Vasectomy
Vasectomy is minor surgery that offers the most effective form of birth control. More than a quarter of Australian men over 40 have undergone the procedure. At Sunnybank Surgical your procedure will be performed in clinic by one of our experienced surgeons and is suitable for patients with or without private health insurance.
What is a vasectomy?
Vasectomy is minor surgery that offers the most effective form of birth control. More than a quarter of Australian men over 40 have undergone the procedure. At Sunnybank Surgical your procedure will be performed in clinic by one of our experienced surgeons and is suitable for patients with or without private health insurance.
What is vasectomy surgery?
Male sex hormones and sperm (the reproductive cells that fertilise a female egg) are made in the testes. When you ejaculate, fluid mixed with sperm forms semen. Ejaculation containing sperm can as a result cause a pregnancy.
Vasectomy is a surgery undertaken to prevent sperm from reaching the semen ejaculated from the penis. It is a minor surgery that means the semen still exists, but that it does not contain sperm. The sperm produced by the body following a vasectomy is just dispersed into the body.
What is involved in a vasectomy?
There are two main types of vasectomy surgery. Our surgeons perform both types using the surgical method most suited to you:
Conventional vasectomy
This involves small incisions being made in the scrotum’s skin, allowing your surgeon to reach the vas deferens (the tube that transports sperm). A cut is made in the vas deferens and in some cases a small piece of it is removed. Each end of the vas deferens can be tied, or a small piece of tissue is placed between them.
No-scalpel vasectomy
This involves feeling for the vas deferens beneath the skin of the scrotum. Once located, it is held in place with a small clamp and a very small hole made in the skin over the area. The vas deferens is then carefully lifted through the hole and cut or tied before being returned in place.
During hernia surgery
For men having treatment for an inguinal hernia, vasectomy can be performed at the same time. This is easily done at laparoscopy where both vas deferens can be identified and clipped.
Should I go to hospital for my vasectomy?
Vasectomy is a straightforward procedure that is routinely performed in our clinic using local anaesthetic. You should allow 1 hour for your appointment and the procedure itself takes minutes. This is a good option for patients who do not have private health insurance as there is no need for additional hospital fees.
The nature of the vasectomy procedure may cause some patients to feel nervous or anxious. If you would prefer to be lightly sedated during the procedure, our surgeons can perform your vasectomy surgery as a private patient in hospital. Our surgeons operate across Brisbane, including Sunnybank Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital Redlands and Mater Private Hospital South Brisbane.
What is the recovery from vasectomy?
The recovery from vasectomy is generally straightforward. You might experience discomfort for a few days and need to take mild pain medication. Any swelling can be treated with an ice pack. It is not normal to experience severe pain. Wearing a supportive underwear to provide compression would reduce the swelling and help the healing. If you experience swelling of the scrotum, pain, redness, soreness or you have a fever, you should contact Sunnybank Surgical immediately.
Following the procedure, you should avoid strenuous activities and sex for 3-7 days. Most men are fully healed in one week. You should be able to have sex after one week, however, there will still be a risk of pregnancy. This risk has passed once the sperm that were already in the vas deferens have cleared. Your sperm count can be assessed by your GP. It can take at least three months for the sperm to clear, depending on each person.
