Vasectomy and Vasovasostomy - Male Contraception

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Highlights	Reversal Surgery (Vasovasostomy and Vasoepididymostomy)	Reversal Surgery
Introduction	Resources	Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Treatment	References	Resources
Vasectomy Surgery	Long-Term Complications	References

Although rare, more serious complications may occur soon after surgery. They include:

Bleeding. Frequently, blood may seep under the skin, so that the scrotum and penis appear to be bruised. If there is no dangerous swelling, this painless problem usually disappears without treatment within 1 - 2 weeks. If the patient bleeds excessively in the days after the operation and requires more than two or three gauze changes per day, he should call his doctor.

Hematoma. In a small percentage of cases, bleeding inside the scrotum can cause a painful swelling known as a hematoma. In these cases, the scrotum swells up shortly after vasectomy. The doctor should be called immediately.

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Infection. Infection can occur after vasectomy. The incision site may become infected, causing redness and swelling around the incision. Antibiotics, antimicrobial creams or ointments, or both, along with hot baths several times a day, will usually clear the infection in a few days. Severe infections are extremely rare.

Semen Analysis

After the vasectomy procedure, there are always some active sperm left in the semen for several months, so the risk for pregnancy persists. The patient is considered sterile only when there are no live or moving (motile) sperm in his semen.

It takes, on average, around 3 months to clear the viable sperm from the reproductive system, but it may take some men as long as 6 months to become sterile. The doctor will perform a semen analysis at around 12 weeks after vasectomy to verify that no live sperm remain in the semen. It is essential that the patient and his partner continue to use other methods of birth control until his sperm count is zero.

Many men who have vasectomies never bother to return for follow-up sperm testing (semen analysis). Without a follow-up test, men do not know whether the vasectomy was successful. Until test results verify that there are no sperm in the semen, men are at risk of fathering unwanted pregnancies. In addition to a lab test at the doctor’s office, there is an FDA-approved home test kit for post-vasectomy confirmation testing (SpermCheck Vasectomy).