What is vasectomy?

A vasectomy is an operation to make a man sterile, or not able to make a woman pregnant. During the procedure, a doctor cuts or blocks the tubes, called the vas deferens, that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis. This keeps sperm from reaching a woman’s egg to make a baby when ejaculation occurs during sex. A vasectomy is a simple procedure. It can be done at your doctor’s office or clinic. It takes about 30 minutes.

No-scalpel vasectomy is a technique that uses a small clamp with pointed ends. Instead of using a scalpel to cut the skin, the clamp is poked through the skin of the scrotum and then opened. The benefits of this procedure include less bleeding, a smaller hole in the skin, and fewer complications. It works just as well as traditional vasectomy.

In the Vasclip implant procedure, the vas deferens is locked closed with a device called a Vasclip. The vas deferens is not cut, sutured, or cauterized (sealed by burning). This may reduce pain and complications. Some studies show that clipping doesn't work as well as other methods of sealing off the vas deferens.

A vasectomy won't change your sex drive or your ability to have sex. You will still be able to enjoy sex in the same way as before. You will still produce normal amounts of semen when you climax. The only difference is that the semen will not contain sperm.

Vasectomy is considered a permanent method of birth control. You should only consider having one if you have completed your family or are sure that you don't want children.

Surgery to reconnect the vas deferens (vasectomy reversal) is available. But it's hard to do. Sometimes a doctor can remove sperm from the testicle in men who have had a vasectomy or a reversal that didn't work. The sperm can then be used for in vitro fertilization. Both vasectomy reversal and sperm retrieval can be expensive. They may not be covered by insurance. And they may not always work.

Activity

• Lie down as much as you can for the first 24 hours. Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
• After the first day, try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before. Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent constipation.
• Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for about 1 week after the surgery or until the doctor says it is okay.
• Avoid lifting anything that would make you strain. This may include a child, heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, or a vacuum cleaner.
• Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
• Most men are able to return to work the day after surgery. This depends on the type of work you do and how you feel. It may take 2 or 3 days.
• You may shower unless your doctor tells you not to. Pat the cut (incision) dry. Do not take a bath for about 5 days.
• Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex. You will need to use some form of birth control until the doctor is sure your sperm count is zero.

Diet

• You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.
• Drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. He or she will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.

Incision care

• You may gently wash the incision with warm, soapy water and pat it dry, unless your doctor gives you different instructions.
• If you have strips of tape on the incision, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off.

Ice

• To help with pain, put ice or a cold pack against your scrotum for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, every 4 to 6 hours. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.

Vasectomy is a very effective (99.85%) birth control method. Only 1 to 2 women out of 1,000 will have an unplanned pregnancy in the first year after their partners have had a vasectomy.

Risk of failure

Pregnancy may occur after vasectomy because of:

• Failure to use another birth control method until the sperm count is confirmed to be zero. It usually takes 10 to 20 ejaculations to completely clear sperm from the semen.
• Spontaneous reconnection of a vas deferens or an opening in one end that allows sperm to mix with the semen again. This is very rare.

Your scrotum will be numb for 1 to 2 hours after a vasectomy. Apply cold packs to the area and lie on your back as much as you can for the rest of the day. Wearing snug underwear or compression shorts will help ease discomfort and protect the area.

You may have some swelling and minor pain in your scrotum for several days after the surgery. Unless your work is strenuous, you can return to work in 1 or 2 days. Avoid heavy lifting for a week.

You can resume sexual intercourse as soon as you are comfortable, usually in about a week. But you can still get your partner pregnant until your sperm count is zero. You must use another method of birth control until you have a follow-up sperm count test 2 months after the vasectomy (or after 10 to 20 ejaculations over a shorter period of time). After your sperm count is zero, no other birth control method is needed.

Most people go back to the doctor's office to have their sperm count checked. But there is also a home test available.

A vasectomy won't interfere with your sex drive, ability to have erections, sensation of orgasm, or ability to ejaculate. You may have mild aching now and then in your testicles during sexual arousal for a few months after the surgery.

• Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your surgery may be canceled. If your doctor has told you to take your medicines on the day of surgery, take them with only a sip of water.
• Take a bath or shower before you come in for your surgery. Do not apply lotions, colognes, or deodorants.
• Unless instructed otherwise, don't shave your scrotum before you come in for surgery.
• Take off all jewelry and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.

At the hospital or surgery center

• Bring a picture ID.
• You will be kept comfortable and safe by your anesthesia provider. The anesthesia may make you sleep. Or it may just numb the area being worked on.
• The surgery will take about 30 minutes.

• Your genital area will be washed with soap that kills germs. The area may be shaved.
• You may be given medicine to relax you and make you sleepy.
• You will get a shot to numb the area at the scrotum, where your doctor will make one or two small cuts. The scrotum is the skin sac that holds the testicles.
• The doctor reaches the tube, which is just under the skin, through the small cut. The doctor seals, ties, or cuts each tube. The small cuts may be stitched closed. If you had a no-scalpel vasectomy, you may not have stitches at all.

A vasectomy is done when you are sure that you don't want to have a child in the future. It is considered a permanent method of birth control. While there is a surgery to reverse a vasectomy, it doesn’t always work.

The surgery takes about 30 minutes.

Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.

Preparing for surgery

• Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
• Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
• If you take a medicine that prevents blood clots, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it before your surgery. Or your doctor may tell you to keep taking it. (These medicines include aspirin and other blood thinners.) Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.
• Tell your doctor ALL the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
• Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance directive. If you don’t have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It’s a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.

The risk of complications after a vasectomy is very low. Complications may include:

• Bleeding under the skin, which may cause swelling or bruising.
• Infection at the site of the incision. In rare instances, an infection develops inside the scrotum.
• Sperm leaking from a vas deferens into the tissue around it and forming a small lump (sperm granuloma). This condition is usually not painful, and it can be treated with rest and pain medicine. Surgery may be needed to remove the granuloma.
• Inflammation of the tubes that move sperm from the testicles (congestive epididymitis).
• In rare cases, the vas deferens growing back together (recanalization) so the man becomes fertile again.

A no-scalpel vasectomy has some of the same risks as a traditional vasectomy, such as bleeding, infection, and pain. But these risks may be less with the no-scalpel vasectomy.

A vasectomy is surgery that makes a man unable to father a child. The doctor cuts and ties or seals the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis (the vas deferens). The fluid released when you ejaculate (semen) will no longer contain sperm. A woman cannot get pregnant if there are no sperm to fertilize her egg.

To reach the vas deferens, the doctor will make either a small cut (incision) or a tiny puncture in both sides of the scrotum. You will be awake during the surgery, but you will get medicine to help you relax.

A vasectomy is a permanent method of birth control. Before you have the surgery, you should be sure you no longer want to have children.

A vasectomy will not change your ability to have sex or your sex drive. You will still be able to enjoy sex in the same way as before.