Vasectomy is one of safest and most effective forms of birth control. Far safer and less expensive than a tubal ligation for females. More than 500,000 North American men have a vasectomy each year.

There are many ways to do a vasectomy but the least invasive way is the no-scalpel vasectomy(NSV) technique that was introduced in the mid 80’s. The benefit of a NSV is that it does not require cutting of the skin. Instead, an instrument is used to make a tiny opening in the skin that doesn’t cut blood vessels. This causes less bruising than traditional techniques.

What Happens During a Vasectomy?

The worst part of the vasectomy for the patient has always been the injection of the local anesthetic. Even small needles are sharp and they hurt. The No-Needle, No-Scalpel Vasectomy uses an instrument that introduces local anesthetic via aerosol.

At the time of your vasectomy, you will have a consultation with your physician and will have a chance to get questions answered prior to the procedure. Some patients like to have a consultation at a different date which can be arranged, but may incur additional costs.

How Effective is a Vasectomy?

A vasectomy is very effective and is more effective than traditional pregnancy prevention methods such as the birth control pill and condoms. The vasectomy is not effective immediately and it typically takes 3 months before you become sterile. After your procedure, a vasectomy’s long-term success rate against unwanted pregnancies is 99.9%.

What to Know Before Your Procedure

A few things that are good to know about a vasectomy:

• A vasectomy is not castration. It only interrupts flow of sperm from the testicles. You will still make semen, and the amount of semen that you make and how sex feels will not change.
• The body will still make sperm, but they will be absorbed. This is not harmful to you.
• When you have had a vasectomy, you will continue to have active sperm in the semen for some time. You cannot stop alternate forms of birth control for at least 2 months after your vasectomy. Sometimes, it can take 6 or more months for your semen to be free of sperm.
• Vasectomy isn’t that painful. You might hear some war stories from your buddies, but the important thing is to find someone who does a fair amount of these procedures, uses the latest techniques and is confident in his outcomes.

Please ask us to speak with other patients who have had vasectomy if you are nervous about the procedure. They can give you a different perspective that might be helpful.