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Q) WILL I STILL BE A MAN?
A)
YES.
Your masculinity will not be affected. The vasectomy blocks the flow of sperm from the testicles to the penis. That's all it does. It will not affect the production of hormones that occur in the testicles, which are released directly into the blood stream. Vasectomy doesn't cause hair loss, loss of muscles, loss of sexual desire, erection problems, ejaculation problems, climax problems or a change in your voice. You will not be singing soprano after your vasectomy (unless of course you sang it prior to the procedure).
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Q) DOES VASECTOMY REALLY PREVENT PREGNANCY?
A)
YES.
Male sperm are made in the man's testes. During his sexual climax (ejaculation) the sperm travels through two tubes in the scrotum called the vas, mixes with semen, and comes out of the penis. In a vasectomy, these tubes are blocked so the sperm cannot reach the semen. Without sperm in the semen, you cannot make your partner pregnant. Some men say that without the worry of accidental pregnancy and the bother of other birth control methods, sex is more relaxed and enjoyable than before.
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Q) WILL IT HURT?
A)
A LITTLE.
Before the vasectomy, at your request, your doctor may give you a mild sedative to relax you. When the local anesthetic is injected into the skin of the scrotum, you will feel some discomfort (like a burning for about 10 seconds). As soon as this takes effect, you should feel no pain. Afterwards... let's be honest... you will be sore for a couple of days and might want to take a mild painkiller (Most men do well with extra strength Tylenol. The discomfort is usually less with the no scalpel technique because there is less injury to the tissues. Also, there are no stitches. This is your chance for a little down time (4 days minimum) and some pampering by your partner.
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Q) WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SPERM?
A)
NOT MUCH.
The sperm will continue to be produced but there is nowhere for them to go. They linger around the tube and epididymis, like teenagers at the mall, and eventually they are recycled within the body. The body will always produce sperm, however, there is speculation that it might slow down production with time. There is no change in the production or dispersement of hormones (i.e. testosterone) from the testicles after the vasectomy.
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Q) WHEN CAN I GO BACK TO WORK & SPORTS?
A)
SOON.
You should take off about 4 days after your vasectomy. Men often have their vasectomies on Wednesday so they can take it easy over the weekend and go back to work the following Monday.
Men who do heavy physical labour or a lot of sports may need up to a week to heal before returning to all regular activities. Remember that this is surgery. It normally takes the body 2-3 weeks to fully recover from minor surgery. The first 4 days seem to set the stage on how well or how poorly you will do in those 2-3 weeks. I often find that men don't hurt enough after no scalpel surgery and as a result do stupid things the day after surgery that can lead to increased complications. Examples of things that have been tried and caused trouble in the 4 days following surgery (and are therefore not recommended) include riding a bikes, running a half marathon, sexual orgies, roofing a house, finishing the rec room, breaking up pool concrete while standing waist deep water etc. I recommend relaxing, puttering around the house, talking with your partner and children and generally taking it easy.
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Q) WILL I BE STERILE RIGHT AWAY?
A)
NO.
After a vasectomy, there are always some active sperm left in your system. It takes about 20 to 30 ejaculations to clear them. For most men this is approximately 3 to 6 months. You and your partner must use some other form of birth control until your doctor tests your semen and tells you it is free of sperm.
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Q) WHEN CAN I START HAVING SEX AGAIN?
A)
SOON.
As soon as you are comfortable, but remember to use some other kind of birth control until we prove that the vasectomy has been effective. That means that you must do the sperm sample or you will never really know will you if the sperm are truly all gone. I usually recommend that you abstain from sex for one week after your vasectomy.
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Q) WILL SEX BE BETTER AFTER MY VASECTOMY?
A)
NO.
There should be no change (neither better nor worse) after your vasectomy. Some couples feel more relaxed after the vasectomy only because they are not constantly worrying about an unwanted pregnancy. However, expectations of Herculean sexual exploits after vasectomy are wishful at best.
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Q) CAN I STORE MY SPERM?
A)
SURE.
Storing sperm can be done in many larger centers including both Hamilton and Toronto.
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Q) WILL HAVING A VASECTOMY PROTECT ME FROM GETTING/PASSING ON STDs OR AIDS?
A)
NO.
Having a vasectomy will only help prevent you from making your partner pregnant. If you or your partner have a sexual disease of any kind or have more than one sexual partner, the best way to protect yourself and your partner is to use a condom (either male or female).
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Q) CAN A NO SCALPEL VASECTOMY BE REVERSED?
A)
YES.
You should go into a vasectomy considering it permanent, as reversal operations are expensive and not always successful. If you are thinking about reversal, vasectomy is not right for you. Wait until later when you know that you definitely do not want to father any more children. However, having told you the party line you should know that sometimes things change including our lives. No scalpel vasectomy although considered "permanent" can be reversed through a re-anastomosis or
re-attachment of the tubes. A urologist doing microsurgery does this. The procedure is about 70 - 80 % effective if done in the first 5 years after your vasectomy. After that the success rates drop quickly. This procedure can cost several thousand dollars.
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Q) IS NO SCALPEL VASECTOMY SAFE?
A) YES.
Vasectomy in general is safe and simple. Vasectomy is an operation and all surgery has some risks, such as bleeding, bruising, and infection. But serious problems usually do not happen.
The risks are as follows:
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Hematoma (bleeding in the scrotum) approximately 1/2% |
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Infection (especially if there is a hematoma) approximately 1/2% |
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Sperm granuloma (small lumps that form when sperm leaks from the vas into surrounding tissue) approximately 1% |
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Failure of the vasectomy approximately 0.2%. This means vasectomies are 99.8% effective. There is, unfortunately, nothing 100% in medicine. |
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Post-vasectomy pain syndrome. This is a very rare condition (approximately 1 in 10,000) where you get some dropping of the testicles after surgery (a few millimeters not meters) and an associated chronic pain, like someone continually pulling on your testicles. If this happens your days of boxers shorts are over and you will need good, supportive underwear. If this doesn't work then some men need a reversal of the vasectomy. I have not had this happen yet but it is written in the vasectomy literature so it is possible (albeit rare). |
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Q) DOES VASECTOMY CAUSE ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS?
A)
NO.
Most medical experts, including special panels convened by the National Institutes of Health and by the World Health Organization, have concluded that vasectomy is a safe procedure. There have been many studies including many thousands of men that have examined the health effects of vasectomy. The body of research evidence at this time continues to be reassuring and suggests that men who have vasectomies (no matter what kind) are no more likely than other men to develop heart disease, prostate cancer, or any other illnesses.
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Q) DOES NO SCALPEL VASECTOMY WORK?
A)
YES.
It is as effective as tubal ligation and the conventional vasectomy method. It is 99.8% effective (there is nothing 100% in medicine).
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Q) WILL IT TAKE LONG?
A)
NO.
A vasectomy generally takes about 20-30 minutes to complete or about as long as it takes for your partner to have her cup of coffee while waiting for you.
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Q) CAN'T MY WIFE JUST HAVE HER TUBES TIED?
A)
YES.
If you ask your partner this I recommend that you stay out of range of her fists. Speaking man to man, did you have the chance to witness her last pregnancy and birth and all that entailed. Weren't you glad that you weren't the woman? Now, tell me, would you really want her to undergo a major operation after seeing all of that when a permanent birth control for you is a simple 30 minute office procedure. Plus, you will get major brownie points if you suggest and arrange a vasectomy without prompting. You would be amazed how many men make this their Christmas present to their wife.
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Q) WILL IT COST MUCH?
A)
NO.
We charge a small facility fee to pay for the uncovered components of the no scalpel vasectomy. This I assure you will be way less than the anticipated cost of raising and educating a child from birth to 18 years in Canada (approximately $100,000 and rising).
For those men from afar (Those without Ontario healthcare coverage) interested in a no scalpel vasectomy from Dr. Fallis, email him at drfallis@vasectomydoctor.com to see if he is ready, willing or able to assist you in your vasectomy quest.
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