Improvement of Symptoms after Excision of Hydrocele of Canal of Nuck with Korean Medicine: A Case Report

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this case study is to report the hydrocele of the canal of Nuck and the effectiveness of Korean medicine in post-surgery improvement of symptoms.Method: A patient who was diagnosed with hydrocele of the Nuck canal and had symptoms after Lichtenstein’s operation was treated using Korean medicine, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion, every day. The evaluation was performed using the Numeral Rating Scale (NRS), the 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L), the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF).Results: After treatment, changes were observed in NRS (from 8 to 2-3) and EQ-VAS (from 60 to 85), whereas there was no difference in EQ-5D-5L (both 6). There was an overall improvement in the domains of WHOQOL-BREF and subjective symptoms.Conclusion: This study suggests that Korean medicine may improve symptoms after surgery of hydrocele of the canal of Nuck and can be evaluated using an overall QoL questionnaire.