After the procedure, it is important to limit activity for 48-72 hours to help prevent swelling and bleeding. You should avoid heavy lifting and sexual activity for a week. Most people can return to work in a few days.

Most people will experience pain for a few days. Ice can be used off and on during the first few days to reduce pain and swelling. Anti-inflammatory medications (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) can also be helpful. You should wear supportive underwear.

Many patients will notice some mild swelling or bruising of the scrotum. You can rarely see blood in the semen or ejaculate.

It is important to note that a vasectomy is not effective from day one. Sperm that you have already made can live higher up in the vas deferens and in the seminal vesicles for many months after the vasectomy. It can take about 20 ejaculations or up to three months to clear out all the existing sperm. It is important that you use a second form of birth control until your urologist tells you that all the sperm are gone. This is determined by examining a semen sample under the microscope at 12 weeks following the procedure.

On the day of your vasectomy, you will be brought back to the clinic room. Your scrotum will be cleaned with soap to kill germs and then shaved to remove hair (you can shave at home if you'd like!).

Local anesthesia is then used to numb the skin. You will feel some mild discomfort when the medicine is given. An opening is made on the scrotum using a specialized tool ("no-scalpel" vasectomy technique). The vas deferens, the tube that carries the sperm, is then grasped with another special tool and brought through the skin opening. This is the most uncomfortable part of the procedure as you may feel mild pain in your testicle or even in your belly.

Your urologist will then remove a small piece of the vas deferens and then seal the two ends. This can be done with cautery, stitches or clips. The vas deferens is then returned to the scrotum. The incision is then closed with either stitches, Steri-strips or glue. The procedure is repeated on the other side.

Compared to a traditional vasectomy, the no-scalpel vasectomy is associated with less bleeding, less risk of hematoma, less risk of pain and less risk of infection. Typically, the procedure time will also be decreased.

You typically will not see your urologist for a follow-up appointment unless you have specific problems or questions.

After 12 weeks, you will drop off a semen sample at the clinic. Your urologist will look at it under the microscope to check for live sperm. If there are no sperm, our office will let you know your vasectomy was a success and you can stop other forms of birth control.

If there are still sperm, it does not mean your vasectomy failed. Sometimes, you have not fully flushed out all the formed sperm and need more time. Sometimes, scar tissue has not fully formed, allowing a few new sperm through. In that case, we will have you bring samples back every few months over the next year.

• Extremely effective with success rate over 98-99%
• Relatively fast and safe procedure with quick recovery
• One-time cost of a vasectomy may be less expensive over time than the cost of other birth control methods
• Less expensive and safer than tubal ligation (surgery to block the fallopian tubes) in women
• Will not lessen your sex drive, decrease your ejaculation, cause erection problems or lower testosterone levels. It will not increase your risk of prostate cancer.

• Early vasectomy failure can occur in 5% of men requiring a second vasectomy.
• Late vasectomy failure can occur in less than 1% of men due to the vas deferens growing back together.
• Long-term pain (lasting more than a month after the procedure) can occur in 1-2% of men.
• Bleeding under the skin (hematoma) can result in a longer recovery time for some men. You should call your urologist if you have extreme swelling and bruising with severe pain.
• Infection of the skin is very rare (<1%).
• Sperm granulomas (small lumps of scar tissue) can sometimes occur at the end of the cut vas deferens. This is not dangerous and is usually not painful, but is sometimes bothersome to patients.
• It is permanent, although options do exist for men to father children after a vasectomy (vasectomy reversal, in vitro fertilization).
• A vasectomy will not protect against sexually transmitted diseases or infections (STDs/STIs).