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Post-Vasectomy Testing and Care Information
Post-Operative Care
What you need to do
- To minimise the risk of pain or swelling, it is recommended that you go home and rest for 48 hours following the procedure
- The local anaesthetic will take approximately 1 to 2 hours to wear off after the procedure. We recommend taking regular analgesia such as paracetamol 2 x 500mg three or four times a day following the procedure. Even if you are not in pain, taking paracetamol as instructed will reduce the risk of testicular pain later.
- It is advisable to avoid taking ibuprofen for the first 48 hours after the procedure as it can increase your risk of bleeding.
- Wear tight-fitted underwear during the day and night for one week following the procedure to minimise pain and discomfort.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours after the procedure. Alcohol consumption during this time may increase the risk of bleeding.
- Keep the dressing on the wound for two days. Keep the wound as dry as possible for three days following the procedure to minimise the risk of infection. Short showers are fine, but we recommend avoiding baths and long showers.
- If you have had stitches to close the wound, these will be dissolvable and should disappear within approximately seven days, though they can sometimes take up to three weeks to disappear completely.
- If you do suffer from any swelling, using a cold pack can be beneficial. You can do this by wrapping an icepack or a packet of frozen peas in a towel and holding it against the area for a few minutes.
- You must continue to use additional contraception until you have received written confirmation that the operation has been successful. This is usually determined from a semen sample produced 16 weeks after the procedure, but in some cases, further samples may be needed.
What to look out for...
- Minor bruising and a small, pea-sized lump around the wound is normal. This is the body reacting to the healing process.
- You may experience some swelling following the procedure and this is normal. In the event that you experience severe swelling, please contact our main office on the number provided or your registered GP (during opening hours). If this occurs out of hours and you are concerned about the swelling, you may need to attend the local emergency department.
- Infection can occur following any operation and though it is rare following vasectomy, it is something to look out for. Signs that the wound may be infected include reddening of the skin, increased pain, a temperature or flu-like symptoms. If you are concerned about possible infection, please contact our main office or your registered GP as soon as possible.
- It is not unusual for patients to notice blood in the semen for a short time following a vasectomy procedure. This is just residual blood from the procedure and will clear up on its own.
Physical Activity
Most patients will be able to return to work after approximately 48 hours of rest. If you have a physically demanding job, you may need longer to recover. Following the procedure, it is recommended that you avoid:
- Any heavy lifting for one week.
- All sports for two weeks.
- Short haul flights (up to 3 hours) for two days.
- Long haul flights (over 3 hours) for at least one week.
You can return to having sex as soon as you feel comfortable enough to do so, but you must continue to use additional contraception until advised otherwise.
Post-Operative Testing and Checks
Why is post-operative testing needed?
Vasectomy is a highly effective method of family planning but it does not have instant results and it can take some months before the procedure is fully effective. Existing sperm need to be cleared from the system. The exact time for this to occur varies between patients, but is generally considered to be after 24 ejaculates.
It is therefore extremely important to receive one negative sperm count before stopping other forms of contraception, in order to avoid unwanted pregnancy.
You must continue to use additional contraception until you have received written confirmation that the operation has been successful.
How does it work?
You will be sent a specimen pot in the post 16 weeks after the procedure along with clear instructions on how to produce a sample and send it off for analysis.
This will include a sample bottle that will be labelled with your full name and date of birth, but you will be required to add the time and date that you produced the sample.
You will also be required to complete the request form provided. This asks for the time and date of the specimen, the time since last intercourse / masturbation and confirmation that you are submitting a complete specimen. All sections must be completed.
The sample must not be produced after having not ejaculated for between 2 and 7 days.
The specimen must then be returned via post in the sealable plastic bag provided and within the timeframe specified in the instructions. The laboratory will test the sample and notify us of the result.
What happens with the results?
You may be asked to provide a further specimen for testing if the first sample comes back as positive for sperm.
Once we receive one negative result, the surgeon will write to you and to your registered GP to confirm that the procedure has been successful.
In the rare event that we are unable to obtain a negative result after multiple samples, we will contact you to discuss options and next steps.
Please note
The most satisfactory specimen is obtained by masturbation and collected directly into the container provided. It is important that the complete ejaculate is induded which will require massaging any residual semen from the penis.
Please do not use lubricants or a sheath / condom when producing the specimen as this can invalidate the test results.
On producing the specimen, please ensure that the top of the bottle is screwed on tightly to avoid it leaking in the post.
We are not able to send out specimen pots any earlier than 16 weeks post procedure.
Your specimen will not be tested if:
- The time and date of the specimen is not written, or clearly written, on the sample bottle and on the request form.
- The specimen is sent back before the due date.
- The specimen has leaked in the post.
- The specimen is incomplete.
If you need to contact us
- Telephone: 0117 932 1103
The above telephone number is usually staffed between 8:30am and 12pm midday, Monday to Friday. with an answerphone facilitys outside of these times. If you leave a voicemail message, our dedicated team wil endeavour to get back to within one working day.
Your opinion matters...
Patient feedback plays an essential part in the continuous review and improvement of our service. You will receive requests to complete post-operative surveys that support us in this and we ask that you take five minutes to complete and return these. You can also provide additional feedback, should you wish to do so, using the Patient Feedback Form on our website.