A vasectomy is a safe, highly effective form of permanent male contraception with a success rate over 99%. It does not affect sexual performance, but sterility is not immediate and proper healing is essential. Careful consideration is important, as reversal is complex and not guaranteed.
If you and your partner no longer wish to have children and are exploring long term forms of contraception, then a vasectomy may be the perfect option for you. A vasectomy is a form of male birth control that prevents pregnancy. During the procedure, the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles, known as the vas deferens, are cut and sealed to prevent any sperm from entering the urethra. The procedure can be conducted under local anesthesia, and has a success rate of over 99%.
The Gentle Procedures Clinic Experience in Toronto
Our clinics are committed to offering their patients a safe vasectomy experience with effective results. However, there are many misconceptions about vasectomies that cause a lot of confusion and misinformation. Here are some important things our experts want you to consider before getting a vasectomy:
Be Certain About Your Decision
A vasectomy is a permanent form of contraception, so it is not a decision that should be made on a whim. It should be decided between you and your partner after much careful consideration.
A vasectomy may be the right choice for you if:
- You and your partner no longer desire to have children.
- You and/or your partner have genetic disorders that you do not wish to pass on to your offspring.
- Carrying children is dangerous for your partner’s health.
If you and your partner are still unsure about whether you should have children or not, or if you find yourselves often changing your mind, then a vasectomy may not be the best choice for you. If this is the case, other forms of temporary birth control exist in the meantime to help you until you are certain of your decision.
Sterilization Does Not Happen Immediately
A common misconception about vasectomies is that the results are immediate. However, this is not the case. Once the surgery is complete, the sperm in your ejaculation will decrease gradually, rather than disappear immediately. In order to decrease the risk of impregnating your partner, another form of birth control should be used during sexual intercourse for at least two to three months, or around 20 ejaculations. Once this has been done, your physician will perform a semen analysis, and only when a sample of your semen comes back completely sperm-free does it mean that you are finally sterile.
Like any medical procedure, vasectomy risks and side effects, though they are generally low
Your Sexual Functioning Will Not be Affected
Having a vasectomy will not have an impact on your sex drive, since no connection exists between that and the amount of sperm in your semen. Similarly, a vasectomy will not impact your ability to have an erection or an orgasm. If you did not have any problems getting an erection prior to your surgery, there shouldn’t be any issues post-op. For ejaculation, nothing should change in terms of semen amount or texture, but it is possible to feel some slight discomfort. This should only happen for the first few ejaculations after the procedure. If this discomfort continues for over a month, it is recommended that you go see your doctor.
The Healing Process is Important
Healing is an essential part of getting a vasectomy. After the surgery, you will have incisions and stitches that need to heal. If you have sexual intercourse too soon after the procedure, the incisions could reopen, allowing bacteria to invade your wounds and cause an infection. It is recommended that you wait until all the pain and swelling around the surgical site has gone down before having sex.
Some general guidelines for the recovery process include:
- Returning to work after two to three days.
- Resuming exercising after one week.
- Having sexual intercourse after one week.
At our Gentle Procedures clinics, we take care of our patients throughout the healing process, too. We encourage all of our patients to contact our doctors for any questions they may have about getting back to their daily lives.
Vasectomies Can Be Reversed
Although a vasectomy is meant to be a permanent contraceptive, it is possible to reverse it by reattaching the vas deferens tubing. However, the process is much longer – while a vasectomy can be done in just a few minutes by our doctors at our clinics, the reversal can take up to six hours. It is a much more complicated procedure, and it is not guaranteed to lead to pregnancy.
The longer you wait after your vasectomy to get a reversal done, the lower the success rate is. If there is even a small chance that you might think of getting a reversal done, it is best not to get a vasectomy at all in the first place. You should think of a vasectomy as something permanent, and to keep in mind that a reversal does not always work.
What Comes Next
Generally, a vasectomy is a simple and effective procedure. Call us today to learn more about booking your vasectomy appointment. Our team is happy to address any concerns you may have regarding the vasectomy process.
