Vasectomy is a method of permanent contraception for men. The procedure involves blocking the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles. The traditional technique is to make an incision in the front of the scrotum, to pull the tubes up through the incision, and to cut the tubes. With the no-scalpel method, the physician makes a small puncture in the front of the scrotum and gently draws the vas tubes through the small puncture. Using the modern no-scalpel technique, there is much less chance of complications and the patient usually feels much more comfortable.
The most important thing to do before your vasectomy is to be certain that you are ready for permanent contraception. Though you may hear about vasectomy reversals, the reversal procedure, called vasovasostomy, is not always successful, it is successful between 50% and 80% depending on length of time since the vasectomy and where the reversal is carried out. Before your vasectomy, you must be certain that you do not want to have children in the future.
You also should have some type of pre-vasectomy counseling. At Vasectomy Ireland this service is provided usually on the day of the procedure but can also be scheduled on a day prior to the procedure.
Shave the front of the scrotum and base of the penis the day before your vasectomy. Having a “hair-free zone” makes the procedure much easier for the doctor.
Take a regular shower with soap on the morning of your procedure. Get a good lather going and rinse well. You don’t need to buy any special soap; normal bath soap is excellent.
Wear clean snug underwear to your appointment.
If you are taking aspirin or any 'blood thinning' medications, we will discuss prior to the procedure.
The surprise that most men get during a no-scalpel vasectomy is that the procedure is much more gentle than they expect. You will get to review the procedure with the physician, ask any questions you may have, and then have the procedure.
The actual procedure is usually fairly quick. Procedures run somewhere between ten minutes and thirty minutes, depending on your particular body shape, previous conditions, etc. You will let your pants and underwear fall down to your knees, then we will cover you with a surgical drape. We also use a special antiseptic solution, so please let us know if you have any allergies to any skin-cleaning products. The doctor will do an examination of the scrotum and tubes and then give you a local anesthetic using a special “hypospray.” This modern anesthetic sprayer is able to deliver local anesthetic without using a needle. This is much more comfortable for the patient. In fact, most men are quite surprised at the gentleness of the no-needle vasectomy. After the local anesthetic is placed, you shouldn’t feel any pain at all. During the procedure itself, the vas tubes will be accessed through a tiny opening in the skin, then cauterize and cut the tubes. For extra security, the tubes are also tied or clipped apart with a titanium clip to prevent them from accidentally rejoining in the future. After the procedure, the tiny orifice in the skin is so small that in the majority of cases, you won’t even need a bandaid.
You will be given a set of detailed instructions after your vasectomy. The information below is to give you a general idea of the process.
After your vasectomy, the small puncture will be covered by a sterile gauze and you will pull up your underwear tightly. You should plan to rest in a comfortable chair or couch for the rest of the day and restrain your activities to minimal movements. Most men have no complications at all, but definitely the more you move around on the first day, the more you will feel. A few bags of frozen peas are also helpful for comfort. You can apply these for about 5 to 10 minutes every hour.
The next day, you can take a shower(avoid bathing for at least a week) and start to take walks. You should take the gauze pad off in the shower and replace it with a new sterile gauze pad when you are dry. Continuing to wear tight underwear over the gauze is helpful for most men.
Most patients can resume gentle work during the next few days. If you do heavy physical labour, however, you will do better if you take it easy for the next five days. Since you should avoid heavy or strenuous activity for the five days afterwards, you will need to make prior arrangements for light duties only with your employer.
You can resume sexual activities in a week, but in general it is good to “take it easy” for the first two weeks.
After your vasectomy, you will be given a follow-up sheet with discharge instructions, some pain medication and details for the semen analysis. Call the number listed on your sheet for any questions regarding post-vasectomy care.
One of the most important parts of post-vasectomy care is the post-vasectomy semen check. Vasectomy is a highly-effective method of birth control, but the tubes can grow back together in about 1 to 3 cases per thousand. Usually, this is no problem; you would just have the vasectomy repeated to snip the tubes again. The problem would be if your tubes regrew together and you didn’t know it. So, make sure you follow your discharge instructions and send a semen sample to a directed location for analysis. You should continue to consider yourself as “fertile” (i.e. able to father children) until you get the “non fertile” results back from your semen analysis.
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