Vasectomy Procedure Explained
Making a decision to have a vasectomy can be a daunting experience but you need not worry. Most men tolerate the procedure very well and recover quickly.
The following explains what to expect on the day of your vasectomy procedure:
1. Pre-Vasectomy consultation
Before we take you through for you vasectomy procedure, Dr Cashion will conduct a consultation with you to:
- Confirm your decision to have permanent sterilisation with Vasectomy
- Go through your medical history and confirm you are not on any medication such aspirin or warfarin that would require postponement of the procedure
- Review the consent form to make sure you understand the risks and potential complications of having a vasectomy
- Conduct a brief examination to confirm he can feel the vas deferens
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE PHONE CONSULTATION BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR VASECTOMY CLICK HERE
2. The vasectomy procedure
After your consultation you will be take through to the procedure room where you will meet the nurse who is assisting Dr Cashion.
You will be asked to take off your pants and underwear and make yourself comfortable on the bed with a sheet over you while we do final preparations for your vasectomy procedure.
You will then be cleaned with a preparation called betadine which is used to reduce the chance of infection.
You will then be given a small needle with some local anaesthetic to numb the skin of the scrotum. Most men barely notice this injection. An incision will be then made in the front of the scrotum.
Further local anaesthetic is then injected into each side of the scrotum around each vas deferens. This can feel a little uncomfortable for a couple of seconds.
The left vas deferens is then removed from the scrotum and its outer lying tissue removed. We then use a hyfrecator to cut the vas in half and block off the end closest to the penis (prostatic end). A tissue layer is then place between the prostatic end of the vas and the end closest to the testicle (testicular end) to try to prevent the ends getting back together. This is referred to as fascial interposition.
The testicular end is then cut with scissors to leave it open and the end is returned back into the scrotum.
We then repeat this process on the right vas.
The small wound on the front of the scrotum is then closed with some steri-strips and you are free to go.
You will be given your post operative instructions which includes Dr Cashion’s mobile number should you have any issues, along with your pathology request form for your post vasectomy semen analysis.
TO BOOK YOUR VASECTOMY APPOINTMENT CALL 1800 SNIPME (1800 764 763), BOOK ONLINE, OR SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PHONE CONSULTATION TODAY
Preparing For Your Vasectomy
1. Cease any blood thinning medication at least 7 days prior your procedure. You may wish to discuss this with your GP or specialist. If you are unsure please call 1800 SNIPME (1800 764 763) or email info@vasectomyaustralia.com.au.
2. On the morning of your procedure, please shave your scrotum with a razor as per the picture on the left.
3. Make sure you have some time off work planned if you have a physical job, or you have arranged light duties with no heavy lifting (any lifting that involves straining) for 7 days after your procedure.
4. Please read and sign our electronic consent form which will be sent via SMS to your phone 3 days before your procedure.
Pricing
The cost of a no-scalpel vasectomy with Vasectomy Australia:
| Vasectomy Fee* | $795 |
| Less Medicare Rebate | $222 |
| Out of Pocket Cost | $573 |
A $100 deposit must be paid on booking to secure your appointment. The balance is payable on the day of your procedure. After you have your procedure we will submit your invoice to Medicare on your behalf and you should receive your $222 rebate to your account within a couple of days.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a couple of ways to categorise the procedure methods
1. Traditional Vs No-Scalpel
The traditional method involves using a scalpel to make an incision on each side of the scrotum to access the vas.
The no-scalpel vasectomy method uses blunt dissection and usually only involves one hole being made through which the vas from both sides is accessed. The no-scalpel technique results in lower complication rates such as bruising and bleeding.
2. Open-ended Vs Closed-ended
The open ended technique means that the end of the vas attached to the testicle is left open. Why does this matter? Well after a vasectomy the testicle is going to continue to make sperm and this sperm needs to go somewhere. By allowing it to be released into the scrotum we reduce the incidence of “congestion” or the feeling of pressure from sperm backing up (think of a kinked hose with the tap running).
The closed-ended technique means the testicular end of the vas is clamped with a suture or a clip.
Yes! Our Sydney patients can have their procedure performed with IV Sedation provided by a specialist anaesthetist. Vasectomy with IV Sedation is only available at our Enmore Clinic. There are additional fees associated with IV sedation. For more information click here.
Unfortunately, at this stage we only offer vasectomy under local anaesthetic at our other locations, though we continue to search for options to expand our offerings. For sedation or general anaesthetic options, we recommend you obtain a referral to a urologist.It is our recommendation that you have someone drive you home by private vehicle or cab / Uber. Public transport is also acceptable.
If this is not possible it’s important you wait at least 20 minutes after leaving the procedure room, and feel 100% fine, before you commence driving. If you feel lightheaded while driving, pull over immediately.
Yes. Please read our Preparing for your vasectomy page.
If you are asking yourself this question, you should really think twice about getting a vasectomy.
Yes, vasectomies can be reversed. But you should consider this procedure as permanent contraception. Reversals are not 100%, very expensive (north of $5000) and are not covered by Medicare.
We do everything we can to reduce the rate of complications but all surgical procedures have risks you should be aware of. A full list of potential complications are outlined fully in your consent form.
After your vasectomy most men will notice some level of:
- Bruising: You may notice some bruising in the days after your vasectomy but this will usually disappear after about a week
- Mild pain and swelling: This commonly settles a few days after your procedure
Less common potentials complications include:
- A scrotal haematoma: This is a large bruise within the scrotum. You can reduce your chance of getting a haematoma greatly by following our instructions regarding lifting heavy objects in the days after the procedure. If you work in a job that requires heavy lifting make sure you get some time off work or ask for light duties
- Infection: We try to reduce the chance of you getting an infection by adhering to strict infection control protocol. Most infections are mild and be treated with oral antibiotics.
- Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome (PVPS): This complication that can occur anytime after a vasectomy. There is little agreement on what causes PVPS. In most cases pain will resolve eventually but in rare cases specialist review and even additional surgery or reversal may be required to attempt to resolve the problem. These procedures are not always successful
The procedure does not work immediately and you must consider yourself fertile until we tell you the vasectomy was a success. We request you do a semen analysis at 3 months to confirm you are sterile. This will give you plenty of time to “clean out the pipes”!
Its really important not to lift anything too heavy for the first week. If your job doesn’t involved much heavy lifting you can often go straight back to work, but if you are in a job with a lot of lifting you may wish to take some time off or request light duties. We can provide a medical certificate if you want to stay home
Most men can resume sexual activity after about 1 week.
No. You can book directly through us.
Some men recover quite quickly from vasectomy while others may take up to 2 weeks. The average time to feeling back to normal is about 7 days.
Like any minor surgical procedure, there are risks of bruising, discomfort and infection. These are generally mild, and can be minimised by resting, and wearing supportive underpants for a few days after the operation.
Simple measures such as frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel is a useful first measure, combined with paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen.
If your work is very physical and involves heavy lifting or extreme movement, then you will need to go on light duties for a week after the vasectomy.
If you are desk based or quite sedentary in your work, then you should be able to return to work the day after having your vasectomy.
Try to avoid sitting for long periods, but avoid bike riding and contact sports for the first 2-3 weeks.
It is normal to experience a background aching feeling for one to two weeks post-vasectomy. It will eventually go away. Take Paracetamol ( with or without a little codeine) as required. If aching continues for over one month, you may be experiencing Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome and you should see us or your GP for a review. If there are no signs of infection, you can use anti-inflammatory medication (if no contraindications to taking this) for a week or two, which will help settle it down.
To answer this question there is some good news and bad news.
The bad news: you won’t be able to use your private health insurance when you have a vasectomy with us.
That’s because we do our vasectomies in medical centres rather than in a private hospital. Private health insurance is only of benefit when you have your procedure performed in a hospital or day surgery by a urologist.
So what’s the good news?
The good news is that it will almost certainly work out more affordable to have your procedure with Vasectomy Australia.
This is because of a few reasons:
- Private Health usually requires you pay an excess. This excess might be $500 or even up to $1000. A vasectomy with us is only $573 out of pocket.
- Your urologist will almost certainly have a gap on their fee. This will vary but again could range from a few hundred dollars to over $1000.
- Nearly all surgeons will want you to be asleep when you have your vasectomy. This means an anaesthetic fee and – you guessed it – a gap fee.
Once you add up these 3 fees you may end up being $2000 or more out of pocket. With insurance!
When you choose Vasectomy Australia you know exactly what your fee will be – $573 out of pocket. No if, ands or maybes. No “it depends on your health fund”. No “you will have to check with the anaesthetist”.
Just one fee so you can know exactly what you will pay and can plan for this. Privately insured or not, you will be getting your procedure with one of Australia’s top vasectomists at an affordable price.
