Vasectomy FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Vasectomy
The following are frequently asked questions (FAQ) people will ask about vasectomy with His Choice Vasectomy of Durham and Chapel Hill.
The questions are broken down into the following categories:
If you take the time to read our FAQ then most of your questions about His Choice vasectomy will be answered.
Considering Vasectomy
We provide an efficient, affordable no scalpel vasectomy experience.
We offer an even greater value when you consider we offer single visit vasectomy appointments and allow our patients after vasectomy semen sample testing from the privacy of their own home.
Visit this page to see what a vasectomy cost with us: Cost of vasectomy
The cost listed is the total cost for the vasectomy procedure, including the 3 month after vasectomy semen sample. There are no additional charges.
Most health insurance plans cover vasectomy.
The more important questions are how much is your deductible and how much have you paid towards your deductible this year?
It is your health plan…not ours. You will have to call your health insurance plan and speak to an agent to determine if your vasectomy will be covered.
For our advice on how to determine if vasectomy is covered under your health insurance: Will health insurance cover your vasectomy?
We do not accept health insurance.
Our patients pay out of pocket for vasectomy and submit receipts to their health insurance plans after the vasectomy procedure for direct reimbursement.
We do accept CareCredit!
You cannot use CareCredit to pay the scheduling fee when making your appointment but we do accept CareCredit for payment of services on the day of your appointment.
We do not require a consultation appointment for most patients. Over 95% of His Choice patients choose to have a vasectomy without a consultation.
We recommend you have a consultation if this makes you more comfortable choosing vasectomy as a permanent birth control option.
We require you have a consultation if you:
- Have been diagnosed with an undescended testicle
- Have had surgery for an undescended testicle
- Are taking a prescription blood thinner*
- Have a bleeding disorder
- Are requesting oral anxiety reducing medications during your vasectomy procedure
*Patients taking prescription blood thinners can email us their doctor’s recommendations about the safety of stopping the blood thinner around the time of vasectomy. If you can do this then you may be able to avoid having a consultation appointment.
It is important you do not stop a prescription blood thinner without first consulting with your doctor.
If you would like to schedule a consultation then contact us by email. We will send you more information that will allow you to schedule a vasectomy consultation.
You must be above the age of 21.
We do not require you be married or have the consent of your spouse/partner.
We do not require you have children.
You do not need a referral. You only need to want a vasectomy, schedule, and show up on time!
Vasectomy is reversible but you should never have a vasectomy thinking you can easily get it reversed in the future.
Vasectomy reversal is expensive, never covered by health insurance, and is not guaranteed to work because:
- After vasectomy your body may decrease or stop making sperm
- After reversal of vasectomy, your vas deferens could heal closed within the first 3 months of reversal surgery
Sperm banking allows you to store sperm in case you change your mind and want to have children after vasectomy.
Our office does not offer sperm banking; however, you can use one of many sperm banking labs found with a simple internet search. If you would like the reassurance sperm banking provides, you must complete the sperm collections before having a vasectomy.
Sperm banking may be a reasonable insurance policy if you want to keep your future reproductive options open, but you should be aware: sperm banking is expensive and you may not be able to bank enough sperm to cause pregnancy in the future.
- You will have to pay an upfront cost to bank sperm and yearly storage fees.
- There is a chance the amount of sperm banked is not enough to cause pregnancy.
- Sperm can be lost with freezing, passage of time, and/or thawing.
- Your future partner could have infertility issues requiring more sperm to have a reasonable chance at causing pregnancy.
There really is no such thing as a laser vasectomy.
A His Choice Vasectomy procedure is one of the most effective forms of vasectomy using the techniques of division, cautery, and fascial interposition.
A His Choice vasectomy is a very safe procedure.
Vasectomy does not increase the risk of cancer. A few poorly done medical studies suggest a week association between vasectomy and prostate cancer. These studies are flawed by bias.
Prostate cancer. Most well done medical studies demonstrate vasectomy does not cause prostate cancer.
Erectile dysfunction. Vasectomy does not cause problems with erection.
Sexual satisfaction. Vasectomy will not decrease sexual satisfaction. In fact some studies suggest many couples experience an increase in sexual satisfaction primarily due to decreased fear/anxiety over causing an unplanned pregnancy.
Vasectomy side-effects. A minority of patients may report negative side-effects from vasectomy.
If patients have pain or discomfort after vasectomy then that can temporarily influence sexual performance. These discomforts usually gradually resolve with time.
Some patients seek vasectomy at a difficult time in their lives (ie divorce or separation) and these negative life events may also influence their perception of their vasectomy procedure.
Over 98% of patients will have a His Choice Vasectomy without anxiety reducing or narcotic pain medications. We do not offer these medications routinely because these medications are not necessary and require you to have a driver.
If you would like anti-anxiety medications during your vasectomy then you will need to make a consultation appointment before your vasectomy.
To make a consultation appointment, you will need to contact us by email. We will then email you more information on how to schedule a consultation.
Obviously, there is some discomfort with having a vasectomy but not as much as you might think.
With our no-needle anesthesia most men describe the anesthesia application like getting lightly snapped on the skin with a small rubber band. This is often the worst part of the entire vasectomy.
Most patients rate their pain during vasectomy as less than a 2 on a 10 point scale.
Most patients rate their pain the day after vasectomy a 1 on a 10 point scale.
We use a local anesthetic during this simple office based procedure. The anesthetic provides almost instant anesthesia and last for many hours after your vasectomy.
We do not perform vasectomy with oral sedation, IV sedation, or general anesthesia because it is not required for most patients.
If you would like oral sedation this can be arranged but you will need to schedule a consultation appointment to have these medications provided.
During A His Choice Vasectomy, we use a small hand-held air injector called a MadaJet to deliver the local anesthetic through the superficial layer of skin and around each vas deferens. The anesthetic is pushed through the skin with a puff of air.
Most patients describe the sensation as getting lightly tapped on the skin with a small rubber band. Many patients say that is the worst part of their entire vasectomy experience.
The skin is elastic (rubbery). During a His Choice Vasectomy we poke a small hole in the center of the scrotal skin. The skin is stretched open. This creates an opening large enough to perform a vasectomy but small enough to heal closed quickly.
The skin opening will then slowly squeeze closed on its own. This is why sutures are not required. The opening is usually healed closed within 24 hours. In some patients it may take up to 72 hours.
A His Choice Vasectomy is truly a minimally invasive form of vasectomy.
We use several small titanium clips during our vasectomy procedure. Clips are common used during vasectomy procedures because clips are easy to apply, do not cause bleeding, and don’t easily trap hairs inside the scrotum like sutures can do.
The clips are about the size of a single, long grain rice. The purpose of the clips is to keep the two divided ends of the vas deferens apart long enough for them to heal closed.
Important points about titanium clips:
- It is difficult to feel the clips.
- The clips do not cause pain
- The clips do not cause future problems.
- You can safely have a CT scan or MRI if needed
- The clips can not make metal detectors go off
If you are concerned about having titanium clips used during your procedure let us know and we will switch to suture.
Scheduling Vasectomy
Our patients can schedule their single visit vasectomy procedures directly from our website. You do not even need to speak with a staff person!
If you would like a consultation appointment first then do not use the website scheduler. Contact us by email and we will send you a link to schedule your consultation appointment.
For more information: Start Scheduling A His Choice Vasectomy Now
Since we provide single visit appointments we require you pay a scheduling fee to get on our schedule. The scheduling fee is deducted from the total cost of the vasectomy procedure. This fee is refundable if you cancel with more than seven (7) days notice.
You can easily see appointment openings on our website. Since we provide single visit appointments we require you pay a scheduling fee to get on our schedule.
The scheduling fee is deducted from the total cost of the vasectomy procedure and is refundable if you cancel with more than seven (7) days notice.
All you need to do is view our website scheduling app an you can see all available appointment openings within the next 30 days.
For more information visit: Start Scheduling A His Choice Vasectomy Now
If you only want to see the available appointments but not schedule then you can safely click on “Book Now”. You will then be allowed to see what appointment dates and times are available.
Your appointment will only be confirmed when you provide a credit card number to pay the scheduling fee.
If you have an undescended testicle or have had surgery for an undescended testicle then we recommend you schedule a consultation appointment first.
This will allow the doctor to examine you and determine if your vasectomy can be successfully completed.
Please keep in mind it is normal for one testicle to be higher than the other. This does not mean you have an undescended testicle. Usually the diagnosis of an undescended testicle is made during childhood and often in infancy. Usually patients have had childhood surgery to correct the undescended testicle.
It is normal for one testicle to be higher or lower than the other.
An undescended testicle is usually diagnosed within the first year of life. This condition usually requires surgical repair in early childhood. If you have been diagnosed with an undescended testicle then you would have had surgery as a child to repair this condition.
If you take prescription blood thinners then we recommend you either 1) have a consultation appointment or 2) have your doctor provide our office with recommendations for management of your blood thinner around the time of your vasectomy.
If your doctor can provide a recommendation to us before you schedule then you can avoid the consultation appointment.
If you are being prescribed a blood thinner, most doctors are aware you will need a clearance before having a procedure. Many of them can be contacted through your electronic patient portal or by phone. They have a standard response for handling your medications depending on your medical condition.
It is extremely important that you allow your doctor make the decision to stop your blood thinner. We strongly advise against patients making that decision to stop blood thinners without consulting with their physician.
Your physician can easily send us a recommendation before you schedule your appointment. Once we review the recommendation we will let you know if you can schedule without having a consultation.
Our website schedule app only lets patients schedule during the next four (4) weeks.
If you are not seeing available appointments then it is most likely because there are no openings available. Usually this happens November through January because of a combination of high demand for vasectomy and holiday office closings.
You can always contact our office to confirm if our website scheduling app is functioning correctly.
We require a scheduling fee because we provide single visit appointments. Some patients are reluctant to have vasectomy and we need to provide them motivation to keep their scheduled appointment.
If we did not charge a scheduling fee then the appointment ‘no-show’ rate could be as high as 50%. No shows are disruptive to our office schedule, result in lost income for our practice, and deprive other patient’s of the timely opportunity to have a vasectomy.
You can cancel your appointment at anytime. Your scheduling fee is refundable if you cancel with more than seven (7) days notice.
Our scheduling system allows you to use a cancellation link sent to your email after you schedule. You don’t even have to call us to cancel.
- If you cancel with more than seven (7) days notice of your scheduled appointment, then you will be refunded your scheduling fee.
- If you cancel within seven (7) days of your scheduled appointment, then you lose your scheduling fee.
- You can reschedule one time outside of seven (7) days of your scheduled appointment.
- We do not allow you to reschedule within seven (7) days of your scheduled appointment.
We have found phone to be an poorly efficient means of communication. We encourage you to read this FAQ and watch our videos.
If any questions remain then you can contact us by email using the email address found on the Contact Us page of our website. We will respond by email within 24 hours.
All patients are given an office number after they schedule an appointment. All patients are given the doctor’s personal cell phone number to call with issues after their vasectomy has been completed.
Before Your Procedure
No. We do not require that you have a driver. Most patients come without a driver.
We recommend you have a driver if you have a history of fainting during medical procedures or while in stressful situations.
If you are uncertain then we recommend you bring a driver with you to your vasectomy appointment.
Ideally you need to do three (3) things before your vasectomy:
- Shave the front of your scrotum 1 to 3 days before your vasectomy.
- Wear firm fitting underwear to your procedure
- Shower before your procedure.
Shaving. Ideally we want you to shave before your procedure. If you are unable to shave then we can do it for you.Shaving can easily be done in the shower using shampoo and a regular razor. Only shave the very front of your scrotum.
Firm fitting underwear. Do not wear boxers. Wear firm fitting underwear. If you are not certain about what firm fitting means, then wear an athletic supporter.
Shower. We recommend not showering for 24 hours after your vasectomy. Many patients appreciate this notification so they can shower before their vasectomy procedure.
We recommend you take your prescription medications as advised by your physician.
If you are taking prescription blood thinner(s) then you will need to stop these medication(s) as directed by your physician.
You can eat before your vasectomy.
After Vasectomy
Every patient perceives pain differently and every patient recovers at a different rate.
- Most patients rate their pain a 1 to 2 the day after a His Choice vasectomy.
- Most patients rate their pain less than a 1 a month after a His Choice vasectomy.
It is common to have episodes of discomfort anytime within the first six (6) months of having a vasectomy. We call these vasectomy aftershocks.
In most cases these aftershocks, or episodes of discomfort, are mild and easily relieved with 800 mg of ibuprofen (4 pills) or 440mg go naproxen. Most patients are back to normal by the time of their three (3) month semen sample.
Frozen peas and ice packs are not required after a His Choice Vasectomy.
His Choice Vasectomy patients do not need prescription pain medications after vasectomy.
Approximately 1 out of every 500 patients may need a prescription for a narcotic pain medication. If over the counter anti-inflammatory medication is not helping then you would contact our doctor for advice.
We recommend you ‘take it easy’ for 48 hours after your vasectomy.
Take it easy means don’t do any strenuous activity that requires bending or lifting the first 48 hours. Essentially we do not advise doing any activity strenuous enough to make you sweat.
- Desk job. If you have a desk job you can go back to work the same day.
- Job with lots of standing and walking. Wait 24 hours.
- Manual labor job. We recommend waiting 48 hours.
Yes. You can drink alcohol any time after your vasectomy.
We recommend you wait at least 48 hours.
If you are not having discomfort after 48 hours then you can resume sexual activity.
If you are experiencing discomfort after 48 hours then we recommend waiting until you are more comfortable before resuming sexual activity.
If you must do so… you can lift a child after vasectomy.
We recommend waiting 72 hours before exercising.
Ideally ‘take it easy’ for the first 48 hours. After 48 hours, you can return to your normal routine, but do not exercise.
After 72 hours you can do light exercise (light cardio and light weights) and see how you feel the day after. If you are not hurting then you can gradually increase your activity level after 96 hours.
If you perform strenuous exercise (lifting heavy weights, core strengthening, martial arts, etc then you may need a full week to return to exercising. If you sit on your scrotum during exercising (biking or rowing) then you may need a full week before you can return to these activities.
If you are hurting at anytime then it may be best to decrease your exercise level until your pain decreases.
Wait 24 hours after your vasectomy procedure before taking a shower.
Wait five (5) days before immersing yourself in water. This includes taking a bath, swimming, or using a hot tub or sauna.
All patients are given the doctor’s cell phone number after having a His Choice Vasectomy.
If you are having a problem you can easily contact the doctor and they will work with you to make sure you are okay.
It is extremely uncommon to have a severe complication after a vasectomy. Most vasectomy related problems can easily be handled over the phone or with text/email communication.
Vasectomy failure is VERY uncommon with a His Choice Vasectomy.
The most common time to have a failure is within the first three months of a vasectomy. The cause of this failure is most often residual live sperm and patients stopping birth control before they are cleared by our office.
The chance of vasectomy failure after the three month semen sample demonstrates no sperm is less than 0.05%.
Put another way…once we clear you at three months, the chance of a late vasectomy failure is less than 5 out of 10,000 patients.
It is actually more common to have a few non-motile (ie dead) sperm after vasectomy that require us to perform another semen sample to confirm these dead sperm have cleared after your vasectomy.
Semen Sample Testing
We recommend waiting three (3) months and having a minimum of twenty (20) ejaculations after your vasectomy procedure.
Both time and number of ejaculations are important. The number of ejaculations is important for getting the live sperm out. Time is required for elimination of dead sperm.
Both end points (20 ejaculations and passage of 3 months) must be accomplished before a semen sample test is done.
- You collect your sample in the privacy of your own home.
- You mail your sample directly to the lab.
- The lab will contact you directly with your results!
We do not charge for your semen sample test.
Our easy mail-in semen sample test kit is given to you on the day of your procedure. The cost of the test and the prepaid postage is included in the cost of your vasectomy procedure.
We recommend waiting three (3) months because the single three month test is designed to clear most patients but also catch an early reconnection.
Most vasectomy failures happen within the first three months of a vasectomy procedure.
You only need one well timed semen sample done at three (3) months after your vasectomy procedure.
If you have a small amount of non-motile (ie dead) sperm after your vasectomy we will follow you with semen sample testing at no charge to help insure your procedure was successful.
If you would like more than one semen sample then we would recommend you use the FDA approved SpermCheck After Vasectomy home test. You can buy this test on Amazon.
You can perform this test as often as required for your reassurance.
