Vasectomy Procedure Explained
A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure where a doctor disconnects the tubes (called the vas deferens) that carry a man’s sperm from his testicles to his ejaculatory ducts. A very common procedure, nearly one out of every six men over the age of 35 in the U.S. has had a vasectomy. The good news? You will not notice any changes in your orgasm as a result of a vasectomy procedure. Further, your ejaculate flow rate and volume remains the same. Your semen just no longer contains the sperm cells that allow for pregnancy. Although reversals are sometimes possible, a vasectomy is considered a permanent contraceptive procedure and is one of the safest and most effective contraceptive options.
Your Comfort is Our Priority
We try to make our San Antonio vasectomy as painless as possible. Here is what we can do. Everything listed has been researched and we have seen less pain in our own experience.
No scalpel
Single opening
No needle (available)
Nitrous gas (available)
Open ended vasectomy (ask)
To begin, we numb the area with lidocaine. We have our no-needle technique. In this situation, we use what’s called a MadaJet to actually spray in a local anesthetic without needles. We use a very tiny needle to minimize discomfort. In addition, for those wanting the least painful route Nitrous gas is avaliable.
The Procedure
After extensive comfort measures are taken, a special instrument is used to make a tiny opening in your scrotum the size of this dash —. At The Urology Place, we specialize in performing your entire procedure through this single tiny opening. We then isolate your vas deferens. The no scalpel approach usually does not even need a stitch afterwards. The elasticity of the skin closes the opening naturally.
Once we have located your first vas, we carefully cut it. We then use pinpoint heat cautery to seal off your vas deferens tube. Dr Kella uses an open ended procedure, meaning we only seal off the upper portion of the vas, leaving the lower half of the divided vas deferens open. Next, we do an “interposition” or put the ends of the vasa into separate compartments. Usually, we can locate your second vas deferens via the same tiny hole and repeat the procedure without any additional openings.
Pricing and Insurance Information
Most insurance plans cover the cost of a vasectomy. They typically require you to have one pre-procedure office visit and then a second appointment on a different day for the actual procedure. If you are committed to a vasectomy and don’t want to deal with your insurance rules, we have a convenient same day self pay option.
No Insurance?
If you are paying out of pocket for your vasectomy, we can provide you with both the consultation and the procedure on the same day for a prompt-pay price of $825. Insurance otherwise covers a vasectomy but you usually are required to have your consultation separate from the procedure. There is a $75 deposit required to secure an appointment for the procedure. This deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE 2 business days before your appointment because we have dedicated our time slot to you and your procedure. The deposit will still apply to the overall balance of the service. If you refund your deposit, there is a $5 fee to cover credit card charges and overhead.
Next Steps
Once your procedure is completed, you are not able to conduct sexual activity for one week afterwards. Rest, elevation and the use of an ice pack for 20 minutes on and off is recommened. After three months and 25 ejaculations, you are required to complete an at home post vasectomy analysis to guarantee the procedure is successful and there are no active sperm present.
Patients need to avoid bloodthinners up to 7 days prior to their procedure, trim the hair around the area with clippers only, razors increase risk for contamination and infection. Also, patients need to purchase and bring compression shorts to their appointment.
99% of your ejaculate is preserved, with only the sperm removed. Your erection and orgasm should be the same.
You can have sex as early as one week after a vasectomy. You might see some blood in the ejaculate, but this is uncommon. You MUST use another form of birth control until you confirm there is no more sperm.
Most insurances require separate consultation prior to your vasectomy. Self pay patients who are confident in their decision to have a vasectomy can schedule the consult and procedure in the same visit. We will make every effort to respect your time and get as short of a wait as possible for your consultation.
Yes. If you choose our option to have nitrous gas, you can still drive yourself home safely.
This is done by cryopreservation. Fertility centers can do this for around $300 per year. Please contact a fertility center if you are interested. We generally do not encourage your decision for vasectomy if you want to cryopreserve.
IV sedation in the office costs $1000 for the sedation. We RARELY perform vasectomy in the operating room.
Dr Kella has extensively researched this commonly performed procedure. Studies indicate this is the least invasive and most comfortable way to perform a vasectomy. Here is a comprehensive review regarding no scalpel vasectomy.
Normally, we have you wait a few months and ejaculate 25-30 times during that time period. A test is done to confirm the absence of sperm.
No-there is no such thing as a laser vasectomy. However, The Urology Place offers a minimally invasive approach with the no-scalpel technique. This modern technique provides a faster recovery time compared to the traditional vasectomy procedure.
Limited slots are available.