Vastectomy
A vasectomy is an operation to sterilize a man by cutting and tying off a piece of the tube called the Vas deferens; there is one which goes from each testicle to the seminal vesicles inside the body.
This tube carries sperm from the testes where it is produced, to the seminal vesicles where it is stored. After the operation a man will not be sterile until all the stored sperm are cleared. In order to show this, it is extremely important that after the operation, 2 sperm samples are tested to see if sperm are present, and only if the results are negative can the operation be considered successful.
The operation should also be considered irreversible and for this reason counseling is offered routinely so that all the implications of the operation are fully understood. In very rare circumstances the cut tubes can rejoin and there is then the risk of pregnancy.
The operation can be reversed if pregnancy is desired, but the success rate is not high. The operation is normally carried out under local anesthetic, and you may be asked to prepare yourself by shaving your own pubic hair.
There may be some minor discomfort following the procedure, which can be relieved by taking a mild painkiller. However it is important, as after many minor operations, that you do not drive yourself home but arrange for someone else to take you.
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