Vasectomy

Vasectomy is a simple, safe and effective means of permanent contraception or birth control. Because of the way that male sexual organs are positioned, the procedure is very straight-forward. It is intended to provide a man permanent contraception, or make him unable to father a child in the future by dividing and closing off the ends of the vas deferens (the tubes that carry sperm) – preventing sperm from getting through and into the semen.

This is a minimally invasive procedure performed in the office that, most of the time, only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Rarely, there are instances where the procedure needs to be performed in the hospital.

While the patient is awake for an in-office vasectomy, he is usually prescribed an anti-anxiety drug like Valium before the procedure. This reduces anxiety and stress prior to as well as during the procedure. Then a local anesthetic–lidocaine–is used prior to starting the vasectomy. Dr. Coleman usually makes one small incision in the scrotum where the vas deferens tube is cut, tied, crimped with clips and sealed with cauterization at the ends of each tube. The tube is replaced inside the scrotum and this process is then carried out on the other vas deferens. Finally, the incision is covered with a bandaid which is normally removed in two days. Dr. Coleman uses the no scalpel incision vasectomy technique where the opening in the scrotum is made with a specialized scissor instead of a knife.

The no-scalpel vasectomy works just as well as a standard vasectomy with a knife and carries with it some benefits including:

• • Less bleeding
  • Less swelling
  • Less pain
  • A smaller hole in the skin

Even though a segment of the vas deferens (about a half an inch long) is removed and the two ends are cut, tied, and cauterized, there is a 1 in 2,000 incidence of these two ends finding their way back together to reestablish fertility. This  almost always occurs within a one to two month period after the vasectomy and 2 negative semen analyses are required prior to giving you the greenlight for unprotected sexual intercourse.

• 1 in 20 men experience vague ongoing discomfort post-procedure. It usually resolves with time and does not limit any activities of the patient.
• Bleeding that results in a hematoma may require bedrest for a week but only occurs in 1 out of 300 procedures usually caused by excessive activity too soon after the procedure.
• Infection at the site of the cut is rare.
• In very rare cases, the vas deferens could grow back together, making it possible for the man to have children again.

Dr. Coleman advises his patients to rest well the first 24-48 hours, but that his patients can resume low impact activity after two or three days. Usually patients are able to resume regular activities after a week. In the meantime, vasectomy patients should rest, ice the affected area, practice good hygiene and wear supporting underwear to stay comfortable. Further details will be given at the time of the vasectomy. To learn more about Dr. Coleman’s full post-op “doctor’s orders”, read his article: Recovering from your Vasectomy