Deciding whether to get a prosthesis - what is your experience?

Hi. My surgeon told me in consultation that he would talk to me about the prosthetics options on the day of the surgery. I thought that was a bit odd.  On the day he was quite blatantly trying to talk me out of it. I did choose not to in the end and I'm happy with that. Everything feels totally natural, and meat and one veg looks no more or less ridiculous than meat and two veg. Anyone that notices in the gym changing rooms is paying far too much attention.

I have a colleague who lost a nut when young and has been happy with his prosthetic for over two decades now.

Best wishes

G

I had my surgery on the 1st of December so my experience is very recent. I have opted right now to not have a prosthesis.

My diagnosis was only on 18th November and so you don’t really get long to think about everything. My personal situation is that I am 41, married and without children, have a very understanding wife and have a very close friend who also had testicular cancer about 18 years ago. Like the person above, my consultant who gave the diagnosis mentioned that there is the potential for infection when having a prosthesis inserted at the time of your operation, and that in her opinion, more patients seemed to steer away from it as well as a ‘fact sheet’ of sorts that mentioned a big percentage of patients who had it reported they were unhappy with the results and some chose to have it removed. With time a crucial factor, the support from my wife and the direct experience of my friend who was in a similar situation to you at the time of his op, I decided that having a prosthesis was an added complication that may delay my operation date, involve more work and add more potential for future issues. According to what I’ve learned, the prosthesis is stitched to the bottom of your scrotum and so, unlike your real one that is attached there and by the cords into your groin, it won’t respond the same way or hang correctly either, and so, I opted to pass, knowing I could have it at a later date if I wanted. This turned out to be a wise move as I ended up with an infection and quite a bad haematoma (interior bleed) that formed a blood clot in my scrotum where my testicle used to be, that feels much like a testicle and will take months to break down naturally. Had I had a prosthetic they may have needed to operate a second time to deal with this and so it was a relief that complication wasn’t there. I really don’t think it will make much difference long term visually and if I’m honest, it’s a relief to not have the large mass that felt unnatural in my underwear anymore. 

i have had orchiectomy ,  four days ago .. i initially refused prosthesis as i felt there was more dignity in not having one than having a pretend one  ! but i decided ..just before op to have one ..on the basis that ,  when becoming intimate with someone , i always have the option of telling someone i have had testicular cancer and only one ball ..but if i dont have a prosthesis .. the option of not telling them is taken out of my ..or their , hands lol !  its nothing to be ashamed of obviously, and i now in a way ..wish i had been as resolute and secure  as you ... but each to their own !