A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure used by surgeons to make a man sterile. It produces infertility by blocking the transport of sperm through the vas deferens. It is one of the most popular forms of contraception worldwide, and is regarded as safe, simple and highly effective. Although the man continues to have sexual intercourse and climax as before, his semen does not contain sperm and he cannot father a child following a vasectomy.

Vasectomy is a highly effective method of male contraception that has been shown to be extremely cost-effective.

Data have shown that 7% of couples who desired contraception chose vasectomy as their method of contraception.

A man and his spouse should carefully consider their options before deciding about a vasectomy. It's important that every couple to be fully informed and aware.

The more time a couple spends in becoming educated about a vasectomy…or any procedure, for that matter…the greater confidence they will have in making a decision that is right for them and their situation.

Vasectomy is 99.8% effective. Used properly, condoms can be 98% effective. Your call.

The Surgery “The Snip”

A vasectomy is performed by cutting the vas deferens, the small tube that carries sperm from the man's testicles to become part of his semen. This is done under local anaesthesia with or without sedation in an out patient setting. Usually the procedure is well tolerated by the patient. It involves making 1.5cm incision, through which the Vas deferens delivered, divided and ligated. A small portion of the Vas will also be sent for Hisopathology examination for confirmation.

After Surgery

You will be going home on the same day with simple Analgesia and Antibiotics.

You can have a shower the next day.

Does Vasectomy make me sterile immediately after surgery?

No, any vasectomy does not make you sterile right away, and you'll want to continue using some other means to guard against pregnancy until your doctor tells you otherwise. Immediately after a vasectomy, active sperm remain in the semen for a period of time. It may take 20 to 25 ejaculations and several weeks before your semen is free of sperm. Your local doctor will test the semen, perhaps several times over several weeks, and let you know when you can safely consider the vasectomy to be complete. This may be as long as 3-6 months.

Getting back to work and normal activities

You will be able to go back to work and normal activities the next day.

Risks and complications

Vasectomy considered among the safest procedures and the majority of complications, if any, are usually minor and easily treated. These include a chance of infection, bleeding or transient bruising, temporary swelling or fluid accumulation.

Following the procedure, some men experience pain, often as a dull ache, caused by a pressure on the miniature tubes of the epididymis. This is usually treated successfully with medication, but the removal of the epididymis is sometimes recommended.

Short-term failure of vasectomy is usually defined as the presence of sperm in the ejaculate at 3-6 months or after 25 ejaculates following the procedure.

There are always some sperm present in the initial postvasectomy ejaculates, although after 4 weeks the number and quality in the vast majority of men is usually inadequate to achieve fertilization.

Unfortunately, in practice, a significant number of men fail to provide postvasectomy ejaculates for examination, and the failures are only identified only after unexpected pregnancy.

Late failure can occur at any time after vasectomy and is thought to be due to recanalization of the vas deferens. In a prospective study, a late failures that resulted in pregnancy were 9 failures in more than 30,000 vasectomies.

In Summary

• A vasectomy is a simple, safe and highly effective procedure.
• Results are not immediate; it may be weeks before sterility is complete.
• Vasectomy does not change your ability to have an erection or enjoy sex.
• The procedure is safe, risks are low and complications are rare.

A vasectomy should be considered permanent and may not be able to be reversed later.