Sometimes are patients tell us that they have reviewed the entire website but maybe it was a while ago or they forgot or maybe they just want quick vasectomy facts before coming in. With that being said, here are the 6 things you must know before your vasectomy!
1. A man will not be sterile immediately after his vasectomy.
It takes a minimum of 20 ejaculations and 12 weeks for the sperm stored in the seminal vesicle and along the reproductive tract to be completely evacuated!
2. The overall failure rates are about one in 1,000, compared with one in 250 in women who have tubal ligation.
Not only is vasectomy safer than tubal ligation and able to be tested in perpetuity down the road with ongoing semen analysis, the failure rates are lower. Despite this, rates of tubal ligation in North America and around the world are still high. The complications of a failed tubal ligation includes an ectopic pregnancy – a significant cause of maternal death around the world. Having said that, a vasectomy is not perfect either and carries a small chance of failure.
3. Most men appreciate no needle anesthesia so that nothing sharp blindly enters the scrotum and so there is less risk of bleeding and hematoma.
If you are afraid of needles, we got you covered! Using a spray applicator, we can provide anesthesia using air pressure without any sharp needles entering the scrotum. Other benefits to this include less time spent controlling bleeding so less time on the table and less anxiety also means less tightness in the scrotum so that the procedure goes more smoothly .
4. Our doctors use a no-scalpel technique which results in faster healing.
A very sharp artery forcep is used to make a tiny opening into the skin of the scrotal wall. Then a ring clamp is used to secure each vas tube. Each vas is divided and the upper end tied off so that it will seal closed. This is much less invasive than the traditional approach still carried out today that involves large incisions on either side using a scalpel. Because our doctors are very experienced the whole procedure typically only takes 5-10 minutes.
5. The cut end of each vas closest to each testes is left open (open-ended technique), to let the sperm escape into the scrotum after each ejaculation and be absorbed into the body.
Don’t freak out. Sperm is still produced in the testes after the vasectomy, but it’s tiny amounts. The real gunky stuff when a man ejaculates is the semen, and this is produced safely away from the nutsack in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland. Who would’ve known right? So after a vasectomy a man will still ejaculate the same volume of semen, but not baby-making sperm.
6. Testosterone is unaffected and libido is unaffected.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us before your procedure. Just call 604-717-6200. We look forward to seeing you soon.
