To need to hear about vasectomies

[TillyMint81]

Dh is waiting on a letter for the date of his vasectomy.
Can anyone let me know what to expect? I work lates and he does the afternoon school run and subsequent child wrangling.
He's not very good at stopping still so I'm wondering if I need to book the evening off work. He's already said no but then it's not something we've been through before!
Friends of his aren't useful as some sailed through and some found it tough.
Can I hear your experiences please.

My dh had one, he was a bit sore for a day or so but managed fine. Took painkillers and whinged a bit but still helped with the kids. Had it done fri and was back into work monday.

"Took painkillers and whinged a bit but still helped with the kids."

No wonder he went to work asap. Aren't you a keeper!

DH had his on a Friday and watched the rugby on Sunday (small club, not jostled in a big stadium).

He walked a little gingerly for 3-4 days. Think he took paracetemol - certainly nothing stronger.

He was annoyed to be off his bicycle and motorbike for a couple of weeks.

He says that by far the worst parts were providing a sample to the nurse to check the OP had worked and having someone shave his balls with his legs in stirrups.

My Dh had this done last summer. He was off work at the time which I strongly recommend !
He had it done in the afternoon, once the local anesthetic had worn off he was in a bit of pain, he said things just ached a lot and it was very tender. He laid down for that entire afternoon/evening/night . He took paracetamol nothing else and that worked for him. Next day he hobbled , while I tried not to laugh, sorry ! He spent about 2 days tentatively walking about, 3rd day he took the dog out for a long walk which made it all ache again, he just took it steady and didn't wear jeans for a good week !
He had one side ache more than the other and it took quite a while for that to really stop it just faded over time, but we had been warned about this.

Yes I would take the afternoon off, he's going to be sore I suspect and driving the same day we were told most definitely not !

Make sure he takes some tracksuit bottoms and briefs not jeans and boxers !

Hope all goes well !

My DH had his done under local at a surgery on a Friday and had a 45 minute drive home. Was able to drive himself home as the local hadn't worn off (Doctor had said as long as journey was under an hour and a half this was fine).

A bit of discomfort for a day or so.

Back at work with no days off Monday.

My DH had it done about 7 years under GA for various reasons.

Sore for about a week but all good after then

DH walked home from his. Was a bit sore but back at work the day after.

DH back at work next day, a bit sore and uncomfortable for a few days. He had longer term issues with some tender lumps afterwards and had to switch permanantly to wearing more supportive pants. It's been fine for years now though (done 12 years ago).

My DH came home said didn't know what all the fuss was about until the local anaesthetic wore away, then he sat on a kitchen chair for the rest of the day complaining about the pain. He was sore for a few days maybe a week.

My DH was ok afterwards (as anaesthetic was still in place) but we were a 40 min drive from home so I was there to collect him.

Hobbled for a few days (4? Maybe, can't remember) but generally rested.

He was off work and so was able not to do too much. Which was better really.
(Although a pain for me as dd4 was only a few weeks old but that's a different story).

I don't think he'd have been able to do school run etc for at least a couple of days. And depending on age of kids and how 'jumpy' they are. (I had to restrain one of mine as she loves to pounce on daddy-didn't go down well, obvs! )

Exh has his on the morning and we had sex on the night!!
He didn't even bruise that much.
My df had a lump removed the same week and I filled our fruit bowl with bags of plums!!
Df want amused!!

Just remember some blokes do end up with chronic pain and problems and it's probably at a higher rate than the NHS suggest. There used to be some posters on here with their own first hand experience. My uncle had it done and had severe issues and eventually destroyed his marriage. It should be no more than a few days of pain/discomfort but, as with any surgery, there can be problems and too many people waft it away as if it is "just a snip" and "nothing at all to moan about"

Dh had quite a lot of pain and rested for a week or so but no lasting pain. Some men will be unlucky enough to have residual pain even a long time after the procedure though, and for some it doesn't work. Make sure he gets tested for the all clear afterwards as it takes longer than you'd imagine for them to be gone.

Dh had his done on a Friday under a local at a doctor's surgery. He said the worst bit was the injection of the anaesthetic, after that it was fine - it was absolutely fascinating, I watched!

He had a lazy afternoon and evening with a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel against his crotch and wore snug supportive undies for a few days, but he was back at work on the Monday with no problems. He didn't need anything more than paracetamol.

DH has it done at 5pm on a Friday. Was sore that evening but seriously considered taking DS swimming the nest day as he felt fine. Think he took painkillers for a few days but was back at his physical job Monday morning.

it's probably at a higher rate than the NHS suggest.

And you know this how? Dh walked to drs and back for the procedure. Minimal discomfort. No lasting issues.

Grateful for the peace of mind it brings.

DH went for his pre-op appointment and the they told him they'd do it there and then. Suprise vasectomy!

He said the worst bit about the procedure itself was the initial injection of anaesthetic because it stings and the bit where they cauterise the ends of the tubes, smells like the world's worst barbecue apparently.

In terms of recovery he was a bit sore and swollen. While he was there getting it done I went out and bought him some y-fronts as they're more supportive than boxers, got him some comfy lounge pants and his favourite foods for his tea too. A bit of comfort for him to acknowledge that he was taking one for the team, you know?

He had the rest of that day mainly on the sofa watching TV and most of the following day. He was having ibuprofen and paracetamol and wearing the support cup the hospital gave him. On day three he told me "I imagine this is how you felt after your caesareans...." He then got a mild skin infection next to his single stitch and said "now I know how you felt when you got sepsis...."

I love him dearly but it's a running joke between us that he is shit at being ill or in pain and by day six of him moping about the place I was ready to kick him in the balls.

DH had his 20 years ago.
Was quite bruised and swollen afterwards. Took a lot of painkillers!
Was off work for 2 days but all fine from then

I would think you’d need to take the evening if the op off. Dh was told to not do much that day and to go home and rest then get back to normal the next day as much as any bruising or swelling would allow. He was tender for a day or two but was back out marathon training within the week.

DH has his a couple of years ago

He had it done on a Friday morning, had the afternoon off work. He said he was a bit uncomfortable on Friday, but felt fine over the weekend and carried on as normal - driving, supermarket run, day out with kids, etc.

Hated wearing the tight pants so went back to boxers

Come Monday he was in a lot of pain and ended up with Monday and Tuesday off work.

Absolutely fine from the Wednesday onwards

To add, he has recovered with absolutely no problems and says it's been one of the best things he could have done for himself/for us as there is no worry now of any accidental pregnancies.

You have to have two clear sperm samples before it's classed as being successful so keep using contraception until he's had both.

Definitely take the evening off, you have no idea how it will affect him and he will be sore and probably in pain when the local wears off. When DH had it done I wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving him alone to look after the children anymore than he would have thought it okay to leave me to look after them when I had lasik to improve my eyesight.

@headinhands Those sorts of figures are generally downplayed for many surgeries. I wish I could remember the name of the poster who was very very knowledgeable on this, he would regularly comment on this whenever the subject came up but was a few years ago (although he was regular here over some years).

Research done by Harvard University suggests that a vasectomy increases the chance of developing prostate cancer by 10% and Harvard's data suggests that vasectomies are associated with particularly aggressive varieties of prostate cancer, and a 19% higher risk of dying from the disease.

This is from GP Online:

"Providers of vasectomy, both NHS and private, are encouraged by 2004 guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to inform men of the risk of chronic pain. However, general awareness of the complication remains low and information regarding the level of risk is often ambiguous.

"The risk of chronic pain is commonly described as affecting 'some men' or 'a very small number of men'. However, multiple UK-based studies of post-vasectomy pain have demonstrated that the proportion of men who develop pain after a vasectomy is almost 15%."

DH was very bruised and sore afterwards - much more so than he thought he would be. He said there was a lot of rummaging as his tubes were quite far in which I think contributed to the bruising.

Was in a lot of pain for the afternoon and the next day (he spent the whole of the next day in bed, which is very unusual) then better the next day, then it was the weekend and he was back to work on the Monday. He did get an infection as well though, so there was more faffing and dressing changing than usual I think.

The NHS claim that 10% if men experience long-term testicle pain following a vasectomy. That is lower than the 15% claimed by other doctors who specialise in this area and wrote the article I quoted from on GP Online.

Of course the majority are fine, but I do dislike it when a lot of people on MN dismiss it as "the snip" and it's perfectly safe and a man should just get on with it. If a man said that to a woman about any operation with a 10-15% risk of long-term pain or complications, they'd be torn a new one.

I accompanied my ex-h with our newborn baby to our GP surgery to have it done. It was a nightmare. The actual procedure went well or so we thought. When we got home he was standing in the kitchen and moments later in a large puddle of blood. Rushed back to surgery where they struggled to stop bleeding. Managed eventually and it appears a vein had been cut in error. He lost a lot of blood. He recovered fairly quickly though after several days rest. Minor discomfort.

The best bit was getting the first set of sperm results through. The bloody thing hadn't worked and he had to have it done again. He unfortunately didn't bleed to death that time.

I don't feel sorry for him, he was an utter shit to me, had an affair and left me with a toddler. I wish GP had cut his balls AND his cock off in all honesty.