is large, bothersome, painful, infected or affects blood flow. Hydrocelectomy is done through the scrotum: the fluid is drained and part of the sac is removed.

Monitored

A small hydrocele without symptoms, or an epididymal cyst that does not grow or hurt. The ultrasound confirms that the testicle is healthy.

See testicular ultrasound

Not recommended

Draining it with a needle: the fluid comes back. If the swelling changes size when bearing down, an inguinal hernia is ruled out first.

See hernia surgery

Recovery

After varicocelectomy

By stage

Same day
Home
It is an outpatient procedure. Ice on the area during the first 24 hours to reduce swelling.
Days 2 to 3
Light work
Most people return to work that does not require physical effort.
2 weeks
No heavy lifting
Do not lift more than about 4.5 kg (10 lb) and wear snug underwear. Heavy work can be resumed from this point.
2 to 3 weeks
Strenuous exercise
Cycling, running or weights, when the urologist approves it.
3 to 4 weeks
Swelling and bruising subside
It is normal for the scrotum and groin to be swollen during the first weeks.
6 to 12 months
Spontaneous pregnancy
If the surgery was for fertility, this is the period in which it is usually achieved; the follow-up semen analysis is done before then.

Embolization

It is done with sedation or anesthesia and usually allows normal activity within 24 hours.

Hydrocelectomy

Outpatient, under general anesthesia. Most people return to normal activity in 4 to 7 days.

Circumcision

It heals in about 6 weeks; during that time, sexual intercourse and masturbation are not recommended.

Safety

Risks, with figures

These are surgeries with few serious complications. These are the published figures worth knowing before you decide.

Side effects and complications

Varicocele recurrence, microsurgical technique0.4%
Hydrocele afterwards, microsurgical technique0.44%
Hydrocele afterwards, laparoscopic technique7% to 43%
Scrotal surgery: total complications20%
Scrotal surgery: hydrocele recurrence6%
Scrotal surgery: hematoma5%
Scrotal surgery: infection3.6%

< 1 in 1,000

Infection after embolization

There may also be bruising at the puncture site or inflammation of the veins.

< 2%

Moderate or severe events in circumcision

With the conventional surgical technique and local anesthesia.

Possible

Testicular atrophy

It is one of the described complications of varicocele treatment, without a single published figure.

The scrotal surgery figures come from a series of 110 procedures for benign conditions, most of them hydrocelectomies.

Adult circumcision

Phimosis, paraphimosis and circumcision

Circumcision removes the foreskin, the skin that covers the glans. In adults it is indicated mainly when the foreskin does not pull back or becomes inflamed again and again.

Phimosis

The foreskin cannot be pulled back. In adults it is usually due to inflammation or prolonged irritation. A corticosteroid cream is tried first for 3 months; if it does not work, circumcision is recommended.

Paraphimosis: an emergency

The foreskin is stuck behind the glans and squeezes it like a tourniquet. It is treated in the emergency room; circumcision is scheduled once the swelling goes down.

Recurrent balanitis

Inflammation of the glans and foreskin is usually controlled with creams and hygiene. In severe cases, or if the foreskin does not pull back for cleaning, circumcision may be the best option.

Anesthesia

Local

Outpatient

Duration

20 to 30 min

Conventional surgical technique

No intercourse

6 weeks

While the wound heals

Reference cost

COP 2.5M to 3.5M

COP 2,500,000 to 3,500,000

See what applies in your case

If you are coming from another city or another country

Your surgery in Medellín, step by step

These are outpatient surgeries: the length of stay depends on the procedure and the check-up the urologist recommends. We coordinate the schedule so that the consultation, ultrasound and surgery take as few days as possible.

Step 1

Contact by WhatsApp

Tell us what you notice and, if you have one, send us your ultrasound.

Step 2

Consultation and ultrasound

Physical examination and testicular ultrasound with Doppler if needed.

Step 3

Formal quote

With details of what is included, in pesos or in dollars.

Step 4

Outpatient surgery

You return to your accommodation the same day.

Step 5

Check-up before traveling

The urologist checks the wound and gives you instructions.

Step 6

Follow-up in your city

The follow-up semen analysis, if the surgery was for fertility, can be done there.

How we work

What MDE Care does for you

We are not a clinic or a directory. We support you from your first question to the results consultation.

Initial guidance

We review your medical order or your reason for consultation before booking.

The right specialist

We connect you with the urologist who performs the test you need.

Clear pricing

You know the cost and what it includes before booking.

Appointments and tests

We coordinate the schedule, the preparation and the timing of each step.

Logistics support

Accommodation and transportation if you are coming from another city or another country.

Follow-up

We coordinate the results consultation and the check-ups.

Frequently asked questions

About varicocele, hydrocele and circumcision

How much does varicocele surgery cost in Medellín?

As a reference for the private market in Colombia, a varicocelectomy costs between COP 1,300,000 and COP 4,000,000, depending on the urologist, the technique and the clinic. Embolization is quoted at the assessment. The consultation with the urologist costs COP 220,000 to COP 300,000 and the testicular ultrasound COP 100,000 to COP 190,000, plus COP 40,000 if Doppler is added. The exact cost is confirmed in the formal quote.

Does every varicocele need surgery?

No. A varicocele that appears only on ultrasound is not operated on, nor is it operated on for fertility when the semen analysis is normal. Surgery is usually indicated when the varicocele can be felt, the semen analysis is abnormal and the couple is trying to conceive with no other cause that explains it, or when the pain does not ease with a scrotal support.

What is the best technique to operate on a varicocele?

According to the European guidelines on sexual and reproductive health, subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy is the most effective and has the fewest complications: the varicocele comes back in 0.4% of cases and a hydrocele remains in 0.44%. The laparoscopic technique reports recurrence rates of 3% to 6% and embolization of 3% to 11%. The final choice depends on your case and the surgeon.

Does a varicocele cause infertility?

It can affect semen quality. It is present in about 15% of men and in 35% to 40% of those who seek care for infertility, but many men with a varicocele are fertile. When it is operated on for fertility, spontaneous pregnancy usually occurs between 6 and 12 months afterwards.

How long is the recovery from a varicocelectomy?

It is an outpatient procedure: you go home the same day. Most people return to work that does not require physical effort after 2 or 3 days; for 2 weeks it is best not to lift more than about 4.5 kg (10 lb), and strenuous exercise is resumed after 2 or 3 weeks. Swelling and bruising subside in 3 to 4 weeks.

Can a hydrocele come back after surgery?

It can happen, although the repair is highly effective. In a series of scrotal surgeries for benign conditions, most of them hydrocelectomies, 6% had a recurrence. Draining the hydrocele with a needle is not recommended because the fluid comes back.

Is a hydrocele the same as a hernia?

No. A hydrocele is fluid around the testicle; an inguinal hernia is fat or intestine that comes down through the groin. One clue is that a hernia changes size when bearing down or during the day. Sometimes both are present, and then the hernia is repaired promptly and the hydrocele can be treated in the same operation.

When does an adult need circumcision?

When the foreskin does not pull back and a corticosteroid cream used for 3 months has not worked, or when inflammation of the glans is severe. It is done under local anesthesia in about 20 to 30 minutes, and it is recommended not to have sexual intercourse for 6 weeks. If the foreskin gets stuck behind the glans, it is an emergency.