Instructions Before Your Vasectomy
These pre-vasectomy instructions are designed to help you understand what to do before a vasectomy so you feel informed, prepared, and confident on the day of your procedure.
- Understand the alternatives to vasectomy, so that you are confident in your choice as part of your overall vasectomy preparation process.
- Understand the “Instructions Following Vasectomy” below so that you know what to expect and how to plan ahead when learning how to prepare for a vasectomy.
- Please shave your scrotum, preferably before the day of the procedure, following these vasectomy prep instructions. A bit of alcohol is used to clean the skin before the skin is frozen, and it can sting slightly right after a fresh shave if the skin is chafed.
- Do not use powder or deodorant in the genital area on the day of your procedure as recommended in standard vasectomy prep instructions.
- If possible, arrange to have someone drive you home.
- Plan to do nothing but recline at home (sofa or bed) on the afternoon and evening of the vasectomy.
- Do not take any aspirin-containing medication for seven days before the procedure.
- Eat a normal breakfast or lunch before your procedure. Nervous men who do not eat beforehand are more likely to become lightheaded during or after their vasectomies.
Instructions Following Your Vasectomy
These recovery guidelines complement your earlier vasectomy preparation and help ensure a smooth healing process.
- Spend a quiet evening at home, reclining in bed or on the sofa. Minimize activity. Some men have no pain at all after a vasectomy. Many have mild discomfort that does not require medication. Sometimes the discomfort is in the groin or abdomen. This is because the testes originate in the abdomen in embryonic life and drag their nerve supply with them as they migrate into the scrotum. Any issue in the scrotal contents can be perceived as abdominal discomfort.
- Avoid Aspirin, Advil, or other NSAIDs for 3 days after the vasectomy. You may take Tylenol if you have any discomfort. 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. Pain beyond 3 days, especially if accompanied by some swelling of the vasectomy sites above the testes, may signify excessive inflammation and ibuprofen and naproxen are good choices. Some men will have more discomfort or tenderness 3-5 days after the vasectomy than they do for the first few days after their vasectomies. That’s because the body goes through a series of steps in responding to the new arrangement, and sometimes the later steps are more noticeable than the earlier steps. This is usually no reason for concern.
- 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.
- On the day after the procedure, continue limiting your activity. Avoid sports, yard work, swimming, or heavy lifting.
- On the third day, gradually return to work and regular activities wearing your scrotal support. Consider waiting 2-4 additional days if your work is more demanding. When pain is gone and tenderness is minimal, you may return to the gym or to running, but on the first day back, do half 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. You may also swim in fresh or salt water two days after the vasectomy.
- The American Urological Association Vasectomy Guidelines recommend that men wait a week. Blood in the semen within the first month or two after the vasectomy occurs in some men, but it is no reason for concern.
- No follow-up visit is required. If you have undue discomfort or any concerns, you should call our office.
- It is normal to have some discoloration of the skin (black and blue) around the puncture site a day or two after the vasectomy. 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.
- Some men (about 1 in 20) will develop swelling and discomfort on one side, sometimes on both sides, starting anytime from 3 days to 3 months following vasectomy. This usually represents an exaggerated form of the normal inflammatory response necessary for sperm resorption and recycling. It is effectively managed with a 5-7 day course of ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times per day.
- Twelve weeks after your vasectomy, have your semen tested to be sure that it no longer contains sperm and that it is thereby safe to stop other forms of contraception
