Vasectomy

[Sara_H]

The NHS has definitely banned that phrase! Since I got ill last year, I must have needles stuck in me on at least 20 occasions and every single time, the nurse said "You will just feel a sharp scratch"! I'm sure that they are all working to some official memo.

My OH teaches health professionals on a life support course. They used to use the mnemonic WETFAG (weight, energy, tube,fluids, adrenaline, glucose). Somewhere along the line someone was offended and all instructors now use the mnemonic WETFlAG instead!

 

[Domeo]

It was the week before the op. You actually have to see a counsellor (as opposed to a nurse/some random admin). There were questions along the lines of 'have you considered what would if you divorced?', 'what if you child was killed or died due to cancer?', 'you know that if the worst were to happen, the NHS would not do the reverse procedure?'. She was (I think deliberately so) particularly matter of fact about dying a child.

By the way. This was all about five years ago in Waltham Forest. My daughter was only about a year old at the time. It may well have changed in the meantime.

 

[Archie_tect]

The NHS has definitely banned that phrase! Since I got ill last year, I must have needles stuck in me on at least 20 occasions and every single time, the nurse said "You will just feel a sharp scratch"! I'm sure that they are all working to some official memo.

[My snip was over 18 years ago]

 

[i hate hills]

Straight forward got done end of November and was out biking end of December. Very little pain ( only what i caused myself by playing CONKERS coming out the bath. Man that was a bit nippy ) which was a major surprise after all the horror stories i'd heard before hand.

 

[jdtate101]

Whilst mine went well, a friend at work had the op and it went horribly badly. Doc snipped a blood vessel and couldn't stop the bleed, they ended up calling an ambulance and he was rushed to hospital (ball op was done at family planning centre). Long and short of it was he had to go through a 2nd op and had nuts the size of tennis balls for a week and couldn't walk. Even though he's ok now he still suffers from discomfort and he says his sex life is wrecked. He did manage to take the surgeon to medical tribunal and won, based upon the hospital surgeon's testimony that his space hopper looked like it had "been in a car smash".
I had mine done at a family planning centre, and whilst it was uncomfortable (I seem to remember a tugging sensation as the bloke did his bit), it wasn't painful. The most painful bit was the next day when my 2yr old decided to give me an enthusiastic hug by running full steam into my crotch....

 

[surfdude]

when i had mine done i went home and rested for 24 hours as stated but still woke up with a couple of black tennis balls where my lads should have been . then for 18 months after kept getting infections every 2 weeks or so . was well worth it in the end

 

[Herbie]

sorry i could not help that

very witty....I wish i'd posted that one

 

[fossyant]

No infections here. Bad bad pain for a year.

 

[ceepeebee]

Yep, definitely wish I hadn't read this thread..... Appointment a week Wednesday....

 

[smokeysmoo]

I had no infection problems, and TBH no pain issues once the initial jiggery pokery had died down.

What I have been left with though is some internal scar tissue on my nads, and even though I know what it is, and where it is, it still perturbs me when I'm checking for the old big C.

When I was checked for testicular cancer last year the hossie did say they would remove the scar tissue if I felt it would help, but surely you'd be left with new scar tissue, and besides I've no intention of going down that road unless things get painful.

[EDIT] FWIW I had mine done at our main hospital, not sure I'd fancy it anywhere else TBH.

 

[fossyant]

Hope it goes well. As you know from here mine didn't. Still in pain now and it is affecting my cycling, love life and sleep.

I've had to have further surgery, which involved a fair size incision from which my testicle was pulled OUT. The epididymis was then cut off, then my testicle replaced and stitched back to my scrotum.

The down side is, like smokey, I have a fair amount of scar tissue where my plumbing was, the scar tissue is bigger than the plumbing was originally. Apparently this is to be expected from this additional surgery.

I still have Post Vasectomy Pain syndrome and it's as common as 1 in 10.

Given the option again, we wouldn't have had this surgery knowing these risks.

Please take a bit of time to research PVPS. It is very difficult to treat, and the follow up op I had only has a 50% success rate. If it's still causing me much pain in April, I may lose my testicle. The surgeon is reluctant to remove it due to additional scar tissue forming, and as the nerves are cut short, then I may still have phantom pain.

Unfortunately, your GP will say there is rare chance of these issues happening. The Urology Department say it's very common. my surgeon sees lots of men with issues following surgery. Let's say I was by far one of the youngest people sat in Urology recently. It's not somewhere a young man should need to be. On the date of my Epididymectomy, the nurses I spoke to said they see many men coming in who have had a vasectomy as a GP practice.

Where you having yours ? Double question the GP operating on you if it's in practice. If he denies any issues, tell him he is telling lies.

I had shocking treatment from the GP at Marple Vasectomy Clinic. Totally denied I had problems. I've yet to file a full complaint yet, and may even sue as he made such a mess of me.

 

[ceepeebee]

Mine's at a practice, but the only one that serves Croydon. I do have concerns about the post-pain though as I was aching after the inspection for a day or so....

 

[fossyant]

You were 'inspected' before the op ?

I can only say about my experience. I don't know if I am more susceptible to scar tissue than others, but it appears not. The issue is mainly that because you are blocked off, the body still continues to work, but nothing can go anywhere. If the body can't absorb things fast enough, then that's where the swelling and pain comes in the epididymis. The skill of the surgeon is also important, so if it's someone new ish to the procedure, tell them to get lost.

 

[ceepeebee]

Yeah, on my counselling visit, nurse had me on my back and was checking my tubes for accessibility in the blink of an eye.

Ah, the doctor doing mine has been doing them for a while I believe. Which is something...

 

[fossyant]

If you are having bad discomfort for more that a few days, or two weeks at the most, get back to your GP. Discomfort really should be just mild, take it easy for a couple of days. Mine was OK for a couple of days, then went seriously painful. The incision took a month to heal.

My recent surgery recovery was much less painful than the original procedure, so something very wrong was done.