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A vasectomy is a potentially life-changing surgery and not an easy decision to make, whether your family is complete or you’re 100% sure fatherhood isn’t part of your future.
Though you may find the idea of snipping your manhood terrifying, the vasectomy itself is a relatively painless and quick procedure. After a short recovery, you can expect to be back at work and most of your usual activities within a few days.
That said, there are some things you need to consider before you schedule your procedure.
Here, our expert urologist and men’s health specialist, Mike Hsieh, MD, wants to share the top five things you need to take into consideration before you have a vasectomy.
If you’re in a relationship, it’s important to be on the same page when it comes to your current and future family plans. YOU may be undergoing the vasectomy, but it affects your partner’s family planning future too.
Your decision to have a vasectomy should be made together.
A vasectomy is one of the most effective ways of preventing unintended pregnancies. Though reversible, you should look at it as a permanent form of male birth control. It’s important that you think long and hard about your fatherhood plans before having the procedure.
It’s also important to know all your options in the event your life goals change. New relationships or major life events may have you reconsidering fatherhood after your vasectomy. Is a vasectomy reversal something you’d consider?
Knowing there’s the possibility of reversing your vasectomy may ease some of the stress about having the procedure. However, unlike the vasectomy, the reversal is a more complex surgical procedure. And there’s no guarantee it will restore your fertility.
We perform vasectomy reversal using microsurgery, which involves the use of high-powered microscopes to improve our visibility during the procedure. With our vasectomy reversal technique, more than 90% of our patients see a return of sperm to their semen.
Other than feeling a little too sore for intercourse during the first few days following your vasectomy, the procedure shouldn’t affect your sex life. Your libido, erections, and ejaculate all remain the same.
However, the birth control benefits of your vasectomy aren’t immediate. Yes, your vasectomy blocks new sperm from getting to your semen, but you still have sperm-containing semen in the pipeline — seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct.
It takes up to three months or 20 ejaculations to clear out the sperm-containing semen in the pipeline. You should continue to use other forms of birth control until your semen sample comes back free of all sperm.
Vasectomies are safe and effective and cause minimal side effects. Most men return to work in 2-3 days and resume other activities such as sports and sex in about a week.
Side effects you might experience following your vasectomy include:
If you still have questions or concerns about a vasectomy after taking these things into consideration, we’d be happy to help.
Schedule a consultation with our skilled urologist by calling the La Jolla, California, office today.
