The Procedure

During ejaculation, sperm produced by the testes travels along two small tubes (the vas deferens) and joins fluid from structures called the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland.  This combined fluid leaves the vas deferens and enters the urethra which is the tube in the penis through which urine also leaves the body.

Vasectomy, or `the snip' as it often called, is the medical name for male sterilization. It involves cutting and sealing the two small sperm-carrying tubes (vas deferens).  Hence, during intercourse, sperm can no longer escape with the remainder of the ejaculate to fertilise the female egg.  Sperm only contribute a small percentage to the total ejaculate volume, hence the ejaculate changes little after a vasectomy and certainly sexual function is not diminished. Sperm are still produced but are absorbed by the body without causing any swelling.

The operation itself involves the injecting of local anesthetic in the loose skin of the upper scrotum to numb the whole area. Two very tiny breaks in the skin are then made in the upper scrotum and each tube is looped out of these incisions using special instruments. Initially connective tissue is removed from around each tube. Then about a centimetre of each tube is removed, the cut ends of each are sealed using cautery and then tied with a small surgical stitch - unless open-ended vasectomy has been requested [see FAQ]. They are then placed back into the scrotum. No stitch in the skin is usually required as the tiny breaks for access are so small the skin edges close against each other immediately.

The procedure only takes about 20 minutes. After the procedure the patient should rest for the remainder of the day and strenuous activity should be avoided for about 5-7 days. Intercourse is best avoided for about 5 days.