Vasectomy Information

Comfortable clothing with supportive underwear is ideal to wear to your procedure.

Due to the effects of the local anaesthetic, you will have no discomfort immediately after the procedure. You will be able to walk out of the clinic unaided. You should return home immediately after your vasectomy and rest up for the remainder of the day. Do not be tempted to return to work.

Please purchase an ice or gel cold pack prior to your vasectomy appointment. Applying over the top of clothing to the scrotum is beneficial in reducing swelling and bruising.

The ice or gel pack should be applied as soon as practical (usually in the car on the way home). Do not apply ice packs directly on skin. It should be kept in place for 20-minute periods, or less if it becomes uncomfortable, and then reapplied after a 10-minute rest.

You should use the ice or gel pack for 2 hours after the procedure, but not longer.

We recommend that you shave 2 to 3 days before your procedure as this can help prevent infection.

If you forget to shave a few days before your procedure, please just don’t shave. It is important that you do not shave on the same day as your procedure.

Once the local anaesthetic has worn off (usually 30 minutes after the procedure) you will develop an aching pain in the testicles. Pain usually settles within a day or two but can continue for up to 2 weeks. Any longer than this please contact us for advice.

You will be provided with one week’s supply of Ibuprofen free of charge in clinic. Please take 400mg (2 x 200mg tablets) every 8 hours with some food for a full 7 days following your vasectomy procedure. It is important that you continue to take Ibuprofen for the full 7 days, as it reduces inflammation and speeds up recovery.

For patients who cannot take anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen, we advise Paracetamol 4 times a day.

One of the most important elements of post vasectomy care is to rest and avoid exercise for 1 week. This can seem hard to follow, especially as many men are free from any discomfort within a couple of days. However, any form of exercise in the first week will lead to swelling, bruising and discomfort and can set back recovery significantly.

Our advice is that, for 7 days after your vasectomy, there should be:

• No lifting of anything above 5kg
• No exercise or activity to raise the pulse rate

Once a week has passed, normal activity can be resumed.

The small “keyhole” that we create to reach the vas will remain open for 1-3 weeks after the procedure. This will cause no issues and will heal up completely leaving virtually no scar.

It is possible that the wound will weep or ooze a small amount of clear fluid in the days after the procedure, again this is of no concern.

On rare occasions the Doctor may need to apply a suture on the skin. Should this be necessary, you will receive specific instructions about the type of suture used and when to have this removed.

You may shower at any time after the procedure, though we advise against having baths for the first week. You should avoid spa and public swimming pools until the “keyhole” wound is completely closed.

Sex is a-OK (and is not included in the ‘strenuous exercise’ category). You can have sex and/or masturbate whenever you would like – just keep it gentle during that first week. Erections and ejaculation won’t cause any harm. Just a little FYI, blood in the semen is a normal occurrence in the first few weeks after your Snip, so don’t be alarmed.

You actually need to ‘clear the pipes’ quite frequently after your Snip to clear out any pesky sperm lingering around the joint.

The only thing to remember is that you must use contraception until you have been cleared at the three-month mark. You cannot rely on the vasectomy until you have received confirmation of sterility.

You must test your semen at the three-month mark. We will send you a reminder when your postvasectomy test is due.

The test can be done via a lab test, or you can purchase a Sperm Check Kit from us so you can perform an at home test. You cannot rely on your vasectomy until semen testing has been performed and you have received confirmation of sterility.