Common Questions About Vasectomy

Our success rate has been better than 99.9%. Having said that, statistically, 1/3000 vasectomies will fail. You must use other forms of contraception for three months as well until the doctor has examined a semen specimen and found it to be sperm free. If the tests are negative, it is very likely you will have permanent success as it is exceedingly rare for the tubes to ever grow back together if they have not done so by three months.

Most medical experts, including special panels convened by the National Institutes of Health and by the World Health Organization, have concluded that vasectomy is a safe and simple procedure. Vasectomy is surgery however, and all surgery has some risks, such as bleeding and infection. But serious problems are uncommon. To date there have been no studies to support any long-term side effects like prostate cancer, high blood pressure etc.

No-scalpel vasectomy is virtually painless. After the procedure, you may be sore for a couple of days if you don’t overdo it and you should take a mild painkiller as outlined in the instructions. The discomfort is mild because there is minimal injury to the tissues.

When you come in for surgery, you will be with us for about one hour. This includes about 10 minutes to get you ready, 6 minutes for the procedure, and 10 minutes of waiting in our waiting room to ensure you are not lightheaded before driving home.

At Gentle Procedures Kelowna we make it possible to get your vasectomy done in just one single visit.

The cost of vasectomy at our private clinic is paid by the client. We are not part of the BC public health system and cannot bill MSP for services. For more detail on fees please see the Vasectomy Costs page.

In order to perform a no-scalpel vasectomy, we use a very pointy hemostat that allows us to make a tiny puncture through the skin. This puncture can occur anywhere along the base of the penis or anywhere along the scrotum. The optimal location will be decided on the day of surgery.

No. After a vasectomy, there are always some active sperm remaining in your reproductive tract. It usually takes three months and 20 ejaculations to clear them. You and your partner should use some other form of birth control until a semen test confirms that your semen is sperm free.

As soon as you are comfortable, after a minimum of seven days, but remember to use some other kind of birth control until your semen analysis confirms that you are sterile.

The only thing that will change is that you will not be able to make your partner pregnant. Your body will continue to produce the hormones that make you a man. You will have the same amount of semen. Vasectomy won’t change your voice, beard, your muscles, your sex drive, your erections, or your climaxes. Some men say that without the worry of accidental pregnancy and the bother of other birth control methods, the freedom results in substantially improved sexual fulfillment.

The body continues to make sperm but after a vasectomy there is no place for them to go. They will die, dissolve, then get absorbed by the body. This happens in the same manner as a man who does not ejaculate for a very long time; sperm are still made but the body clears them away.

You should not do any heavy physical labour for seven days after your vasectomy. If your job does not involve this kind of work, you can go back sooner.

Yes, but reversal operations are expensive and not always successful. Current techniques are only slightly greater than 50% effective. If you are thinking about reversal, vasectomy is not right for you. Sperm banking is a good idea for almost anyone considering a vasectomy. If you have any doubts, please discuss other temporary birth control methods that are available with your family physician.

In an open-ended vasectomy, once the vas tube is cut, the end from the testicle is left open (i.e. not cauterized), while the end of the tube leading to the penis is closed. Studies have suggested that this could be the ideal way to block the vas end. There may be less postoperative discomfort because there is no sudden pressure back-up to the testicles.

Occasionally, we have men who have very “tight” or “constricted” scrotums. In this situation, our doctors will postpone the procedure and prescribe you Diazepam as well as ask you to soak your scrotum in a hot bath prior to coming in for your procedure the next time. This will help relax the muscles in the scrotum and make it easier to access your vas deferens and will also result in less chance of complications.