Going For Surgery

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 Hospital Recovery

You may have a drip in your arm for pain relief

You will be discharged from hospital after your surgery the same day

You should have a driver to take you home after surgery

 Expect

Some pain and bruising over the wound

Small amount of blood-stained ooze. If bleeding occurs, apply pressure with clean gauze pad or napkin for 5 minutes. If this does not control the bleeding, contact your physician or urologist.

 After Discharge

IMPORTANT: Use another form of contraception in the first few months after surgery : preformed sperm is still clearing out from the ducts and therefore still present in the semen after surgery. All patients are required to have TWO negative semen analysis 12 weeks after surgery to check sperm no longer appear in the semen

 Contact your GP if

You develop high fever, pus oozing from the wound and excessive pain and swelling

You have severe pain not relieved by prescribed medication

 Your next appointment

On discharge the nurses will give you an appointment to see the urologists in about 7-10 days after surgery (Most surgeons use dissolvable stitches for the wound, but be sure to confirm this)

 Total Recovery Time

Resuming work: 1-2 weeks

Resuming sexual activity:
- With another contraceptive: 1-2 weeks
- Without contraceptive: required to have TWO negative semen analysis 12 weeks after surgery to check sperm no longer appear in the semen.

Driving: It is okay to drive once you are comfortable to do so and are not on sedating pain relief medication

Shower: It is okay to take a shower (but NOT A BATH). Be sure you dry the area thoroughly.

 Need for further treatment

Vasectomy is a very effective form of contraception with very low failure rates (less than 1%)

Reversal of vasectomy: this is a more complicated procedure and is not always successful. The success rate is lower if:
· the time between the vasectomy and reversal is longer (the chance of having sperm reappearing in the semen after a reversal if greatly reduced if it has been more than ten years since the vasectomy)
· a larger section of the vas deferens was removed
· heat (diathermy) was used for the procedure