Vasectomy Procedure

What is Vasectomy

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure for men who have decided not to have more, or any, children. Vasectomy is the only permanent method of contraception for men and has a failure rate of approximately 0.1%. Vasectomy procedures are one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in Australia, with over 29,000 men getting one each year.

The vasectomy procedure involves separating the cut end of the tubes that move sperm from the testicles to the penis. After the procedure, ejaculated semen will contain no sperm. Sperm is the component that leads to pregnancy, and after a vasectomy it will be reabsorbed into your body through your tissue instead of being integrated into your semen.

What

are the Benefits

What are the Benefits

Vasectomies are reliable and effective. Less than 1 out of 100 women with a partner who has undergone a vasectomy become pregnant.

Lower cost than all other forms of birth control. The average cost of a vasectomy is thousands of dollars cheaper than the methods of sterilization for women. It is also considerably cheaper than Tubal Ligation.

It is a one-time cost. Vasectomy is a permanent choice of birth control, which means it is just a one-time expense.

The procedure is often covered by insurance. Many of our clinics are eligible for private health rebates for vasectomy procedures.

Does not affect sexual pleasure. A man’s orgasm will be no different than before the vasectomy.

Minimally invasive. Quick recovery. The No-Scalpel Vasectomy procedure used at Marie Stopes causes considerably less tissue trauma than a regular vasectomy. This means less bleeding during the procedure itself, a lower risk of infection, less post-surgical discomfort, faster healing, and a speedier overall recovery.

Vasectomy Procedure Types

Before considering a vasectomy procedure it’s important to understand that you should consider it an irreversible process. Whilst vasectomy reversal services do exist, we don’t offer this procedure and we advise our patients to treat their vasectomy as non-reversible. Vasectomy reversals are very expensive, not normally covered by health insurance and do not have a 100% success rate. Vasectomies are for people who are sure they’ve completed their family, or who are certain they don’t want to have children.

Open ended

Open ended vasectomy

A closed-ended vasectomy blocks both ends of the cut tube either with suture, clip or by diathermy. The closed-ended method used to be the standard procedure for vasectomies. However, it led to some patients experiencing congestive epididymitis (tenderness caused by pressure building up).

An open-ended vasectomy only closes the upper part of the tube, leaving the end connected to the testicle completely open. This allows the sperm to be released within the scrotum, which is not noticeable as the volume is very small. The sperm are naturally reabsorbed and there is less chance of congestive epididymitis and other complications.

No scalpel

No scalpel vasectomy

Before the no scalpel method, many vasectomies would require a scalpel incision and therefore, sutures. A no scalpel vasectomy only requires a single small puncture in the skin, and no stitches. We do this with a specially designed set of forceps. This decreases the chance of infection and minimises the chance of pain.

Some vasectomies may be advertised as a ‘no scalpel, no needle’ procedure. Before booking with one of these practitioners it’s important to ensure that they are doing this with devices approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Currently there are no devices capable of delivering a local anaesthetic through the skin that are TGA approved.

Anaesthetic Options

At MSI Australia we provide a comprehensive service where both IV sedation (IV) and local anaesthetic (LA) are available. Our LA painless anaesthetic delivery technique means many patients report experiencing little to no pain when the local anaesthetic is injected.

Anyone can choose to have IV Sedation for their vasectomy and many men simply prefer to be “knocked out” as they know they will not handle being awake for the procedure well. Other men may have had previous inguinal hernia or scrotal surgery in which case we recommend them to have IV sedation as there is a chance that old scar tissue will make the vasectomy under LA difficult and may even mean the LA operation is postponed to a later date for the needed IV sedation. All men who have had a previous vasectomy in the past we insist on them having IV sedation for the same reasons.

Anaesthetic

IV Sedation

Vasectomy Recovery

Our

support

Managing pain during vasectomy recovery

After your procedure you may notice a small scar on your scrotum, this will lessen over time as your recover from your vasectomy. Any pain or discomfort you experience during your vasectomy recovery can be treated with Paracetamol during the first week and then Paracetamol or Ibuprofen (Nurofen) after that.

We send all our patients home with an after care package that includes a breakdown of what to expect from their body following the procedure and how to manage it.

We have a 24 hour aftercare support line that you can call in the event of anything unexpected or concerning. You can speak to a nurse directly by calling 1300 888 022.

Returning to work after your vasectomy

Depending on the kind of work that you do, you should be able to return to work the day after your procedure. This is the case for people who predominantly work behind a desk or counter.

However, if your role involves any kind of heavy lifting, reaching, stretching, or other physical exertion you may want to request to be put on light duties for your first week back at work. If this is not possible, you will need to take the week off work (we can provide medical certificates upon request) to recover properly before you return.

Returning

to work

Vasectomy Recovery

Physical

activity

Physical activity after your vasectomy

You won’t be able to engage in physically strenuous activities (walking & standing all day or carrying more than 10-15 kg) for 1 week after your procedure.

If you play non-contact sport (golf, tennis, swimming, etc.) you will have to take 2 weeks off before returning to it.

If you are a cyclist, you will need 2 weeks before returning to stationary cycling, 3 weeks before road cycling and 4 weeks before mountain biking.

If you play contact sport (rugby, soccer, hockey, etc.) you will need to take 1 month off before returning to it.

Sex after your vasectomy. When is it safe to have sex after a vasectomy.

You'll need to abstain from sex for the first week after your procedure while you recover. Once you're physically able to have sex again you'll need to use another form of protection, such as condoms, until your semen is confirmed to be clear of all sperm.

Once you’ve recovered and had your sperm tested you'll be able to have sex without contraception. For the first 3 months after your procedure, it's crucial that you use contraception during sex. Until you have your semen test and we ensure that no sperm is present, it’s still possible for you to get someone pregnant.

It's also important to remember that your vasectomy won’t protect you from STIs. So always use barrier protection, such as condoms, in situations where there might be a risk of STIs. Your vasectomy will not impact your sexual performance or ability to ejaculate.

In fact, many men who have had vasectomies report enjoying more frequent and satisfying sex since they’re no longer concerned about pregnancy; so enjoy your stress free sex!

Sex after

vasectomy

GPO Box 1635 Melbourne

VIC 3001 Australia

Enquiries: 1300 594 813

Donations: 1300 478 486

Media: 0428 396 391

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