Here is Jenny’s tale of attending her partner’s vasectomy…
Dr Snip (not his real name) needs his own radio hour. He’s been a testicle technician for 28 years, meaning he’s free to make ribald jokes and chuckle away with shaking shoulders without having to worry too much about slip-ups, and he’s got us in stitches – unlike my boyfriend’s scrotum, which won’t need any stitches, because it’s benefiting from Dr Snip’s non-invasive procedure.
Are you at work right now? Then don’t click on these rather graphic pics unless there’s nobody about.
Not that Dr Snip will put your mind at rest. Every bit of his comedy double act with nurse Rachel is designed to convince the recipient his brains are about to haemorrhage through his nut-sack.
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Dr Snip’s specialty is the scalpel-free procedure. Your balls are still pierced by a sharp object, but it’s a nice claim to make. He pulls out each vas – the tube that semen travels in – from an incision in the scrotum, cuts it and cauterises one end, all under local anaesthetic. “Is that the vas?” I ask, as he fishes out a loop of something white.
“Well if it’s his spine, we’re fucked.”
All too soon it’s over and we’re handed an after-care pack, including a Dr Snip stubby holder. That sort of service makes you want to come back time and time again.
TRY THIS: This form of permanent contraception is more common than you think
THE SERIOUS STUFF: 6 Things you need to know.
1. A chap will not be sterile immediately after his vasectomy.
It takes a minimum of 12 ejaculations over eight to 12 weeks for the spoof stored in the seminal vesicle to make its final emergency evacuation.
2. The overall failure rates are about one in 1,000, compared with one in 250 in women who have tubal ligation.
This can be down to the man having a surprise extra vas, or an eventual rejoining of the ends of the severed vasa.
3. Most men would have a local anaesthetic and can chinwag away throughout the procedure.
4. Dr Snip, in Melbourne, uses the ‘ring clamp’ technique, which takes 10-20 minutes.
A very sharp artery forcep is used to make a tiny opening into the skin of the scrotal wall. Then a ring clamp is used to secure each vas tube in turn. Each vas is divided and the upper end tied off so that it will seal closed.
5. The cut end of each vas closest to each teste is left open, to let the sperm escape into the scrotum after each ejaculation and be absorbed into the body.
Don’t freak out. Sperm is still produced in the testes after the vasectomy, but it’s tiny amounts. The real gunky stuff when a man comes is the semen, and this is produced safely away from the nutsack in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland. I know! We didn’t know either. So after a vasectomy a man will still ejaculate the same volume of semen, but not baby-making sperm.
6. Testosterone is unaffected and libido is unaffected.
Hallelujah!
This article was originally published on The Glow.
Top Comments
Ejaculation after vasectomy is not the same as before the procedure. It doesn't have the same sensation, if I had my time over again I would definitely would not have a vasectomy. Fellas if you enjoy sex DO NOT have a vasectomy. I'm going to regret it so will you.
Eat more celery bro! You'll be shooting sky high!
Whaaat? I had Nic do mine 2 years ago and it was exactly the same, What else changed? have you had any dietary changes, mood changes etc? pleasure during intercourse comes from alot more that might have changed.
Just had it done and Dr Nic is awesome. Its no nonsense with some humour. Just what us blokes need. Got straight to the point (didnt have to laugh at the size of my nut sack though). Only discomfort was the click of the spray applicator but that was it. At the end of it I got a stubby holder, some nurofen and chocy frog. 6 Hours later and havnt had to any nurofen as I am testing out the stubby holder.
Good work.