Vasectomy: What to Expect
A vasectomy is a small, quick office procedure that blocks the tubes that carry sperm. It is meant to be a permanent form of birth control. Here is what to expect around the day of your procedure and while you heal.
Before your procedure
- Follow any instructions about trimming or shaving the scrotum before you come in.
- Bring or wear snug underwear or an athletic supporter to hold everything in place afterward.
- Take only the medicines your care team approved. If you take a blood thinner, aspirin, or a supplement and were not told what to do, call the office — do not stop anything on your own.
- Eat a normal light meal unless you were told otherwise.
Arrange a ride home. Even when only local numbing is used, it is safest not to drive yourself right after the procedure.
The day of
The procedure usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes. You stay awake. Your care team numbs the area, then blocks each tube through one or two very small openings. You may feel pressure, tugging, or a brief pulling sensation.
You go home the same day. Plan to rest for the remainder of the day.
The first few days
- Put ice on the area for about 20 minutes at a time, off and on, for the first day or two (a cloth between the ice and skin).
- Wear snug underwear day and night to support the area.
- Rest and limit activity for a couple of days. Avoid heavy lifting and hard exercise.
- Use ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for soreness, as your care team recommended.
Expect some bruising, swelling, and a dull ache. A little dried blood at the opening is common. This usually settles over several days.
The first few weeks
Most people return to desk work in a day or two and to normal activity within about a week. Wait to resume sex and hard exercise until your care team says it is okay — often about a week.
You are not sterile right away. Sperm can remain in the tubes for a while. Keep using another form of birth control until a semen test shows no sperm.
Semen analysis reminder: your care team will ask for a semen sample — usually after about 20 ejaculations, with your office setting the timing — to confirm the vasectomy worked. Do not rely on the vasectomy for birth control until you are told the test is clear.
When to call your care team
Call the office number on your discharge paperwork right away, or seek emergency care, if you have any of these:
- Swelling that keeps growing or a firm, painful lump the size of an egg (a large blood collection)
- Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or shaking chills
- Spreading redness, warmth, or pus from an opening
- Severe pain not helped by rest, support, ice, and your pain medicine
- Bleeding that soaks through a dressing or your underwear
If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or another life-threatening emergency, call 911.
MyUrologyCare — VasectomyRead or reprint this guide at: myurologycare.org/procedures/vasectomy.html
Educational only — not medical advice and not a substitute for your care team. Follow your own discharge instructions. Call the office number on your discharge paperwork with questions. For an emergency, call 911.