Before you call up a vasectomy doctor and make arrangements for undergoing this procedure, it is important that you are aware of all of the facts. If you are in a relationship you should of course have discussed this with your partner, getting deep into the reasons why you want this procedure and what it will mean for you both moving forward. As long as you are both happy then the next step is to find a great doctor, get yourself booked in and wait for a date. Prior to all of this, here are some commonly asked questions answered.
Your Sexual Function
Contrary to what many may think, having a vasectomy will not have any affect at all on your sexual functioning. Naturally in the recovery stage following the procedure there will be no chance of any sexual activity, but once healed there is not reason that you cannot go back to exactly how things were pre-op. This does not affect the body’s ability to produce semen, the only difference here is that the semen will not contain any sperm.
Gradual Reduction
Your sperm count will not reduce right away following the vasectomy, this is a gradual process which will see the numbers decrease. You will have regular sperm tests with your doctor and it usually takes around 2 months for a test to come back negative.
Reversal
If something changes in your life in the future then you need not worry about the fact that you have had a vasectomy, because this is a procedure which can be reversed. One thing which you must bear in mind however is that a reversal will take around 5 to 6 hours, and can be quite the surgical procedure, a vasectomy on the other hand is a 20 minute procedure which is far less complicated than the reversal.
Recovery
The recovery following this procedure is very easy and 99.9% of patients have absolutely no secondary issues. In the main you can return to work in 2 to 3 days, resume normal exercise within a week and after seven days you can begin to enjoy sex again. This is a very simple procedure which will have you back on your feet in no time at all.
Anesthetic
Anesthesia required for this procedure will be local anesthetic only, or some may also opt for what is known as conscious sedation. For local anesthetic an injection will be given to the scrotum in order to numb the area, whereas the conscious sedation involves medications which will sedate you so that you don’t feel any pain or anxiety. The decision will be completely up to you and if you so wish, you could even have the procedure completed under general anesthetic.
There is much for you to think about before having this procedure of course but it is important that you are aware of all of the facts before you go in, and that you have spoken with your partner about what the future looks like.
