Before Your Vasectomy at Gentle Procedures Kelowna
The first step is of course to ensure that you have made a fully informed and considered decision. Please review information on our site and elsewhere and proceed only if you feel confident and happy with your choice. Consider a vasectomy to be permanent contraception.
Preparing for Your Vasectomy
You have the option of planning separate consultation and surgery appointments, or you may choose to have both the consultation and procedure in a single visit to our clinic.
Once your surgery date is scheduled it is important that you follow the instructions below. Please also review the After Vasectomy information so you know what to expect after the procedure.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.
You can call or request an appointment now online.
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Patient Instructions
- Please review the vasectomy pages on this website so you are confident and informed about the process.
- Register online on this website. You will then receive an email asking you to call our office to set an appointment for your procedure.
- Do not take Aspirin or anticoagulants (blood thinners) for one week prior to your procedure.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or Diclofenac must not be taken in the 48 hours prior to your procedure.
- Please confirm with your family doctor or specialist before stopping any blood thinners or anticoagulants (such as Warfarin).
- Two business days prior to your appointment, please call our office to confirm your vasectomy.
- Please avoid any alcohol 2 days before and after the procedure.
- Please shave the underside of the penis and front wall of the scrotum the day before the procedure to save time.
- On the day of your surgery eat before your procedure (a normal breakfast or lunch) as those who don’t are more likely to become lightheaded.
- Please take a shower with soap and water the day of your procedure.
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. You may drive yourself to and from the clinic after your procedure, although you may choose to have a driver if that makes you more comfortable, especially if you have a history of easy fainting.
- Wear light clothing because it will be warm in the room and wear clothes you won’t mind getting some iodine on.
- When you are in one of the surgical rooms, you will not be required to fully undress; you just need to lower your pants, lie back on the table and relax. One of our staff will place an elastic band or “lasso” around your penis to bring it out of the operative field, wash the scrotal area with iodine solution, and place surgical towels on your body.
- You are now ready for your vasectomy. One of our doctors will start by administering the anaesthetic.
- You are encouraged to bring and listen to any music/podcast or watch any programming or play any games on your mobile device during the procedure.
- If you have any questions, feel free to discuss with the doctor during your procedure.
No Aspirin or NSAIDs
Starting seven days before the procedure, do not take any Aspirin or anticoagulants (blood thinners).
You can still take other pain relief medications like acetaminophen.
In addition, in the 48 hours before your procedure, you must entirely avoid Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs such as Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Naproxen, Diclofenac, and or other anti-inflammatory medication.
These medications thin the blood somewhat and increase the risk of bleeding.
Acetaminophen is acceptable because it does not impact your risk of bleeding during and after surgery.
Don’t take aspirin and other anti-inflammatories for your own safety. Our doctor may not perform your procedure if you have taken these drugs recently. If you have a medical requirement to do so, please discuss the situation with us
Please confirm with your family doctor or specialist before stopping any blood thinners or anticoagulants (such as Warfarin).
Consider a vasectomy to be permanent contraception.
Two Days Before Surgery
One Day Before Surgery
Shaving Before Vasectomy
For our improved visibility and for hygienic reasons (keeping hair out of the surgical area), we recommend that you shave from the base of the penis and along the front and sides of your scrotum. Avoid dry shaving; do it while showering.
While we could easily perform your procedure without having you shave at all, we believe that this is an important step in performing a meticulous surgery.
The Day of Your Surgery
Wear very supportive underwear.
Please do not wear boxer shorts, as they do not provide the necessary support.
We recommend that you bring a small ice pack with you so that you can apply is immediately after surgery, and on your way home.
Wear comfortable clothing.
Eat a good breakfast, and be sure you are well hydrated.
You will feel much more comfortable during the procedure.
Minimize coffee, but have one if skipping it causes you material stress.
Please plan to arrive a little earlier for your appointment.
In Clinic Preparations
Our staff will usher you into one of the surgical rooms where you are not required to fully undress; you just need to lower your pants, lie back and relax.
We will place an elastic band around your penis to bring it out of the operative field, wash the scrotal area with iodine solution and place surgical towels on your body.
Our doctor will administer the anesthetic. It is then time for the actual vasectomy, which takes just 10 to 15 minutes, with some variation depending on your anatomy.
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Consideration Before a Vasectomy
Choosing to have a vasectomy is a serious decision because it is carried out with the intention of creating permanent sterility.
Our experience with patients over the years has shown that some men who opt for a vasectomy later change their minds about their desire to have children after their vasectomy is done. Reasons for this include death of a spouse, death of a child, divorce, separation or just changing their minds.
Please review the questions and considerations below to ensure that you make a good decision.
Do I think that I might want to have more children?
If there is a possibility that you might want additional children in the future, you should not have a vasectomy. Your vasectomy will prevent you from conceiving a child and should be considered a permanent form of male birth contro.
Vasectomy reversal surgery is not a fully effective way to restore male fertility, and no one should use surgery to temporarily suppress fertility. A vasectomy reversal may be possible but the results are not certain. A vasectomy is recommended only for men who are certain they will not want to conceive a baby.
Am I a good candidate for vasectomy surgery?
If you are certain you don’t want more children, the remaining questions are related to your current physical condition, and there are not many contra-indications for a vasectomy procedure.
The main ones are to do with any pre-existing issues affecting your scrotum (hernia in that area, scarring) and your general ability to tolerate a minor surgery (abnormal blood coagulation, other pre-existing conditions). Morbidly obese men or patients with a short scrotum are not good candidates for vasectomy.
It is also vital that you follow the doctor’s instructions on post-operative care.
Personal circumstances that men need to carefully consider before choosing to have a vasectomy:
- Age – Are you young and have no children?
- Personal Stress – Do you think you might be making a hasty decision at a stressful time?
- External Pressure – Do you feel pressured into the decision by someone or by circumstances?
- Relationship Stability – Do you frequently question the stability of your relationship?
Permanent contraception will not likely help you resolve problems you experience in any of these areas. If you have decided that no matter what the future brings you will not want any more children, then vasectomy is a reasonable consideration for you.
How can I be sure I want a vasectomy?
- You don’t want to father a child under any circumstances.
- You want to enjoy sex without worrying about pregnancy.
- You want to save your partner from the surgery involved in having her tubes closed, which carries a higher risk and failure rate.
If this is true in your case, then a vasectomy may be right for you. Talk to your partner- it’s a good idea to make this decision together. Consider other kinds of birth control. Talk to a friend or relative who has had a vasectomy. Think about how you would feel if your partner had an unplanned pregnancy. Talk to a doctor, nurse or family planning counselor.
A vasectomy might not be right for you if:
You are very young, your current relationship is not stable, you are having the vasectomy just to please your partner, you are under a lot of stress, or you are counting on being able to reverse the procedure later.
Vasectomy reversal is a more complicated operation than the original vasectomy procedure. Reversal success rates are up to 70% and vary based on how long it has been since the original surgery. Gentle Procedures Kelowna does not offer vasectomy reversals.
Can a No-Scalpel Vasectomy be reversed?
Yes, but reversal operations are expensive and not always successful. If you are thinking about reversal, perhaps vasectomy is not right for you. We definitely recommend that you consider vasectomy a permanent form of contraception when making your decision.
Pre-vasectomy Sperm Banking (cryopreservation) is a good idea in almost anyone considering a vasectomy.
Is now the best time for my vasectomy?
You will want to be certain that you are content with the number of children you have. If you have a child under six months of age, you might want to wait because of the “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)”, a condition where a child can die after a few months of life for no apparent reason. Six months of age is often considered the threshold at which SIDS is least likely to occur. Although SIDS is not common (1 in 2000 infants), this might possibly affect the timing of your plans for vasectomy.
Should I Store Sperm?
Choosing to have a vasectomy is a serious decision because it is carried out with the intention of creating permanent sterility. Our experience with patients over the years has shown that some men who opt for a vasectomy later change their minds about their desire to have children.
The decision on whether to store sperm as a way to potentially conceive a child in the future is an important one. Conception using stored sperm is not certain, and the necessary medical insemination process can be costly. Cryogenic sperm storage is a good insurance policy, but is not a fully reliable method. If you are concerned to ensure future ability to conceive a child, then the vasectomy itself should be reconsidered.
In the unlikely event that you will want to have kids again in the future, and vasectomy reversal is not an option, or successful, sperm storage may be a way of allowing yourself to procreate again. Please consider storing sperm prior to your vasectomy.
Kelowna Circumcision and Vasectomy Clinic Serving the Okanagan Valley
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