INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOWING VASECTOMY
- Spend a quiet evening at home, reclining in bed or on the sofa. Minimize activity. Some men have no pain at all after vasectomy. Many have mild discomfort that does not require pain pills. Sometimes the discomfort is in the groin or abdomen. That’s because the testes originate in the abdomen in embryonic life and drag their nerve supply with them as they migrate into the scrotum. So any issue in the scrotal contents can be perceived as an abdominal process.
- Avoid aspirin for 2 days after the vasectomy. You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol or generic) if you have any discomfort. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin, Advil, or generic) and naproxen (Aleve) are both pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs. For the first few days after a procedure, inflammation may be a normal component of the healing process, and I prefer not to stifle it, so Tylenol is preferred. Pain beyond 3 days, especially if accompanied by some swelling of the vasectomy sites above the testes, may signify excessive inflammation and then ibuprofen and naproxen are good choices. Some men will have more discomfort or tenderness 3-5 days after the vasectomy than they do for the first few days after their vasectomies. That’s because the body goes through a series of steps in responding to the new arrangement, and sometimes the later steps are more noticeable than the earlier steps. Usually no reason for concern.
- No need for ice packs.
- You may remove the scrotal support and take a daily shower starting the morning after the procedure. Replace the scrotal support and wear it whenever you are up and around for the next 2 days, and during sports for the next 7 days.
- On the day after the procedure, you may walk and drive as much as you like, but no sports, yard work, swimming, or heavy lifting. If your job is sedentary (office work or supervisor), you may return to work.
- Two days after the procedure, you may return to more strenuous work and regular activities wearing your scrotal support. When pain is gone and tenderness is minimal, you may return to the gym or to running, but on the first day back, do half of your usual workout: half the weight, half the reps, half the speed, half the distance, etc. If pain does not return, you may do your regular workout the next day. You may also swim in fresh or salt water two days after the vasectomy.
- When you no longer have any pain or tenderness, you may ejaculate. I have always recommended waiting at least 2 days for sex, but the American Urological Association Vasectomy Guidelines recommend that men wait a week. It is unclear whether sooner ejaculation prolongs discomfort. Blood in the semen within the first month or two after the vasectomy occurs in some men, but it is no reason for concern.
- No follow-up visit is required. You will be given the office number and if you have undue discomfort or any concerns, you should me anytime after your vasectomy.
- It is normal to have some discoloration of the skin (black and blue) around the puncture site a day or two after the vasectomy. Some men will develop considerable discoloration of the scrotum about 4 days after the vasectomy. Blood from the deep vasectomy site comes to the surface as a purplish-blue mark, gets darker, and spreads out like an oil slick, then gradually dissipates.
- Some men (about one in 20) will develop swelling and discomfort on one side, sometimes on both sides, starting anytime from 3 days to 3 months following vasectomy. This usually represents an exaggerated form of the normal inflammatory response necessary for sperm resorption and recycling. It is effectively managed with a 5-7 day course of ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times per day.
- Twelve weeks after your vasectomy, have your semen tested to be sure that it no longer contains sperm and that it is thereby safe to stop other forms of contraception: You will have a lab slip provided to you that you should complete. We will contact you with the results.
Dr. Thulasi Shanmukanathan
Office : 519-974-0010
Email: Advancecaremedicalclinic@gmail.com
