You’ve decided to join the half a million men in the United States who opt for a vasectomy each year. While the decision certainly suits your lifestyle and goals, you want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Rest assured that Dr. Robert J. Cornell and our team have everything well covered for the procedure. In fact, we offer a no-scalpel vasectomy that really improves your comfort and recovery. Still, here are some tips that can help elevate that comfort even further.
We just mentioned that Dr. Cornell offers the innovative no-scalpel vasectomy and we want to explain this in a little more detail. As the name implies, Dr. Cornell doesn't use a scalpel to access the tubes in your scrotum that deliver sperm to clip them off.
Instead, Dr. Cornell only makes one small puncture point in your scrotum and, using specialized tools, uses this small entrance point to access and close off the tubes.
Better still, Dr. Cornell uses only local anesthesia and performs the no-scalpel vasectomy right in our office in just mere minutes.
When you return home and the local anesthetic starts to wear off, you might feel some soreness around your scrotum. You can easily remedy this discomfort with some over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Another recovery tip that will ease pain and address any swelling is to apply a cold compress to your groin for about 20 minutes several times a day for the first day or two. You can use an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas.
Some other tips to help with recovery include:
While we only make one small puncture wound during your no-scalpel vasectomy, we want you to watch out for any signs of redness or tenderness in the area that lasts for more than a couple of days. In the unlikely case that the puncture site isn’t healing properly, please let us know as soon as possible so we can take a look and get you back on track.
Remember that the superior protection a vasectomy can provide against pregnancy — a near perfect 99.9% efficacy rating — takes at least 2 months. This is because sperm can still linger in your tubes, and it takes time and many ejaculations to completely expel them.
As a result, you still have to use protection until our regular analyses show that your semen is free and clear of sperm.
If you want to learn more about how to ease your recovery after your vasectomy, we’re happy to help. Rest assured, we also go over all of this with you before your procedure. For further questions, please contact our office in Houston, Texas.
