How long does a vasectomy last?
June 6, 2023
So you are thinking about getting a vasectomy? You probably have a million questions that are coming into your head.
Does it hurt? Will it be painful? How long does a vasectomy last? Will sex feel the same or will you regret your decision?
Having a vasectomy is an important decision in a man’s life. It is important you be as well informed as possible.
Some men ask these questions because they are trying to learn as much as they can. A few are just trying to find something negative so they have a reason to bail out!
Having a vasectomy is not as bad as you might think. It is a simple, easy office procedure and it is not as painful as you may think.
If you are asking how long does a vasectomy will last then you may mean several things:
- How long does it take to get a vasectomy appointment?
- How long does the actual vasectomy procedure take to finish?
- How long does the sterility from a vasectomy last?
Since I may not be sure which of the above questions you are asking I will make sure we answer each one.
This article is written by Dr. Charles Monteith who is the Medical Director of His Choice No Cut Vasectomy in Raleigh NC. It is important you understand the information contained in this article is coming from an experienced no scalpel vasectomy provider.
How long does it take to get a vasectomy appointment?
In most vasectomy doctor’s offices it often times takes too long… much longer than it should to get something as important and as preventative as a vasectomy procedure.
Most vasectomy doctors are going to require you come for a consultation visit, then a procedure visit, sometimes a follow-up visit, and sometimes a semen sample visit. That’s a lot of visits!
Okay. Having a vasectomy is important …and you want to make sure you get it right so you may be okay with all those appointments. I am absolutely convinced some men are so nervous about getting a vasectomy that they are okay with multiple appointments far into the future because it helps prolong their decision. There are guys out there just like that….I know from experience.
If you go to a large university, large health care system, or large urology practice then it may take several months to get your first vasectomy consultation.
Prior to the COVID pandemic, I commonly heard from patients it was taking one (1) to two (2) months to get a vasectomy consultation. After COVID, I am commonly hearing patients that it is taking four (4) to six (6) months to get a consultation appointment!
Some of these patients are not getting their actual vasectomy procedure appointments for another three (3) to six (6) months!
This means you may be waiting six (6) to twelve (12) months to get your vasectomy procedure. I wish I were kidding you about this but I am not. I am dead serious.
One of my vasectomy patients traveled to me from Virginia. It was January. The guy was told his consultation would be June and his vasectomy would be in November!
Not only could it take you a very long time to get your consultation…but to add insult to injury you may find yourself in a group counseling session. I have heard from some of patients that the larger university and health care systems are doing group counseling…either in person groups or virtual/on-line group counseling sessions.
The unfortunate thing about waiting so long for a consultation to have something you know you want is that it increases your anxiety level and it increases the chance you will have an unplanned pregnancy…which will also greatly increase your anxiety.
Why does it take so long to get a consultation? That is beyond the scope of this article but it basically boils downs to the low priority placed on vasectomy. Most administrations dont see vasectomy provision as an important service. They also do not see vasectomy as being financially lucrative enough to focus on.
With His Choice No Cut you can get a vasectomy within two (2) weeks! When we say vasectomy…we mean the whole thing. We offer single visit vasectomy procedures… no consultation required.
More information: Scheduling a His Choice No Scalpel Vasectomy
Keep in mind the ‘busy season’ for getting a vasectomy at our office is November through January…so it could take 3 to 6 weeks to get a single visit His Choice Vasectomy. We try as hard as possible to not make patients wait more than 2 weeks for a single visit procedure…at least you can get everything done at once.
How long does a vasectomy procedure last? Depends on the method
If you are getting a traditional, scalpel vasectomy then it may take longer than a no scalpel approach. Why?
Traditional scalpel vasectomy involves making a cut in the scrotal skin on each side. Traditional vasectomy has more complications than no scalpel vasectomy: more bleeding, more infection, and more pain.
Usually an opening is made on each side with traditional vasectomy. The doctor will often suture and cut out pieces of the vas deferens. They will also have to suture the skin.
Making two skin openings, tying and cutting out pieces of each tube, and the additional suturing required are all what contribute to the increased time required with conventional vasectomy procedures.
How long does a vasectomy last? Depends on the doctor
The answer to this question depends on the skill and experience of your vasectomy doctor and also on your anatomy.
At His Choice No Cut vasectomy it takes Dr. Monteith eight (8) minutes to complete a vasectomy procedure! How do we know?
Often patients will look at their watch when they lay down on the vasectomy table. Many times it is a nervous habit. Most guys are really looking at their watch to check any recent calls or emails they may have received (watches are fancy these days). Often I will joke with patients…”Hey what are you doing? Are you timing me?”
Often after the vasectomy procedure is complete I will ask, “Okay…how long did it take?” Most patients will provide answers ranging from seven (7) to twelve (12) minutes.
If you go to a large busy practice you may be on the table longer than you are anticipating. Why? Often they put you in a gown, give you a medication to relax you, and put you in a room to wait. If the doctor gets called away then you may have to wait longer. Once in the room an assistant will have to prep you and then call the doctor in. You could be in the room for awhile.
Dr. Monteith performs the procedure by himself and without an assistant present.
Occasionally Dr. Monteith have had patients come to him after the patients went to unskilled doctors. A recent patient tried to have his vasectomy at a military facility. The patient reported they tried to do his vasectomy for 45 minutes to an hour and could not complete the vasectomy.
This same patient came to Dr. Monteith and he did the procedure in less than fifteen minutes.
Watch Dr. Monteith perform an actual vasectomy?
I have a vasectomy video of an actual His Choice Vasectomy procedure being performed on a real patient.
If you want to know how long a vasectomy lasts then this video should really help answer your question because there is a timer on the screen that keeps real time!
Keep in mind the timer starts from the moment the patient lays down….it includes the skin prep, draping, and anesthesia.
The actual vasectomy procedure is much shorter in length than the total time of the video.
When you have a vasectomy with Dr. Monteith your procedure will not last that long.
How long does the sterility from a vasectomy last?
This is an easy question to answer. Vasectomy is intended to be permanent. It is intended to last forever.
Although permanent is intended to be forever, a vasectomy does not have to be permanent. It can always be reversed. Dr. Monteith offers reversal but remember it is always easier to break something than to fix it…a vasectomy is less than ten (10) minutes a vasectomy reversal takes up to two (2) hours!
If you want a permanent way to not become pregnant then a vasectomy is your best option. It is safe and easy. Vasectomy is safe and more effective than tubal ligation. It is rare to have a complication from a vasectomy but women have complications from tubal ligation frequently.
If a vasectomy fails you may never even know it…if a tubal ligation fails the woman will get a life threatening ectopic pregnancy…or she may even have a baby!
If you want a quick, easy, safe vasectomy experience then you should consider a His Choice No Cut Vasectomy.
If you are unable to come to Raleigh NC then you should be able to find a no scalpel vasectomy doctor in your area who can provide you with a good vasectomy experience.
