Vasectomy- Please Read

In Northern Ireland traditionally vasectomies have been carried out in hospital via a conventional method where an incision is made in the scrotum and the tubes are cut individually and tied. There are often one or two cuts on the scrotum and these require stitches. Furthermore most procedures have often required general anaesthetic (being put to sleep).Therefore recovery time is longer and complication rates such as bleeding, pain and infection are higher with a conventional vasectomy.

Minimally invasive vasectomy (MIV) is performed as the name suggest through a tiny puncture or opening in the skin, created by a special instrument. No scalpel is needed as the opening is so small, and in turn no stitches are required. There is only 1 opening less than 1 cm in size, through which both tubes are brought out divided and cauterised. The procedure is “open ended” resulting in significantly reduced discomfort following the procedure. There is very little bleeding with the No-Scalpel technique. No stitches are needed to close the tiny opening, which heals quickly, with no scar.

In summary

+Less discomfort.
+No stitches.
+Faster procedure.
+Faster recovery.
+Walk in walk out same day service.
+Keyhole surgery - Only one small opening of the skin.
+Less chance of bleeding and other complications.
+Just as effective.

Firstly the surgeon will have a consultation with you, to confirm the consent process, talk you through the procedure, explain the benefits and risks of the surgery and answer any questions you may have.
The procedure itself will take about 15-20 minutes on average.
In total you will be about 60 minutes at the clinic.

We use local anesthetic to numb the area where we are operating; this is similar to dental procedures you may have experienced before. In the same way you will feel some discomfort when the local anesthetic is injected into the skin. The nerves around the tubes are blocked. After this you should not feel any discomfort after it has taken effect, if you do feel any discomfort you can tell your surgeon and further anesthetic can be administered. After the procedure simple painkillers like paracetamol is usually all that is needed if any. Because you are awake throughout the procedure and can tell the surgeon if you are uncomfortable this means there is less damage done to tissues, less bleeding and therefore significantly less pain than a conventional vasectomy, as well as a more rapid recovery.
Very small numbers of men (1 in 400) can experience chronic post vasectomy pain. This no different to any operation/procedure such as hernia repair or dental work, but it is important to be aware of it none the less. It is very rare that men experience long term discomfort following vasectomy, your surgeon will discuss this with you prior to your procedure and answer and concerns you may have.

You should bring somebody with you to drive you home.

We recommend rest for 48hrs after your vasectomy. No heavy physical work or heavy exercise for 1 week. Depending on your job you could return after 48hrs. Your surgeon will be happy to discuss this with you.

NO – you need to continue to use contraception until you are confirmed to be sterile.
You will receive a sample kit for semen analysis after 16 weeks, you must continue to use contraception until your surgeon contacts you to confirm you are sterile.
It will take some time to clear out stores of live sperm, at least 30 ejaculations, this is why 16 weeks are left before sampling.

Yes – it is equally as effective as conventional vasectomy but with the added benefits described above. As with all procedures and contraception there can be failures.
Continuous presence of live sperm in the semen when samples are repeatedly analyzed is a failure. This is in the region of less than 1%. Approximately 1 in 200 procedures fail, this may be due to a few reasons for example the tubes rejoining again in the number of weeks following your procedure (re-canalization). If this happens your semen sample will continue to have sperm in it, a repeat procedure would be required in this instance.
Late failure – is when you receive a clear result on your semen analysis (no sperm within the semen), and you subsequently go on to become fertile again. This is rare around 1 in 2000 cases, and again is the result of re-canalization (where the tubes grow back together again), this can happen a long time after the procedure. However remember the chances of this happening are remote.

Vasectomy should be considered permanent, irreversible contraception.
If you are thinking about reversal then this should be discussed with our surgeons as perhaps vasectomy isn’t the best option for you.
Reversal is possible, however it can only be done privately, it is expensive and often it is unsuccessful, therefore, for these reasons we consider vasectomy permanent, irreversible contraception.

• Semen analysis is carried out by AccuLabs diagnostics UK Ltd, they are one of a small number of labs fully accredited to provide post vasectomy semen analysis in the UK as per the British andrology society and UKAS.

• Not all labs in the UK meet these strict standards therefore we only accept semen analysis results from AccuLabs as per British andrology society and the faculty of sexual and reproductive health national guidelines.

• Please continue to use contraception until your semen sample is clear.

• Your semen analysis kit will be posted to you 16 weeks post procedure.

• Testing will not be performed any time before 16 weeks this is governed by national guidelines.

• When carrying out your semen analysis please ensure you follow the instructions:

• Ensure you have filled out the form included correctly including name dob and date and time of sample otherwise the lab will reject the sample.

• The semen analysis needs to be back with the lab within 5 days or your sample will not be tested and need to be repeated – These rules are set by national guidelines and AccuLabs diagnostics.

• Therefore, we strongly recommend using a courier or paying for next-day recorded delivery.

• Your package includes a total of 2 semen analysis kits.

• In the event of samples needing to be repeated beyond this - this will be at an additional cost.

• Any failure to follow the above guidelines is to be taken at the individual's own risk.

If you have had any previous testicular surgery, any pre-existing testicular abnormality, or if you have been previously advised that you are not suitable for vasectomy under local anesthesia please let us know before booking. Some persons are not anatomically suitable for vasectomy under local anesthesia. Pre-existing problems may increase the risk that the procedure may not be possible under local anesthesia. To avoid the costs of booking, time, travel, and disappointment on the day if we are unable to proceed with vasectomy, it is important to let us know of any pre-existing conditions in advance. The above conditions do not preclude surgery, this can still be performed in most circumstances, however it may need to be performed in hospital under general surgery. This is not a service that we provide. If you let us know about any pre-existing problems and provide us with further information on the condition, we will get back to about potential suitability.

The surgeon will not perform the surgery on the day if it is deemed to be unsafe or unsuitable.