Patient Instructions After Vasectomy - Gentle procedures Ireland

Our team is available to you anytime for questions or concerns you may have after your non-scalpel vasectomy procedure at our Irish vasectomy clinics.

Please read the information below to know what to expect after your procedure.

Do’s and Don'ts After a Vasectomy

Please follow your doctor’s instructions for post-vasectomy care in order to speed healing and recovery.

Key points include:

Do not take any NSAIDs (anti-inflammatories) or aspirin for one week before your surgery or 24 hours after surgery. Paracetamol is fine to take at any time.
Avoid alcohol 48 hours before and after surgery.
Wear loose-fitting clothing on the day of your surgery.
Wear underwear with good support coming in for your surgery, not boxers.
For the next few days continue with the supportive underwear, including when sleeping.
No strenuous activity for one week after the operation. That includes no heavy lifting, cycling, going to the gym, bending, etc.
After surgery, go home, sit or lie down, apply an ice pack to the scrotal area, and if uncomfortable, take paracetamol. (No NSAIDs for 24 hours).
Wait 24 hours to take a shower. Avoid bathing, hot tubs, and swimming pools for a week until the small opening in the scrotum created during surgery is sealed. This will help prevent infection to the operative area while the small hole made for your non-scalpel procedure heals over.
No sex or ejaculation for one week.

Minimize any kind of activity.

Some men have no pain at all while many others have aches in the groin. That’s because the testes originate from the abdomen as an embryo and share some of the same nerve supplies. Anything in the scrotum may be perceived in the abdomen as well.

Please plan on being a couch potato for the first two days after your vasectomy procedure.

Even if you feel OK to walk around the very best thing for your speedy return to your regular routine is to rest and maximize the rate of healing.

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Detailed Patient Instructions After Vasectomy

Wait 24 hours to take a shower.
Wear the supportive underwear provided for 48hrs and then as needed after that.
It is important to start ejaculating after 1 week but not before that. Blood in the semen within the first month or two after a vasectomy is normal and no cause for concern.
If you have worsening discomfort post-operatively or a reoccurrence of pain having been pain-free, please call us at the numbers provided.
On the same day of your vasectomy, you should go home and rest for the remainder of the day and evening after the procedure. Minimize any kind of activity. Some men have no pain at all while many others have mild aches in the groin like being kicked in the scrotum or abdomen. That is because the testes originate from the abdomen as an embryo and share some nerve supply. Anything in the scrotum may be perceived in the abdomen as well. The normal healing time after vasectomy ranges from 1 to 3 weeks with an average of about 14 days.
You will have only one small wound less than 1 cm after your procedure. It may be felt anywhere from the base of your penis to anywhere on your scrotum. We will also apply a thin layer of specially formulated skin glue that works immediately to help stop bleeding, helps prevent infection, and promote the healing of the wound faster. The skin glue may peel off after just a few hours (often same day) but will continue to work and the wound will then usually seal in 3-4 days. A little bleeding from the wound is normal.
For the first 48 hours, take 2 tablets of Panadol every 6 hours and ice the area regularly (every half hour as much as practical in the first 24 hours). If Panadol is insufficient, please step up to Solpadeine as directed on the packet. Panadol instead of anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen is preferred because
inflammation is a normal component of the initial healing process and we prefer not to interfere with it.
After 48 hours, take 2 tablets of 200mg ibuprofen (400mg total) every 8 hours (max 1200mg total in 24 hours) no matter how good you feel, as this will reduce post-surgical inflammation. Do this for a minimum of four days. You may continue this for up to two weeks if desired. If you get side effects, then of course stop the pills. If you have kidney problems, please let us know as you should not take any anti-inflammatories in this case.
For the first week, continue to avoid any exertion, exercise, extensive walking, climbing, jogging, cycling, or sport. In general, avoid lifting more than 7 kg (including babies or children) in the first week. After one week, when pain and tenderness are minimal, you may return to your usual activity but on the first day back start off at 1/2 of your usual workout.
It is normal to have some discoloration of the skin (blue and black) around the micro-incision site a few days after your vasectomy. This will gradually go away.
Some men will develop swelling and tenderness on one side or both after a few days or up to 3 months after a vasectomy. This is usually due to an exaggerated inflammatory response that is often normal and necessary for sperm recycling and reabsorption. It is managed effectively with Ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times a day for 7 days. You might notice a lump on each side of your scrotum (sometimes up near the abdomen) after your vasectomy for a few weeks. That is a scar where we cut and sealed your vas. It usually feels like a knot the size of a pea and may swell to the size of a marble and be tender for a few
weeks after the procedure but then becomes smaller and non-tender.
Please remember that you need to do a semen check after 4 months following your vasectomy. Continue other contraception methods until the doctor reviews your test results. You will want to achieve 25 ejaculations within the first 4 months of your vasectomy to flush out the existing sperm in
your reproductive tract.
You have telephone access to our doctor for any issues up to one year. Otherwise, for non-emergency issues please book an appointment with our office.

After your vasectomy, you should go home and rest for the remainder of the day and evening.

Post-Vasectomy Semen Testing

Because you are not sterile right after your vasectomy, temporary contraception is needed until a follow-up semen analysis confirms that no sperm are present. You will be given instructions on how to get your sperm tested.

Confirm Vasectomy Effectiveness

It is important to start ejaculating from Day 7 post-procedure.

You need to do at least 25 ejaculations over a 20-week period (5 months) post-procedure to clear the remaining sperm in the system.

On the day of your procedure, we gave you instructions on how to provide a sample and an addressed sample pack. You will receive a reminder email to produce your sample at 20 weeks after your procedure, but on the day of your procedure please take note of this date in your diary also.

Please follow the instructions accompanying the pack and return the sample to the lab by post.

They will process the sample and return the results to us after 3 weeks. We will email or call you with the results.

If the sample is clear of sperm, then all other forms of contraception can be discontinued at this point.

In approximately 5-10% of cases, there will be residual sperm seen in the sample and further samples may be required.

Please do not give up alternative forms of contraception until your sample has been confirmed clear of sperm and you have received this confirmation from the lab.

Follow Up After 5 Months

On the day of the procedure we give instructions on how to provide a sample, and an addressed sample pack. You will receive a reminder email to produce your sample 20 weeks after your procedure, but on the day of your procedure please take note of this date in your diary also.

Please follow the instructions accompanying the pack and return the sample to the lab by post. They will process the sample and return the results to us after 3 weeks. We will email or call you with the results.

If the sample is clear of sperm, then all other forms of contraception can be discontinued at this point. In approximately 5-10% of cases there will be residual sperm seen in the sample and further samples may be required.

Please do not give up alternative forms of contraception until your sample has been confirmed clear of sperm and you have received the confirmation.

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