A vasectomy (male sterilisation) is a surgical procedure to cut or seal the tubes that carry a man's sperm to permanently prevent pregnancy. It's usually carried out under local anaesthetic, where you're awake but don't feel any pain, and takes about 15 minutes.
The procedure itself shouldn't be painful, but you might feel a small pinch with the anesthetic injection before the area goes numb. Some men report a pulling or tugging sensation when the vas deferens tubes are handled during vasectomy, but discomfort generally lasts just a few moments.
The average recovery time for vasectomy is less than a week. “Most people who do it one day can work the next day,” says Steven Rosenberg, MD, a urologist at The Iowa Clinic Men's Center in West Des Moines.
THE FIRST DAYS OF RECOVERY: KICK BACK AND RELAX
Even if you feel good, don't do anything even remotely close to strenuous activity. You should spend most of the first 48 hours post-surgery sitting down, icing your scrotum with your feet elevated. Not a bad gig, right?
The day after your vasectomy, it's OK to take gentle walks and drive around. The next day after that, it's OK to start back to the gym, sex, work, etc, just take it easy. Wait three or four days for vigorous sports like basketball or tennis.
After the Procedure
You will most likely be able to go home within a couple of hours of the procedure. You will not be allowed to drive yourself home, so bring a driver. Your scrotum will be numb from the local anesthetic that was injected into the region.
Ejaculating too soon after getting a vasectomy could open your incisions and increase your risk of infection and other complications. Wait until you don't have any scrotal pain or swelling around your incision site before engaging in sexual activity. This may mean waiting about one week after your vasectomy.
Most men experience mild, if any, discomfort or soreness following this procedure. Here are a few ways to help him feel better and heal properly. Drive him home ‒ Patients tend to wake up from anesthesia feeling groggy or even confused.
A vasectomy is generally safe and effective
You will be awake for the procedure. With conscious sedation, you will receive medications to sedate you and relieve any anxiety during the procedure in addition to receiving local anesthesia directly to your scrotum. Regardless of the anesthesia, the procedure is the same.
The quick answer is: yes, a vasectomy will probably hurt a little bit. But – and it has to be said – not as much as childbirth. Never as much as childbirth.
Vasectomy Pre-Operative Instructions
Avoid Aspirin for one week and aspirin-like products (ibuprofen, naproxen—Advil, Aleve, etc.) for a minimum of 48 hours prior to your procedure. Make sure that you talk to your doctor about any other medications you may be taking.
You can go home and rest right after your vasectomy. You may feel some discomfort or pain after your vasectomy, but you shouldn't be in terrible pain. You may also have some bruising and/or swelling for a few days.
Some men may have strong emotional reactions after vasectomy. It is difficult to provide an estimate of the occurrence of the risk of emotional reactions after a vasectomy because this issue is hard to study, is dependent upon many different variables, and can take a long time to become evident.
Most doctors advise waiting a week before having sex or masturbating to avoid infection or additional pain. It is common for the first few ejaculations to feel uncomfortable, and only persistent discomfort requires medical attention.
Alcohol can increase the likelihood of complications, and is best avoided for 48 hours before and after vasectomy.
Sperm that are unable to travel through the tube that carries sperm from each testicle and is cut during vasectomy (vas deferens) may cause back pressure. Scar tissue. Scar tissue (adhesions) may form and cause pain.
Vasectomies can have some risks.
The most common risk with a vasectomy is infection, but those are usually minor and treatable with antibiotics. You may also have some pain, bleeding, bruising, or swelling after the procedure.
You can take a shower the evening after your vasectomy. Avoid bathing, hot tubs, swimming pools for a week until the small opening in the scrotum created during surgery is sealed. This will help prevent infection to the operative area while the small hole made for your no-scalpel procedure heals over.
You may shower after 24 hours, but do not take a bath or use a hot tub for 48 hours. Wear your athletic underwear, compression shorts, jock strap/athletic supporter for the next 72 hours. Remove it to shower after 24 hours, but then replace it afterwards.
Family planning experts say one of the major hurdles to promoting vasectomies is men's fear of emasculation. "There's a great deal of fear about having any kind of operation performed on the scrotum," Schlegel said. "It's a common misconception that vasectomy involves castration.
What A Vasectomy Doesn't. Vasectomy has no impact at all on testosterone levels. Men who have a vasectomy still ejaculate the same way in the same amounts – the only difference is that there is no sperm in the semen. The size, shape of look of the penis, testicles and scrotum is unchanged.
One of the most common questions about vasectomy is, “Will I gain weight after a vasectomy?” A vasectomy does not make you gain weight. What can affect your weight is if your lifestyle after the vasectomy changes and negatively impacts your weight. A vasectomy doesn't make a man feel less masculine or less productive.