Colonoscopy
For all patients older than 50, colonoscopy is
a simple and highly effective method for screening for colon cancer. The procedure is performed under conscious sedation
in our office which means you will be comfortable and pain free.
Vasectomy
What is a vasectomy?
A vasectomy
is an operation that makes a man permanently unable to get a woman pregnant. It involves cutting the vas deferens on each
side so that sperm can no longer get into the semen.
How is a vasectomy done?
A vasectomy
is done in your doctor's office and takes less than an hour. You'll be awake during the procedure, however you will take some
medicine to help relax you and your doctor will give you a local anesthetic to numb your scrotum.
After
you're numb, your doctor will make a small opening (an incision) on one side of your scrotum and pull out part of the vas
deferens on that side. You may feel some tugging and pulling. A small section of the vas deferens is removed. The ends of
the vas deferens will be sealed with a surgical clip as well as by searing them shut with heat. Your doctor will then do the
same thing on the other side.
What is no-scalpel vasectomy?
The no-scalpel vasectomy involves making a very small puncture (a hole) in the scrotum
instead of an incision. The puncture is so small that it heals without stitches.
Are there any reasons I shouldn't have a vasectomy?
Don't have a vasectomy unless you're sure you don't want to have children in the future.
Other reasons you may need to wait to have a vasectomy or may not be able to have one include having an infection on or around
your genitals or having a bleeding disorder.
Can vasectomy be reversed?
Some vasectomies can be undone, or "reversed," but the surgery is expensive, not usually
covered by insurance and must be performed in a hospital. For these reasons we
consider vasectomy a permanent procedure.
How should I prepare for the operation?
Your doctor will spend a separate 30 minute visit with you prior to the procedure to go
over specific instructions on how to prepare for the procedure.
What can I expect after the operation?
Right after the operation, your doctor will have you lie down for a couple of hours with
an ice pack placed on your scrotum. You may have some bruising in the area of the surgery. The bruises should slowly lighten
and be gone in about 1 to 2 weeks. Most patients are able to return to there regular job after 2 to 3 days.
Will the vasectomy work right away?
No. You'll need to ejaculate as many as 20 times before the sperm will be cleared from
both the vas deferens. For that reason, keep using birth control. Your doctor will ask you to bring in samples of your ejaculation
after the operation. Only after you have a sperm-free sample will you be considered unable to get a woman pregnant. This may
take 3 months or longer.
What are the risks of a vasectomy?
Problems that might occur after your vasectomy include bleeding, infection and a usually
mild inflammatory reaction to sperm that may have gotten loose during the surgery (called sperm granuloma). Call your doctor
if you notice any of the signs in the box below.
Another risk is that the ends of the vas deferens may find a way to create a new path to one another.
This doesn't occur very often. But if it does, you could be able to cause a pregnancy.
- You have a fever.
- You have swelling that won't go down or keeps getting worse.
- You have trouble urinating.
- You can feel a marble-sized lump forming in your scrotum.
- You have bleeding from an incision that doesn't stop even after you've pinched the site between 2 gauze pads for 10
minutes.
What happens to the sperm?
Once sperm can't get through the vas deferens, your testicles will begin making fewer
sperm. Your body will absorb the sperm that are made.
Will a vasectomy affect my sex life?
After you have healed from the vasectomy, your sex life shouldn't change at all. You'll
still ejaculate almost the same amount of semen as you did before, and you won't notice a change in your sex drive. Your testosterone levels before the after the procedure will be the same as before the procedure.
If a vasectomy sound like something that would be right for you please call and set up a
counseling visit so we can discuss it further.
