My Vasectomy Experience

[ForestDad]

Thought I'd share this as when I couldn't find anything similar when I was thinking about this.

Part 1 - Background
We have 2 young children and my partner decided she didn't want any more. She's had the implant and mirena coil whilst we've been together and we've used condoms/cap also. Previously she's also had the injection. All of the hormonal methods have been difficult with mood swings (more than usual ;-)) etc, culminating in having the coil removed a few weeks after getting it put it.
Every month we'd have a "scare" where she would get convinced that she was late and pregnant, then have her period. This led to a lack of sex in the relationship. She started to ask me to have a vasectomy. I resisted because:

1. The children were very young and you never know how they are going to go.
2. I wasn't sure if I wanted more.
3. I didn't like the pressure I was being put under to have a permanent operation ON MY BALLS - don't deny this will put people off!
4. Our relationship was strained and I was thinking I could have it done only to split up and then be a bit knackered if future partner wanted kids.

So long story short our relationship improved (job change, more time together, kids older so easier etc.) and I started to actually consider it. Not that I discussed this with my partner due to previous pressure(!).
Sex life, although not dead was not great due to pregnancy fear with condoms and although this did put some pressure on me I think that the time I waited meant that I had weighed up the options carefully so I decided to go for it.
I saw my GP and was referred to a company that specialise in minor surgeries. I was put on a waiting list for about 8 weeks but managed to get a cancellation so had an appointment for 4 weeks' time.
That's all for now - tune in next time for Part 2 - The Appointment.

I have very recently had this done for similar reasons. However the first gp told me to go awa and think about it as I was still young(35), and we ended up with a fourth child!
How was the recovery for you op?

Before "The Appointment" there needs to be an instalment in the 1:10 risk of PVPS and the lack of treatment options for it.

The 'not sure if I want more' is absolutely grounds not to have surgery to permanently remove fertility.

i had the snip a 8 years ago please think carefully we did not want anymore kids but totally shocked at how making that final choice was really difficult anyway went ahead got massive infection full pus and swelling had to have it restitched big scar not as though that matters as no one see in alot of pain put it down to infection and though it would settle down but months later still the same it would stop me in my tracks some days went back to the consultant who gave a lot of info on side effects which i was not told there is 10% chance of having long term pain so 1 in 10 will be left in pain which speaking to friends who have i done 1 other is the same and in pain had bouts of aching and pain told this was down to body not absorbing sperm and the end result was had it reversed on the nhs hoping it would solve pain issue went in for 3 1/2 hour op to get this done better but pain still there that as good as it will get and can't rely on it now for contraception so it is not the easy fix every one says so good luck but i wish i never had i done please read all you can on side effects the doctors don't cover this think hard about 1 in ten risk been left in pain i don't know any other surgery which would simply dismiss this

I've posted before. I still have pain 4 years on and am also on testosterone replacement due to the damage done. Some quite serious health implications from low testosterone.

Hi, thanks for sharing guys, really sorry to hear about your bad experiences. I did consider the pvps thing although I didn't think it was as high as 10%. My friend had some complications including bleeding and to be honest I don't really know if he's fine now, we only have intermittent contact.
Well Part 2: The Appointment!
Went along as ordered instructed to the appointment which was in a GP surgery which is used by the contracted health company to do these things for the NHS in my area. Filled out a form and then spoke to the Doc who was pretty blunt about the no more children thing but light on possible side-effects. He rated the long-term pain likelihood at about 1% from memory (but to be honest my mind has been on other things since). Did find him a bit abrupt given the intimate thing that was about to happen. It turns out [later] that he's done about 5000 of these. Consent form signed and I'm off (Mrs not allowed even though she's a Nurse) alone into a very sparse white room. "Lie on the bed with your knob out" or words to that effect. Not the most pleasant greeting. Then the unpleasantness of medical small-talk. Worse than the hairdressers because you know they don't really care but they've been told that talking about your job/life etc. will somehow take you mind off the process at hand.
No information beforehand about any "prep" required down there, I saw some references to shaving etc but I went for more of short back and sides approach.
The Procedure
Again no specific information about exactly how it would be performed. I was expecting 2 incisions from the research on no-scapel that I saw but he did 1, about 1" below the base of my knob, about 1cm long.
The painful thing is the local anaesthetic which hurts about as much as being punched fairly hard in the groin by a toddler. Only it lasts longer than that until the drug kicks in and you can't move because there's a needle in your balls and if you move it hurts more. I was bracing for him to do the other side with the anaesthetic (pain) for ages but it turned out that he then did the job on one side before doing the other. It would have been helpful if this had been communicated to me at the time to save me from bracing for pain. Although the nurse interrogating me about my work did help at this point.
The second anaesthetic was fucking painful. Way more than the first, longer and more painful. But then it kicked in. Job done, bit of glue on the wound and off to see the other nurse for a moccachino (yes I know!) and biscuit (ginger nut).

Afterwards
Strangely her and Mrs Forest thought I was a bit grumpy. I think that women equate VS to a tiny bit of childbirth but the end-state is the opposite. Instead of having a cute little baby that needs and loves you, I just sat there thinking "that hurt more than I was expecting and no-one gives a shit". Oh and instead of 1 month (expected) before you can have unprotected sex it's 16 WEEKS which is like 4 months. So my bid to have it done early for the anniversary was in vain, as was Christmas. So that pissed me off.
So we left and despite orders to take it easy went out for a slap up lunch to cheer myself up. I had Lamb Shank which was great, although I did need to put my feet up on a chair which along with my semi-sports clothing did unnerve the maitre'd a bit but then we were his only customers for lunch on a Tuesday in Nov so who cares.

Made sure I got rest for a day or two, used lots of frozen peas (wouldn't recommend cubes of spinach unless you have nothing else) wrapped in a towel and tried to avoid the children attacking me.
I did have a quick "test run" the morning after (alone) and everything still worked ok. The wound leaked a bit of plasma for about 2 weeks but didn't get infected.
The pain took longer than the advertised 2-3 days to go, to be honest it was more like 1-2 months to be back to normal. I think I had a granuloma but seeing as the treatment is to do nothing initially I decided not to have more Docs feeling my balls than necessary.
Right so now (15 weeks since) I have no pain, you'd have to look really closely to see the scar but I now have 2 new "lumps" in my balls which are the ends of the vas deferens that have been cut and sealed. This again was not something that was explained or mentioned at all but is apparently the norm. They are about the size of peas and are basically on each side if you were to feel in to the bit of your knob that goes inside you body.

So I consider myself fairly lucky with the result so far, apart from a few things where I don't think I was properly informed or had little bedside manner at a sensitive time.