Vasectomy

A vasectomy is a procedure that prevents the sperm (male reproductive material) from entering the semen (ejaculatory liquid). In most cases, you can undergo a vasectomy on an outpatient basis and with only local anesthesia (numbing only the surgical area). 

A urologist performs this procedure by cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm – known as the vas deferens. 

A vasectomy prevents sperm from entering the semen when a man ejaculates. The body simply reabsorbs the sperm and this does not cause any harm.

A vasectomy only takes between 10 and 30 minutes. We've listed out the process of a vasectomy below:

1. Your urologist will inject a numbing medication into the skin of your scrotum with a small needle.
2. The vas deferens will be cut, burned or clipped.
3. Your urologist will use stitches or surgical glue to close the surgical area.

You may feel slight tugging or a pinch during the procedure, but you shouldn’t be in any major pain.

A vasectomy is nearly 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. To ensure that sperm is no longer present in the semen, you should follow your urologist’s guidance on when to return to the office to provide a semen sample for testing. A lab technician will examine the semen under the microscope to ensure that no sperm are present.

You can expect mild pain, bruising and swelling in the few days after your vasectomy. You should:

While a vasectomy is reversible in most cases, you should consider it to be a permanent form of birth control. If you decide to have your vasectomy reversed in the future, the reversal procedure can be very costly and is not always effective at reconnecting the tubes that carry sperm.