- Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers like Ibuprofen within 24 hours of the procedure.
- Paracetamol may be taken prior to the procedure.
- Please avoid consuming alcohol 24 hours prior to the procedure
- Have a warm shower on the day of the procedure
- Wear firm fitting underwear on the day of the procedure. Please avoid boxer shorts.
- You are encouraged to shave your pubic hair on the morning of the procedure
- Please organise a cold ice pack ready in the car
What to Expect – Treatment Directions & Expectations
Common Questions for a Vasectomy
Does it hurt?
Our doctors are very experienced in what they do. You may feel some discomfort with the local anaesthetic injection but once your skin is fully anaesthetised it should be relatively pain free.
How long does it take?
Our procedure takes 10-15 minutes. Please allow yourself 1 hour for your appointment time.
How long is the recovery?
Most men recover within 1-2 weeks. Some people do require longer recovery time.
Please see our FAQs page for more info.
Important Guidance & Directions for your Vasectomy Treatment
- Prior to the introduction of non-scalpel vasectomy, many vasectomies required scalpel incision and suturing.
- However, our modern technique only requires a single puncture of the skin with a special electrosurgical device colloquially called the laser vasectomy. This minimises infection, pain and bleeding. The injection of local anaesthetic requires skill by the doctor, to minimise discomfort and achieve maximum numbness in the shortest time possible.
- In general there are multiple variations to the non-scalpel vasectomy technique. A closed ended vasectomy used to be the norm. However, it can lead to some men experiencing congestive epididymitis.
- These days, most techniques favour an open ended approach, allowing the tubes to stay open and sperm to be released to the scrotum. However, the absolute volume is very small, hence it would not be noticeable. Sperm will be naturally absorbed and the risk of congestive epididymitis is minimal.
- Immediately after the procedure, we will monitor your recovery and observe you for 10 minutes in the treatment room. You will have a small scar on your scrotum that will heal up and close over time. The local anaesthetic will wear off within the hour. Ice packs and over-the-counter pain medication would be helpful at this point.
- You can drive home after your procedure if you have had a local anaesthetic. If you have had sedation you should arrange for someone to collect you as you cannot drive until the next day.
- Recovery time varies with everyone. General advice is that you may be able to return to work the following day if it is not a physical profession involving heavy lifting. Sexual activities may be resumed after 7 days.
- If your work is physically strenuous then you may need up to 1 week off work and then arrange only light duties for the following week. You will also have to stop non-contact sport for up to 2 weeks.
- It is also very important that you use an additional form of contraception for the first three months following your surgery, until your semen test (taken after 3 months) establishes that no sperm is present.