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Surgery Care

Preoperative Instructions

The patient shaves the scrotal skin and has a shower the morning of surgery.

Preoperative sedative medications are not recommended if the patient is going to drive after the procedure.

Postoperative Care

Rest:
Most patients can drive themselves home after a vasectomy. The patient is advised to rest in bed or a recliner on the day of surgery. Excessive walking soon after surgery may cause swelling and even bleeding. The activity is gradually resumed in the next day or two.

Pain medication:
The effect of local anesthetic usually lasts for a couple of hours. After that, pain medications such as Tylenol with codeine usually give satisfactory pain control. Most patients do not use pain medications for more than a couple of days.

Ice pack:
Application of cold shrinks the blood vessels and prevents swelling and bleeding. Ice packs are useful in the first 6 to 8 hours after surgery. An ice pack is wrapped in a towel to provide uniform, comfortable cooling and not extreme cold.

Avoid alcohol:
Alcohol should be avoided in the first 24 hours after surgery. Alcohol opens up the blood vessels and can increase the chances of bleeding from the operative area.

Dressing:
Usually, a small dressing like a Band-Aid, is used. If the dressing is difficult to keep, an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin ointment is applied to the incision. A scrotal support like Jockey-type shorts gives good support to the testes and helps in preventing discomfort and swelling in the operative area.

Shower:
A shower is not advisable on the day of surgery. The next day a shower can be taken and an antibiotic ointment is applied to the incision after the shower.

Contact physician, if you suspect a complication:

• Bleeding:
  A small amount of oozing of the blood from the incision is not unusual, but if it is more than that, and is not stopping, the a physician needs to be called for advice.

• Swelling:
  Slight swelling around the incision is a normal after surgery. If the swelling is more than slight and is increasing, a physician's advice should be sought.

• Infection:
  If the operative area becomes increasingly red, painful, and tender, it may need to be checked for possible infection.

Resuming normal activities:
Men who have a desk job can resume work the next day after vasectomy. When heavy work is involved, it may take a few days to resume work. Most people who have vasectomy on a Friday recover enough over the weekend to resume normal work on Monday.

Sexual activity:
Sexual activity can be resumed a week after vasectomy. A contraceptive method of personal choice is used until the semen is completely clear of sperm in two consecutive specimens.

Semen check:
The first check on semen specimen is made usually at 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. In 80% of men, semen is clear of sperm about 6 weeks after vasectomy. The second specimen is checked 2 to 4 weeks after the first one. In 80% to 90% of men, sperm are completely flushed out after 12 to 15 ejaculations. Occasionally, semen may take several months to clear completely.