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The first step is of course to ensure that you have made a fully informed and considered decision.

Please review information on our site, and elsewhere, and proceed only if you feel confident and happy with your choice.

Consider a vasectomy to be permanent contraception.

Preparing for Your Vasectomy

Once your surgery date is scheduled it is important that you follow the instructions below.

Please also review the After Vasectomy information so you know what to expect after the procedure.

Please contact us with any questions you may have.

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Patient Instructions

  1. Please review the vasectomy pages on this website so you are confident and informed about the process.
  2. Register online on this website. You will then receive an email asking you to call our office to set an appointment your procedure.
  3. Do not take Aspirin or anticoagulants (blood thinners) for one week prior to your procedure.
  4. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or Diclofenac must not be taken in the 48 hours prior to your procedure.
  5. Please confirm with your family doctor or specialist before stopping any blood thinners or anticoagulants (such as Warfarin).
  6. Two business days prior to your appointment, please call our office to confirm your vasectomy at 604-717-6200.
  7. Please avoid any alcohol 2 days before and after the procedure.
  8. Please shave the underside of the penis and front wall of the scrotum the day before the procedure to save time.
  9. On the day of your surgery eat before your procedure (a normal breakfast or lunch) as those who don’t are more likely to become lightheaded.
  10. Please take a shower with soap and water the day of your procedure.
  11. Please arrive 15 minutes before for your appointment. You may drive yourself to and from the clinic after your procedure, although you may choose to have a driver if that makes you more comfortable, especially if you have a history of easy fainting.
  12. Wear light clothing because it will be warm in the room and wear clothes you won’t mind getting some iodine on.
  13. When you are in one of the surgical rooms, you will not be required to fully undress; you just need to lower your pants, lie back on the table and relax. One of our staff with place an elastic band or “lasso” around your penis to bring it out of the operative field, wash the scrotal area with iodine solution, and place surgical towels on your body.
  14. You are now ready for your vasectomy. One of our doctors will start by administering the anaesthetic.
  15. You are encouraged to bring and listen to any music/podcast or watch any programming or play any games on your mobile device during the procedure.
  16. If you have any questions, feel free to discuss with the doctor during your procedure.

No Aspirin or NSAIDs

Starting seven days before the procedure, do not take any Aspirin or anticoagulants (blood thinners).

You can still take other pain relief medication like acetaminophen.

In addition, in the 48 hours before your procedure, you must entirely avoid Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Naproxen, Diclofenac, and or other anti-inflammatory medication. 

These medications thin the blood somewhat and increase the risk of bleeding.

Acetaminophen is acceptable because it does not impact your risk of bleeding during and after surgery.

Don’t take aspirin and the other anti-inflammatories for your own safety. Our doctor may not perform your procedure if you have taken these drugs recently. If you have a medical requirement to do so, please discuss the situation with us.

Please confirm with your family doctor or specialist before stopping any blood thinners or anticoagulants (such as Warfarin).

Consider a vasectomy to be permanent contraception.

Two Days Before Surgery

Please avoid alcohol for 48 hours before and after the surgery.

One Day Before Surgery

Wash and then shave your scrotum one day before your surgery. The image below shows where to shave. You may choose to cut first carefully with small scissors prior to shaving with a safety razor or an electric shaver if that is your preference.

Shaving Before Vasectomy

For our improved visibility and for hygienic reasons (keeping hair out of the surgical area), we recommend that you shave from the base of the penis and along front and sides of your scrotum. Avoid dry shaving; do it while showering.

While we could easily perform your procedure without having you shave at all, we believe that this is an important step in performing a meticulous surgery.

Can I drink alcohol before vasectomy

The Day of Your Surgery

Wear very supportive underwear. Please do not wear boxer shorts, as they do not provide the necessary support.

Wear comfortable clothing. Choose pants that you won’t mind getting iodine on after the procedure.

We also recommend that you wear a T-shirt because the room in which we do the procedure is hot and anything heavier may be uncomfortable for you.

The heat of the room relaxes the scrotum and makes the procedure easier to perform. You can imagine yourself on the beach on a southern vacation during the brief surgery.

Eat a good breakfast! You will feel much more comfortable during the procedure. Minimize coffee, but have one if skipping it causes you material stress.

Plan to arrive a little earlier for your appointment.

In Clinic Preparations

Our staff will usher you into one of the surgical rooms where you are not required to fully undress; you just need to lower your pants, lie back and relax.

We will place an elastic band around your penis to bring it out of the operative field, wash the scrotal area with iodine solution and place surgical towels on your body.

Our doctor will administer the anesthetic. It is then time for the actual vasectomy, which takes just 10 to 15 minutes, with some variation depending on your anatomy.

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Consideration Before a Man’s Vasectomy

Choosing to have a vasectomy is a serious decision because it is carried out with the intention of creating permanent sterility.

Our experience with patients over the years has shown that some men who opt for a vasectomy later change their minds about their desire to have children after their vasectomy is done. Reasons for this include death of a spouse, death of a child, divorce, separation or just changing their minds.

Please review the questions and considerations below to ensure that you make a good decision.

If there is a possibility that you might want additional children in the future, you should not have a vasectomy. Your vasectomy will prevent you from conceiving a child and should be considered a permanent form of male birth control. Vasectomy reversal surgery is not a fully effective way to restore male fertility, and no one should use surgery to temporarily suppress fertility. A vasectomy reversal may be possible but the results are not certain. A vasectomy is recommended only for men who are certain they will not want to conceive a baby.

If you are certain you don’t want more children, the remaining questions are related to your current physical condition, and there are not many contra-indications for a vasectomy procedure.

The main ones are to do with any pre-existing issues affecting your scrotum (hernia in that area, scarring) and your general ability to tolerate a minor surgery (abnormal blood coagulation, other pre-existing conditions). It is also vital that you follow the doctor’s instructions on post-operative care.

  • Age – Are you young and have no children?
  • Personal Stress – Do you think you might be making a hasty decision at a stressful time?
  • External Pressure – Do you feel pressured into the decision by someone or by circumstances?
  • Relationship Stability – Do you frequently question the stability of your relationship?

Permanent contraception may not be for you at this time if you can answer yes to any of the above questions. If this is not the case, and you have decided that no matter what the future brings you will not want any more children, then vasectomy is a reasonable consideration for you.
  • Age – Are you young and have no children?
  • Personal Stress – Do you think you might be making a hasty decision at a stressful time?
  • External Pressure – Do you feel pressured into the decision by someone or by circumstances?
  • Relationship Stability – Do you frequently question the stability of your relationship?

Permanent contraception may not be for you at this time if you can answer yes to any of the above questions. If this is not the case, and you have decided that no matter what the future brings you will not want any more children, then vasectomy is a reasonable consideration for you.
You are very young, your current relationship is not stable, you are having the vasectomy just to please your partner, you are under a lot of stress, or you are counting on being able to reverse the procedure later.  Vasectomy reversal is a more complicated operation than the original vasectomy procedure. Reversal success is not certain and will vary based on how long it has been since the original surgery. Pollock Clinics does not offer vasectomy reversals.

Yes, but reversal operations are expensive and not always successful. If you are thinking about reversal, perhaps vasectomy is not right for you. We definitely recommend that you consider vasectomy a permanent form of contraception when making your decision.

Pre-vasectomy Sperm Banking (cryopreservation) is a good idea in almost anyone considering a vasectomy.

You will want to be certain that you are content with the number of children you have. If you have a child under six months of age, you might want to wait because of the “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)”, a condition where a child can die after a few months of life for no apparent reason. Six months of age is often considered the threshold at which SIDS is least likely to occur. Although SIDS is not common (1 in 2000 infants), this might possibly affect the timing of your plans for vasectomy.

 

Choosing to have a vasectomy is a serious decision because it is carried out with the intention of creating permanent sterility. Our experience with patients over the years has shown that some men who opt for a vasectomy later change their minds about their desire to have children.

The decision on whether to store sperm as a way to potentially conceive a child in the future is an important one. Conception using stored sperm is not certain, and the necessary medical insemination process can be costly. Cryogenic sperm storage is a good insurance policy, but is not a fully reliable method. If you are concerned to ensure future ability to conceive a child, then the vasectomy itself should be reconsidered.

In the unlikely event that you will want to have kids again in the future, and vasectomy reversal is not an option, or successful, sperm storage may be a way of allowing yourself to procreate again. Please consider storing sperm prior to your vasectomy.

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