BEFORE

INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOUR VASECTOMY

1.      Understand the Alternatives to Vasectomy.

2.      Understand the Instructions Following Vasectomy below so that you know what to expect.

3.      Please shave the underside of the penis and the front wall of the scrotum a few days before your vasectomy. A bit of alcohol is used to clean the skin before use of the MadaJet® and it can sting slightly right after a fresh shave if the skin is chafed. 

4.      Use no powder or deodorant in the genital area on the day of your procedure.

5.      If you have athletic support underwear please wear or bring them along, if you don't have any a pair will be provided.

6.      Please sign the operative consent sheet before your arrival in the office.

7.      Driving home: It is not required, but if possible, arrange to have someone drive you home. There have been reports of patients passing out in the car while being driven home. If you must drive yourself, drive in the right lane, so that you can pull over at the slightest hint of delayed lightheadedness. Also, a flat tire or fender bender could lead to complications. 

8.      Plan to do nothing but recline at home on the evening of the vasectomy.

9.      Do not take any aspirin-containing medication for five days before the procedure.

10.    To save time on your procedure day, please complete our Online Registration Form.

11.    Eat before your procedure, a normal breakfast or lunch. Nervous men who do not eat beforehand are more likely to become lightheaded during or after their vasectomies.

12.    Prior to the procedure, payment is required: a $100 deposit when making the appointment and the remaining balance (will vary based on cash/credit vs. insurance) immediately before the procedure.

AFTER

INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING VASECTOMY

1.      Spend a quiet evening at home, reclining in bed or on the sofa.  Minimize activity.

2.      Avoid aspirin for 2 days after the vasectomy. You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol or generic) if you have any discomfort. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin, Advil or generic) and naproxen (Aleve or generic) are both pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. For the first few days after a procedure, inflammation may be a normal component of the healing process, and I prefer not to stifle it, so Tylenol is preferred. If you feel no discomfort for 2 days, then have some pain on days 3-5, don’t worry. Your body goes through a series of steps in adjusting to the new arrangement, and sometimes the later steps are more noticeable than the earlier steps. See #10 below.

3.      No need for ice packs.

4.      You may remove the scrotal support and take a daily shower starting the morning after the procedure. Replace the scrotal support and wear it whenever you are up and around for the next 2 days, during sports for the next 7 days. 

5.      On the day after the procedure, you may walk and drive as much as you like, but no sports, yard work, swimming, or heavy lifting. If your job is sedentary (office work or supervisor), you may return to work.

6.      Two days after the procedure, you may return to more strenuous work and regular activities wearing your scrotal support.  When pain is gone and tenderness is minimal, you may return to the gym or to running or to cycling, but on the first day back, do ½ of your usual workout: half the weight, half the reps, half the speed, half the distance, etc. If pain does not return, you may do your regular workout the next day. While we have no data, it makes sense intuitively not to engage in activities that involve direct pressure to the testicles for about a week: riding a horse or rodeo bull, riding a sport bike (motorcycle), or racing motocross.

7.      When you no longer have any pain and only minimal tenderness, you may ejaculate. I have always recommended waiting at least 2 days, but the American Urological Association Vasectomy Guidelines recommend that men wait a week. Polls of patients do not indicate a benefit to waiting more than 2 days if pain is gone by then.  Blood in the semen for the first few ejaculations, or even a month after vasectomy, is not common, but is also no reason for concern. Use other forms of contraception until you are told that your semen is sperm-free.

8.      Since no sutures are used to close the small skin opening, a follow-up visit is not required. But if you have undue discomfort or any concerns, please call me (I will provide my private number after the procedure). About 10% of men will still have some discomfort at 1 week, 3% at one month.

9.      It is normal to have some discoloration of the skin around the puncture site. Some men will develop considerable discoloration of the scrotum about 4 days after the vasectomy. Blood from the deep vasectomy site comes to the surface as a purplish-blue mark, gets darker and spreads out like an oil slick, then gradually dissipates.

10.    Some men (about one in 20) will develop swelling and discomfort on one or both sides, starting 3 days to 3 months following vasectomy. This usually represents an exaggerated form of the normal inflammatory response necessary for sperm absorption and recycling.  It is best managed with a 5-7 day course of ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times per day.

11.    At least twelve (12) weeks AND 20 ejaculations after your vasectomy, we will need to test your semen.