What to Expect With a Vasectomy

If you are fertile, have functional penis and testicles, and are 100% sure you don’t want to use them to conceive children in the future, a vasectomy is definitely for you. Traditionally, half of the ovarian population is responsible for preventing unwanted pregnancies, whether it is taking birth control pills (which carries a certain degree of risk ) or tubal ligation (a procedure far more dangerous than a vasectomy). ), buy condoms for their stubborn partners, or have a post-mortem abortion. When combined with these options, a nearly 100% effective outpatient procedure with short recovery times and “little evidence” of long-term side effects seems to be the least you can do. That doesn’t mean the idea isn’t scary – so here’s an example of what to expect from a vasectomy.

Two types of vasectomy

Although the first vasectomy performed on humans occurred in the late 19th century – a procedure that unfortunately arose out of the eugenics movement – it became a viable birth control tool in the post-World War II era. In the decades – until the early 1980s – the mechanics haven’t changed much, but these days you have two types of vasectomies to choose from, each different depending on how the surgeon accesses your baby tips: a conventional vasectomy. and “vasectomy without scalpel”. The latter was developed in China in the 1970s concurrently with the establishment of the two-child policy (which later became the one-child policy before restrictions were loosened again in 2016) and brought to America in 1985. already guess which one you want to choose, but let’s talk about the differences between them.

Conventional vasectomy

In a traditional vasectomy, the doctor makes two small incisions on either side of the scrotum that provide access to the vas deferens, the tiny tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis. The tubes will be cut and small sections — 1 or 2 inches — removed from both; one or both ends of each tube can also be fired before being tied with a suture.

Vasectomy without scalpel

In a vasectomy without using a scalpel, the doctor makes one hole in the center of the scrotum using a ring forceps called a haemostatic forceps that ” pierces the skin of the scrotum.” The skin is then gently spread only until both vas deferens are visible. To put it bluntly, the doctor then fishes around to find and extract a small loop from each vas deferens, one at a time, and then cuts them open, removing a small section of the tube and suturing (and, again, perhaps searing first) the open ends.

What’s better?

Any vasectomy technique will effectively sterilize you. The problem is not efficiency. But because it is a less invasive procedure, a vasectomy without a scalpel is much faster (takes about 30 minutes) and usually results in less bleeding, a fivefold decrease in (already rare) infections, less bruising, and a shorter recovery. time . So why would you opt for a conventional vasectomy? Well, just because the procedure is newer – although it has been practiced in the US for 35 years now – it can still be harder to find a doctor to do it for you. Fortunately, the Internet has made it much easier to find the person closest to you.

Can a vasectomy be done right away?

Before agreeing to have a vasectomy – whichever type you choose – your doctor will want to consult with you. During this meeting, the doctor will examine your trash for any physical features that could create problems during the operation, and will also talk with you about the reasons why you want to undergo permanent sterilization. The doctor will want to: A) make sure you know this is a permanent solution to your fertility problem (a vasectomy can be reversed , but not always successful, and the process is complicated and expensive) and B) that you are really, really 100% This will mean that you will need to read and sign a bunch of onerous documents stating your intentions (while noting that the likelihood that you will become pregnant is very small anyway). (Seriously, this is very small .) You may even have to go through a “thinking period”. If you live in New York, you will have to wait 30 days between your initial consultation and your procedure ; the same is true if your insurance is federally funded . Elsewhere, waiting times may be shorter, so you should discuss this with your doctor. Some patients report that doctors force them to rethink their choices , especially if they are young. If this happens to you, I would suggest finding another doctor.

Vasectomy preparation and day

Vasectomy is almost always done on an outpatient basis, so don’t expect to have to book a hospital stay. On the days preceding the operation, the doctor will give you a list of actions that you must follow, as well as strictly follow them; this will usually involve fun things like “don’t take the aspirin” and “shave your eggs” (although no matter how well you think you did a job with the latter, they will probably give you a correction once you took off pants and lie on the operating table). You will most likely need to bring a sports assistant with you and show it to the office staff before you can start (as you will definitely want to support your litter afterwards to reduce the chances of post-operative injury). You will also need to arrange transportation: driving is generally not recommended, although nothing can stop you from, say, taking the subway home (here just hypothetically). Depending on where you are performing the procedure, you may be given the choice between local and general anesthesia . Strictly speaking, a vasectomy does not require you to undergo treatment, but some patients experience such stress that their bodies cause their reproductive organs to contract, which can make it difficult for a doctor to work. Or maybe you just don’t want to remember the experience. General anesthesia comes with additional risks and may not be covered by your insurance. Once you reach the doctor’s office, you will be asked to take off your clothes and put on a surgical gown. Assuming you have chosen a local anesthetic, you will get an injection into your scrotum. At this point, the nurse will likely finish removing the remaining hair from the surgery site.

What does it look like?

We have already indicated that vasectomy is safe and effective. So why do so many people still care about them? Well, those who have lived their entire lives with their sensitive genitals dangling outside of their body know how to traumatize them, so they are probably most concerned that the procedure might harm them. Well, that’s what anesthetic is for. Having a vasectomy definitely seems odd, but if you’ve gotten the pain relieved it won’t hurt. You will feel pulling and pressure, but no pain. In theory: In the Guardian’s personal account, comedian and writer Rob Delaney reported that he felt some pain during his own procedure and asked for more anesthetic (which you may have had to do at the dentist before). In Men’s Health, Grant Stoddard also notes another weird thing that you can look forward to: the smell of your own body cooking parts when cauterizing the vas deferens. You shouldn’t be able to feel it, but you may notice a slight wisp of smoke, a hiss and a certain … aroma. So this is fun.

Consequences (or: when can you have sex?)

While most people’s experience after a vasectomy will follow the plan above, recovery will look slightly different for everyone. If there were no complications, you can leave the doctor’s office shortly after surgery, your trash is tightly clamped by a sports belt that you will have to wear next week.

Vasectomy.com (what a random URL!) Gives you a good idea of what you will have to do in the coming days when your body heals. Some people will feel more or less normal after a few days; others may experience pain and discomfort for several weeks or longer. The list is not surprising: Get plenty of rest, don’t do anything too stressful, don’t take a bath or shower for 48 hours afterward, apply ice packs to reduce swelling, take paracetamol (not aspirin or ibuprofen). Avoid pain and watch for signs of infection. In addition to physical influences, you may have emotional reactions that you did not expect. This does not mean that you will regret going through the procedure – most of those who do report that they do not regret their choice – but you may feel some sadness or a sense of loss . This may in part be due to the fact that your body has suffered a surgical trauma and will disappear over time. A few days without the Baby Blues right after that is fine, and you may have periods during which you wonder if you’ve done the right thing over the years (at which point you may remind yourself of all the very good reasons why you had such reasons. I do it in the first place). But if you’re experiencing persistent, devastating emotional side effects, talk to your doctor.

Definitely don’t have sex right away (and definitely don’t have sex without contraception until you have been given full permission to do so; more on that in a second). While many guys on Reddit will brag that they did it “right away,” Vasectomy.com advises waiting at least a week before attempting to ejaculate. And keep in mind: Your semen can look pretty weird the first few times. Like, there may be blood in it. Which is alarming, but normal in such cases. And even weeks and months later (although they eventually subside in most people), you may experience recurring bouts of groin pain during sexual arousal. Of course, this will not prevent you from enjoying sex, but you will notice it. As long as it can be classified as mild discomfort, you don’t need to worry about it, but it’s never a bad idea to report any concerns to your doctor.

Fertility, postvasectomy

Your doctor will schedule several follow-up visits after your procedure. One of them will be to simply evaluate how you are recovering and make sure everything is okay there, but others will matter more because they will be the ones who will confirm what was really effective and what is in your ejaculate no more sperm. Important note: Before you are officially declared infertile, you cannot have sex without contraception. Three months after the procedure – and after 20-30 ejaculations, so you have some interesting homework to look forward to – you will need to pass a semen analysis , which will include providing a sample at the clinic (be it, uh, Received – locally or delivered from your home in an approved container within one hour of ejaculation ). Your sample will be checked for swimmers. If nothing is found, you can start (most only need to do this part once). But if you still have a few of them, you need to come back and do it again in a few weeks. That’s all. Now you can have sex any way you want without worrying about anyone getting pregnant (although you still have to worry about sexually transmitted diseases, obv). Many people report that their sex life flourishes after a vasectomy . Not thinking about burdening another soul with the curse of existence: it is completely turn-on.