Vasectomy can effectively prevent pregnancy and can be the right birth control option for people who don’t want to have children. This outpatient procedure allows the patient to recover quickly. During the procedure, a surgeon removes the vas deferens, which are tubes that deliver the sperm from a man’s testes to the semen during intercourse. It doesn’t include removing the testes. In fact, the testes can still produce sperms after the procedure but the body absorbs them. Also, it is important to keep in mind that while a vasectomy is reversible, reconnecting the vas deferens tends to be more involved than a vasectomy. Therefore, if you still want to have children in the future, consider giving this procedure more thought.
What to Expect During a Vasectomy?
During a New York vasectomy, you will be administered with a local anesthetic. Your surgeon will make very small punctures in your scrotal skin to do the surgery. This reduces the post-operative pain and swelling you may experience, as well as the risk of infection and bleeding.
During the surgery, the doctor will look for and expose the vas deferens. Then, they will get rid of a small part of it through a tiny incision to interrupt the vas and prevent sperm transport during ejaculation. To ensure the two ends of the vas do not rejoin, they will be sealed and stitched. The surgeon will then stitch the skin to close the incision.
How Long Will It Take to Recover From the Surgery?
After your vasectomy procedure, you may be prescribed pain medication. During the recovery, you should take it easy. Avoid physical activity for the first one or two days. Apply an ice pack to your scrotum for 20 minutes every hour until your bedtime on the first day to reduce swelling and keep the numbing medicine used during the surgery with the scrotum, offering extra relief. Avoid heavy lifting and long walks on the first day.
You should be able to return to work after 24-48 hours of your procedure. Avoid exercise routines for the first week following the procedure. You can resume sexual activity once you feel comfortable. However, it is best to have a sperm analysis done first to confirm that your semen has no sperm.
Does Vasectomy Take Effect Immediately?
It takes around a couple of months for your procedure to take into effect. Thus, you and your partner must continue to use birth control until a sperm analysis confirms it is safe to resume sexual activity. Should the analysis detect sperm in your semen, you will have to get it done repeatedly at monthly intervals until you get a negative result.