Dr James Thompson is an experienced robotic, laparoscopic, endoscopic and open urological surgeon. He has sub-specialty training in (and passion for) the treatment of prostate, bladder and kidney cancer using the latest robotic surgery techniques and for high-impact cancer research that has the ability to immediately improve quality of life and cancer cure rates for the community.
Dr Thompson performs vasectomy for many men to achieve permanent contraception.
Why might a man seek a vasectomy?
Men seek vasectomy for a variety of reasons:
they may have completed their family
they may have chosen not to have children
they may have decided with their partner not to have children.
What does a vasectomy involve?
Vasectomy is a simple and minor procedure that takes around 30 minutes, and is performed as day surgery. Dr Thompson does not perform vasectomy in the office. You will first see Dr Thompson ,in the office for an initial obligation-free consultation to assess whether vasectomy is the right choice for you and so you understand the procedure, costs and risks before choosing whether to proceed.
Almost all men choose to have the procedure under general anaesthesia. Dr Thompson makes a tiny incision less than the width of a finger on each side, then exposes and divides the vas tube, removing a short segment, cauterising then ligating (tying with a thread) each end of the tubes, then placing connective tissue between them to prevent them from re-joining.
Men go home within 1-2 hours afterwards, usually with minimal discomfort, and can return to light activities (eg walking and office/ desk work) the following day.
How long after vasectomy can I resume normal activities and sexual function?
General advice is that in order to minimise the risk of bleeding or semen collections - men should abstain from ejaculation and physician exertion (eg gym/ heavy lifting, straining to open the bowels) for 2 weeks afterwards.
Does vasectomy provide immediate contraception?
NO. It is extremely important to understand that you must continue other forms of contraception for at least 6-8 weeks and 20-30 ejaculations. Then you should perform a repeat semen analysis to ensure there are no motile sperm remaining in your semen.
Once azoospermia (zero sperm) is confirmed, you can cease other forms of contraception. In 5-10% of cases, a small number of motile sperm are still present, which requires a further waiting period and repeat semen analysis.
What factors should a man consider before having a vasectomy?
1) is there a possibility he could change his mind later?
Up to 1 in 10 men regret having vasectomy due to unforeseen changes in life circumstances, eg separation/ divorce, loss of a child, etc.
2) Have all alternatives for contraception been considered? Alternatives include condoms, the oral contraceptive pill, hormonal depots (eg Depo provera every 3-6 mo the or Implanon Every 3 years), Mirena intra-uterine device, diaphragms, tubal ligation, etc. for example, If the woman is having a Caesarian for an upcoming birth, it may be possible to have concomitant tubal ligation.
3) Have all risks been considered?
There are risks, eg 1-2% chronic testicular pain (which can be disabling and cause regret), bleeding requiring drainage of a haematoma (blood clot), early or late failure leading to unwanted pregnancy in around 1 in 5,000 (Dr Thompson has never had a failed vasectomy but it is still theoretically possible) and general anaesthetic risks (including an extremely rare 1 in a million risk of a life-threatening complication).
4) Vasectomy should be considered permanent.
Although vasectomy reversal procedures are performed occasionally, they are more often than not unsuccessful in achieving a live pregnancy and birth, so any man considering vasectomy must do so on the assumption that it is usually irreversible if life circumstances and thus plans change, which they often do.
What should I do?
If you are considering a vasectomy, make an obligation-free appointment to discuss the pros and cons with Dr Thompson, to work out whether you are a suitable candidate and whether it is the right choice for you.