After vasectomy instructions
After your procedure go directly home and spend a quiet evening at home, laying down flat in bed the rest of the day.
You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for the first 24 hours and then switch to ibuprofen after if you have any discomfort.
On the day after the procedure be gentle, however you may walk, drive and return to work if your job is sedentary (office work or supervisor). No lifting over 10 pounds.
You can start taking a daily shower the following morning after the procedure.
Three days after the procedure, you may return to more active work and regular activities. Wait 7 days for anything strenuous or aggressive like running, jumping or heavy lifting over 25 pounds.
You may have sex 7 days after the procedure. It is common to have some blood in the semen for the first few ejaculations. Use other forms of contraception until you are told that your semen is sperm-free.
It is normal to have some discoloration of the skin around the puncture site. Some men will develop considerable discoloration of the scrotum about 4 days after the vasectomy. Blood from the deep vasectomy site comes to the surface as a purplish-blue mark, gets darker, and spreads out like an oil slick, then gradually dissipates.
Some men (about 1 in 20) will develop swelling and discomfort on one or both sides, starting anytime from 3 days to 3 months following vasectomy. This usually represents an exaggerated form of the normal inflammatory response necessary for sperm absorption and recycling. It is best managed with a 5-7 day course of ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times per day.
You are still considered fertile after the vasectomy procedure. Get your semen sample checked at 12 weeks and 20 ejaculations after the procedure to verify sterility.
Post vasectomy semen sample instructions:
At your appointment, you will be provided a take home kit to perform your sample at home 3 months and 20 ejaculations after your vasectomy. Follow the instructions in the kit carefully dropping off at any UPS store. You will receive an email with a secured link from the lab with your results. Until your semen shows ABSENT sperm you are still considered fertile and must continue birth control. If sperm are seen, you will need to continue birth control and repeat the sample 4 weeks later. With any further questions you can contact the lab nurse directly using the number provided with your results or our office.