Before Your Vasectomy WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE What is a vasectomy? A vasectomy is a simple procedure that makes a man permanently sterile. This means that he cannot get a woman pregnant. After a vasectomy, a man releases semen when he ejaculates, but the semen will not contain sperm. A woman cannot get pregnant if there are no sperm to fertilize the egg. Your procedure will be cancelled if you are not on time Allow 25-30 minutes for parking and check-in. Your vasectomy is scheduled for at with Dr.. You must be in the Urology Department at. Your surgery is at: Franklin Medical Offices 20 th Avenue Medical Offices 2045 Franklin Street Denver, CO 80205 the 3rd floor. Take elevator B4. Rock Creek Medical Offices 280 Exempla Circle Lafayette, CO 80026 the 3rd floor. Lone Tree Medical Offices 10240 Park Meadows Drive Lone Tree, CO 80124 the 2nd floor. How long is the appointment? Your appointment will take one hour total. That includes a 15-minute consult with the surgeon and 45 minutes for the procedure. Check in at the 1 st floor front desk. Bring your Kaiser Permanente ID card, a photo ID and your copay. If you take anticoagulants, follow these instructions or your surgery will be cancelled Please call the Urology Department to set up a consultation with a surgeon. This visit is to discuss the specific risk of bleeding with your procedure. If you choose to have the procedure, please contact the appropriate person for instructions on stopping and restarting your blood thinners before and after the vasectomy. If you are taking Coumadin (Warfarin) or Pradaxa (Dabigatran), call the Anticoagulation Department at 303-739-4900. If you are taking Plavix, talk to your primary care doctor.
Getting ready for your surgery 7 days before your surgery Stop taking aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as Advil or ibuprofen. Aspirin can cause problems with bleeding during surgery. You can take acetaminophen (Tylenol ). The night before your surgery Shower with an antibacterial soap such as Dial and shave your scrotum with a regular razor, warm water, and shaving cream. The day of your surgery You must have someone to drive you home. You cannot drive yourself home! Eat before the procedure. Your regular diet is fine. Don t come in with an empty stomach. Shower again with antibacterial soap and wear clean underwear. If you did not follow the shaving instructions for the night before surgery, a nurse will shave your scrotum before the procedure. This takes only a few minutes. Bring a jock strap or other scrotal support with you. You will wear it home after the surgery. You may also bring an ipod or other music player to use during the vasectomy to help you relax. During the procedure The vasectomy is done in the Urology Department. A surgeon makes small cuts (about ¼ - ½ inch) in the scrotum and removes part of the vas deferens on each side. You will be awake and will be given a local anesthetic (Xylocaine, a form of Novocain). The procedure is not painful for most men, but you will feel a tugging or pulling on the scrotum. You may take Tylenol before and after the procedure. After your vasectomy, a gauze pad will be placed over the wound area. You will wear your scrotal support over the pad and go home immediately. It is our policy that relatives and friends are not present in the surgery room during your procedure. When should I call the Urology Department? Please let us know if you: Take antibiotics before dental or medical procedures. Have any bleeding disorders (problems with blood clotting). Have any unexpected health problems such as a cold, flu, or infection. Need verification for your employer for time off work (for 3 days bed rest).
The day after your surgery Wound care Do not take a shower for at least 12 hours, and then you can shower as usual. After showering, use your finger to apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or Polysporin to the area. No other dressing is needed. Make sure you wash your hands well with soap and water before touching the surgical area to apply antibiotic ointment. If you have sutures it is OK to take a bath after they fall out (5-14 days). The sutures do not need to be removed. To avoid infection, do not get in a hot tub or swim until your wound is healed. This should be avoided for 6 weeks. The testes will be tender and sensitive for several weeks. Take Extra-strength Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.) as needed. Put an icepack or bag of frozen peas on the wound area as needed. For the first 3 days DO NOT get up and walk much. You may trip and fall, or if you strain yourself, you will increase the risks of scrotal bleeding and swelling. After the first 3 days If you are not having any problems, you can go back to work and do most of your usual activities. DO NOT do any activities that involve heavy lifting, stretching or straining for 7 days (including riding a bike, lifting weights, etc.). Complications of surgery ANY surgery involves the risk of complications. For scrotal surgery, the overall risks are very small (3-5%) but major complications may be difficult to correct and may take weeks or months to heal. The best way to avoid complications is to follow your instructions for 2 3 days bed rest and wearing your scrotal support. Major complications of scrotal surgery Infection in the scrotum or its contents: Contact us immediately if you experience fever, chills, nausea, or wound drainage. Bleeding in the scrotum: Signs one or both sides of the scrotum enlarge(s) 2-3 times the normal size. Contact us immediately if you experience this. You may also start to have chronic pain 6 12 months after surgery. Contact us if you have a constant dull, aching pain that does not go away over time. If you have any doubts about wanting to father a child, or if your wife or partner does not agree with your decision, please cancel your surgery appointment and make an appointment for both of you to consult with one of our surgeons.
How to take care of yourself at home Most of the healing happens within the first week. The wounds can take up to 6 weeks to heal completely. Follow these instructions carefully to help with your healing and avoid complications. Go home and rest in bed as much as possible. Keep your legs and hips elevated above your heart to reduce swelling and keep pain to a minimum. Wear your scrotal support all the time for 3 days or as directed by your surgeon. 7 days after your surgery Do not have sex. A vasectomy does not take effect right away. It takes at least 15 20 orgasms and 8-12 weeks (2-3 months) before sperm are out of your system. Use another form of birth control during this time, as your partner can still get pregnant. Your sexual functions will be the same. You should be able to ejaculate and have an erection, but the semen will not contain sperm (meaning that you are not fertile). 12 weeks after your surgery After 12 weeks, if you have had at least 20 ejaculations, we can do a test called a semen analysis. If the test shows that you do not have sperm, the vasectomy has taken effect. The test can be repeated if necessary. There is a very small chance (less than 1%) that the vas deferens can join back together (called re-canalization). If this happens the vasectomy has not taken effect.
Can a vasectomy be reversed? A reversal procedure IS NOT RELIABLE and it is very expensive. DO NOT CONSIDER A REVERSAL if you are not 100% sure about having a vasectomy. YES. I do want to have a vasectomy. I know this procedure is permanent. I am 100% sure that I do not want to father children. I know that there is a very small chance that I may not be completely sterile, and I am willing to take that risk. My partner agrees with my decision. I AM NOT SURE if I want to have a vasectomy. I want to think about this more. Having surgery may not be right for me at this time. My partner is not sure about my being sterile. NO. I have decided not to have a vasectomy. I m not ready to have the surgery. My partner does not want me to have a vasectomy. Read this information carefully. Keep your appointment for surgery (or schedule an appointment). Follow all of the surgery instructions completely. Arrive on time for the surgery (or your surgery will be cancelled). If you have scheduled the vasectomy and cancel your appointment: Make an appointment for a consult instead. Talk with your partner, friends or family. If you have a spouse or partner, bring her to the consult so that both of you can discuss your questions and concerns with the doctor. If you have scheduled the vasectomy, cancel your appointment. Who can I call with questions? Urology Department Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 303-861-3406 or 1-800-632-9700 (TTY: 711). 24-hour Medical Advice and Urgent Care Call 303-338-4545 or 1-800-218-1059 (TTY: 711). Emergency care Call 911 or go immediately to the Emergency Room. Medical Financial Counseling Services Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 303-338-3025 or 1-877-803-1929 (TTY: 711). To learn more go to kp.org and search vasectomy.