Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nA vasectomy cuts the tubes that transport sperm from your testicles to\nyour penis prior to ejaculation. A urologist can perform this procedure at a\ndoctor’s office or surgery center under local anesthesia. You can expect to\nexperience some pain and swelling after the procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You’ll need to avoid aspirin and other drugs that thin the blood and can\ncause excessive bleeding a week before your procedure. You should also stop\nusing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and naproxen,\nalthough you can continue to take acetaminophen (Tylenol).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the day of your procedure, wear loose clothing and prepare for some\ndiscomfort in your groin or scrotum area. Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling,\nand take your over-the-counter pain medicine. Plan on taking a few days off of\nwork to rest and recover from the surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Day of<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re planning on having a vasectomy, make sure you schedule the\nappointment for a time that allows plenty of recovery time. It\u2019s also a good\nidea to purchase some essentials for the recovering partner, such as ice packs\nto help ease swelling and Panadol for pain relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most men are sedated for this procedure, which can be done in a\nurologist\u2019s office or surgery center. It is important to tell the urologist\nabout any medications you take, including vitamins and supplements. Aspirin and\nibuprofen should be avoided because they can affect blood clotting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the procedure, a sample of semen is taken and checked to ensure no\nsperm is present. It\u2019s important to continue using birth control until the\nurologist confirms that the vasectomy is working, and you are sterile. This\ncould take up to three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The First Few Days<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt is normal to experience pain, swelling, and bruising after a\nvasectomy. Most of these symptoms should be gone after a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To prepare for your vasectomy, be sure to shave the entire groin and\nscrotum the night before or the morning of the procedure with a single-blade\ndisposable razor. If your doctor gives you any specific preoperative\nmedications, be sure to take them as directed. Wear a jock strap to decrease\npressure and improve comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid sex, ejaculation, and swimming for the first few days after the\nprocedure. This allows the incision or small opening on the scrotum to heal and\nseal the severed ends of the tubes. Also, remember to continue using birth\ncontrol until your urologist confirms that your semen is clear of sperm. This\ncould take up to two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The First Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week, most of the pain and discomfort should be gone. You can\nresume most activities but avoid strenuous exercise and sex until the surgical\nsite heals up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After surgery, you may still experience some pain, swelling, and bruising\nin the scrotum or lower groin, but this should improve with time. Take\npainkillers, like acetaminophen (Tylenol), to help ease any discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should also refrain from unprotected sex until your doctor confirms\nthat no sperm are found in your semen. This can be done by submitting a sample\nto the laboratory at your urologist’s office. If sperm is detected, you’ll need\nto undergo additional tests. These are rare, though. Many men can return to\ntheir lives after vasectomy with no problems. However, it’s always best to\nfollow your doctor’s instructions closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Second Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMen are often nervous about getting a vasectomy. However, it\u2019s an\nincredibly quick and safe surgery that can help prevent pregnancy. Before\nscheduling your procedure, ensure you\u2019re absolutely certain you don\u2019t want to\nfather a child in the future. It\u2019s also important to be aware that vasectomy\ndoesn\u2019t offer protection from sexually transmitted infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the first week after your surgery, it\u2019s important to rest and\navoid heavy exercise. You may experience some pain, discomfort, and sensitivity\nin the surgical area. It\u2019s also important to use birth control and not have\nunprotected sex until you receive your post-vasectomy semen analysis results\nand the doctor confirms that the vas deferens is completely blocked. You should\nalso contact your doctor immediately if you notice any signs of infection. This\nincludes a high fever, worsening pain, redness or swelling in the groin and\/or\nscrotum, or blood in your semen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Third Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week, most pain, discomfort, and swelling should have dissipated.\nYou can resume normal activities, like exercising and light work. However,\navoid strenuous activity and sex until your doctor says it’s safe to have\nunprotected sex at your follow-up appointment. Use an ice pack on your scrotum\nto reduce swelling and sensitivity, and wear tight-fitting underwear like a\njockstrap to support your scrotum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a fever, chills, or bleeding around the incision site,\ncontact your doctor right away. These symptoms may indicate an infection or\nsevere bleeding. Take over-the-counter acetaminophen for pain. Most men can get\nby with Tylenol, but if your pain isn’t controlled, talk to your doctor about\nprescription pain medication. The most common pain reliever is ibuprofen\n(Advil, Motrin). You can stop taking it a few weeks after surgery if the\nacetaminophen is helping enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fourth Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYou should be able to resume most normal activities by this time,\nprovided that the surgical site has healed. Expect some pain, discomfort, and\nsensitivity for a few more days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many men describe this as feeling like they\u2019ve been kicked in the nuts.\nThis lingers for two or three days and then comes and goes as you move around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wear tight underwear or a jockstrap day and night to support the scrotum.\nThis reduces pressure on the spermatic cords that connect the testicle and vas\ndeferens and helps with healing. Continue using some form of contraception\nuntil your doctor verifies that no sperm remains in your semen during a\nfollow-up sperm count. Your doctor can schedule a sperm count for you, usually\nsix to 12 weeks after your procedure. This isn\u2019t guaranteed to prevent\npregnancy, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fifth Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week or so, your pain, discomfort, and sensitivity should be\nmostly gone. At this point, you can resume most activities. However, be careful\nwith heavy lifting and lawn mowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also resume sexual intercourse, but you should use birth control.\nIt’s important to have a follow-up appointment so your doctor can test your\nsemen for sperm and make sure the vasectomy is permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expect mild pain, swelling, and bruising for the first few days. You can\nhelp reduce pain and bruising by using an ice pack on your scrotum for 20\nminutes at a time, several times a day. You can also take over-the-counter pain\nrelief medication, like Tylenol (acetaminophen). Avoid aspirin and aspirin-like\nmedications, like ibuprofen or naproxen (Advil, Aleve), as they may increase\nyour risk of bleeding. This is because these medications thin the blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sixth Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYou can resume exercise and lifting objects over 10 pounds at this point.\nHowever, continue to avoid contact sports and heavy lifting for a week or so to\nprevent complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you experience discomfort in your scrotum or penis, apply an ice pack\nseveral times a day. This will reduce swelling and pain but be careful not to\ntouch the area too much \u2013 you could cause an infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid unprotected sex until your doctor verifies that there are no sperm\nleft in your semen at your follow-up appointment. A vasectomy won\u2019t affect your\nsperm count or sex drive, but you should still use another method of birth\ncontrol. Until then, enjoy the road to recovery! It doesn\u2019t take as long as you\nmight think. And it\u2019s well worth the effort!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Seventh Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAfter a week of recovery, the pain and discomfort should be gone, and\nyour surgical site should be healed. You can resume most normal activities,\nincluding sex, provided you use another method of birth control (such as a\ncondom) until your doctor confirms that your semen no longer contains sperm. If\nyou have trouble urinating or see blood in your semen, call the urologist\nimmediately. Wear a jockstrap or supportive underwear day and night to reduce\nthe tension on your spermatic cords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t worry about your testosterone levels or sex drive; the vasectomy\nwon\u2019t affect erections or climaxes. When you shower, be sure to wash the\ngenital area thoroughly and dry it gently. Then, enjoy life without the worries\nof unwanted children! Most men with vasectomy say their lives are much less\nstressful after the procedure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Keep the genital area clean and dry to reduce the risk of infection. Shower as usual, but avoid baths and allow the scrotum to air dry. It is normal to have blood in the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29417"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29417"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29418,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29417\/revisions\/29418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reliablecounter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}