A vasectomy should take about 15 minutes and you can normally go home the same day. There are two types – the doctor will discuss which option is best for you.
A conventional vasectomy, using a scalpel (a surgical knife)
Your scrotum (ball sac) will be numbed with a local anaesthetic. Two small cuts will be made on each side of your scrotum to reach the vas deferens tubes. Each tube is cut and a small section removed. The ends of the tubes are then closed, either by tying them or sealing them using heat. The cuts are stitched, usually with dissolvable stitches, which disappear in about a week.
A noscalpel (nocut) vasectomy
This is the same as a conventional vasectomy, but a tiny puncture hole is made on each side of your scrotum instead of a cut. So there’s no need for stitches. It’s thought to be less painful and less likely to cause complications than a conventional vasectomy.
It’s a good idea to support your scrotum with a bandage and tightfitting underwear for two days after your vasectomy. It’s normal for your scrotum to feel a bit uncomfortable or be bruised or swollen for a few days. It’s also normal to have blood in your semen the first few times you ejaculate. You shouldn’t exercise or do any hard physical work for about a week after your vasectomy. But after this you should be fine.
You should avoid sex for at least seven days after the vasectomy and usecontraceptionuntil your semen is sperm free.
About 12 weeks after the vasectomy you’ll need to produce a sample of semen, which will be tested for sperm. Some men may need two tests. If the test shows that your semen is spermfree you will be unable to get someone pregnant. But you can still pass on or get STIs, including HIV. To prevent this, you need to use acondom.
