Whether you already have children and are finished growing your family, or whether you’re determined never to have a child, a vasectomy helps you reach your goal. This simple procedure severs your vas deferens tubes so you can’t ejaculate sperm anymore.
If you’re ready for a vasectomy, Alex Lesani, MD, an expert urologist in Las Vegas, wants you to make the right choice. Here we discuss the two types of vasectomy and why we recommend the no-scalpel approach.
Vasectomy didn’t gain widespread use as a sterilization procedure until World War II. Even at its outset, vasectomy was a relatively simple medical procedure. Your doctor made an incision or two in your scrotum, cut the vas deferens tubes, sealed them, and stitched you back up.
Although those two words — incision and stitched — imply pain and recovery, an incision vasectomy tends to be pain-free, quick, and safe. However, incisions slightly increase your risk for infection.
Most men opt for the latest type of vasectomy, known as a no-scalpel vasectomy. Instead of using a knife to cut incisions in your scrotum, your urologist makes one or two punctures and accesses your vas deferens through those holes. They then snip or cauterize the tubes so they can’t carry sperm out of your body anymore.
The small punctures don’t require stitches to heal. They simply mend on their own. Your doctor may cover the punctures with a tiny bandage after your surgery.
You shouldn’t feel much of anything during either type of vasectomy, other than a small amount of pressure. Dr. Lesani first injects anesthetics into your scrotum so that your scalpel or scalpel-free vasectomy is painless.
Most of the pain associated with vasectomy occurs after the simple, fast procedure, when the anesthetic wears off. You may experience some bruising and tenderness. You can manage your pain with over-the-counter painkillers and by icing the operation site with a wrapped ice pack.
You may need to cut back on some of your normal activities for a few days until the swelling and discomfort recedes. We also recommend that you avoid sex or masturbation for several days after vasectomy.
We give you complete after-care instructions so that you stay comfortable as you heal. We recommend wearing brief-style underpants for support during your recovery period. You should also avoid baths, swimming, saunas, and spas.
Over time, a vasectomy is a nearly 100% effective means of birth control. Although you still produce sperm in your scrotum, they can’t travel through your vas deferens to mix with seminal fluid and therefore can’t be ejaculated. Your body simply resorbs the sperm.
However, residual sperm can live in your tubes for months after your vasectomy. Dr. Lesani may check your sperm count every month for about six months, or until your count is zero. During that period, be sure to use another form of contraception to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
If you’re ready for a no-scalpel vasectomy, call our helpful Las Vegas, Nevada office staff at 702-470-2579 to set up an evaluation. You can also book online.
