Anyone else recently had a Vasectomy? How did it go, how painful was it at the time & afterwards? How long did you leave it before you were happy to jump back on the bike?

Mine’s a week and an half away, and i’m starting to get a touch nervous!

(btw Should this post have the tag – Tubeless?)

Search is your friend, its been discussed a lot before as you can probably imagine

Good luck with it

EDIT: copy this into Google (note some threads have photo’s 😯 )

site:singletrackworld.com vasectomy

I offered to get it done but the wife said no way. No idea why, she has more chance giving birth to bike than another one of my offspring…

Search on here will reveal loads of threads. And lots of scare stories.

I suggest you look on You Tube for the vasectomy episode of Home Improvement. Genius!

Don’t ask on Mumsnet. Apparently no man should have the snip due to the potential side effects. Plus it takes away a woman’s excuse to moan about having to take responsibility for birth control with all those potential side effects.

Pain: the procedure is painless, but they are going to stick a decent sized needle into each spud, it’s horrible and gets worse before it gets better like a burning sensation (but still only a few mins). Post op for me was a case of “is that it?” I’ve had a few surgeries over the years so I was expecting worse. The wounds are nothing, tiny little pin-hole sized scabs – but I did get a mild “kicked in the plums” feeling for a day or so afterwards – then it would occationally come back for an hour or so for 2 months afterwards – nothing earth shattering, but you notice it.

The Procedure: it’s unpleasant, I’ve suffered some unpleasant stuff, but this is the only thing that’s ever made me queasy and the Doc had to ask if I’d like him to stop for a bit and I did. My wife is a Nurse and has no issues with gore and was happy to sit with me through it which helped, but everyone is different – some of my mates went through it without breaking sweat. I don’t like feeling vulnerable though, I can’t even have a poo unless the door is locked, even if the house is empty. Physically isn’t not bad, but like being at the dentist you can’t feel the area they’re working on, but you can feel the skin around being tugged about and hear everything – it didn’t help he decided to explain everything he was doing to my wife as he did it.

I went back on my bike 10 days later, but that was a mistake, I felt fine, but as soon as I started climbing and my thighs started pumping I start aching, I made it around with my mate walking up and riding down. 10 days later it was fine.

It hurt like hell and was done by a woman ,I think she hated men and used pinking shears .I had an infection and black nuts for weeks

P-Jay no bike-packing for you then !

Procedure itself was pretty painless. Just uncomfortable with that “stomach ache” feeling when they were pulling the tubes.
Pain afterwards was really uncomfortable for the first couple of days and then subsided after a week with the odd twinges for a month.
Took a whole month off the bike.

What I didn’t consider was that it would take so long to finally get the all clear. You have to give a sample at month 3 and 4 after the op and then wait a few weeks for the results. All in all, it’s a long process from first consultation to finally getting the clear – for me around 6 months.

Cheers for all the useful info. Pain-wise it doesn’t sound too much worse than I was expecting/told about, but i’m gutted that i might have to take nearly a month off the bike! Apart form a couple of mountain biking sessions each week i also commute daily by bike.

Might have to use the long cessation of riding as a good excuse to get in some epic rides before the op! 🙂

Thanks again.

Pain: the procedure is painless

I could feel the incision & sewing-up on the right side – quite stingy. Recovery has been fine, just had to purchase man-pants as boxers ain’t a great idea.

Still got ugly black bruises nearly 2 weeks on and am at about 95% functional. I was on a bike 3 days later, but I wasn’t seated 🙂

Or use a condom.

If they don’t give you enough local anaesthetic, the surgeon will know a fraction of a second after you do. 😯 😳 👿

That’s the method being used here, lodders. I’d take all the snip horror stories as an alternative if that was an option.

The doctor and his assistant were good, the conversation during the procedure is awkward but I found myself thinking “just get on with it already!” I did feel a bit of pain while he was doing whatever he was and I said that was painful. He unloaded the rest of the anisthetic and I could feel a damn thing till I got sucker punched by a friends 4 year old a few days later. Dropped me like a sack of spuds.

Like the others, the operation was pretty painless and over very quickly. Felt a bit of tugging and the second side was less numb than the first. More awkward was getting my balls out infront of two complete strangers, definitely makes you feel a bit vulnerable!
Was in the tighty whities for about a week after. It wasn’t too painful in recovery, but the stitches catching on pants was the worst bit! Once the stitches were dissolved and gone then all was good with the world again

I had it done a month ago. Pretty easy op, apart form the weirdness of chit-chatting about Saturday kids’ soccer with a guy who’s wielding surgical snips around your plums. Oh, and the fact that the nurse assisting him was a stunner, which made lying there with everything on display a bit more awkward 😳

The op was painless, save for the initial tiny prick – stop sniggering at the back! – when the local went in, but there were moments of weird discomfort as thing were being yanked around.

Afterwards there were a couple of days of walking gingerly, felt like I’d been kicked hard in the nuts. Generally ok but an ache when doing things like walking barefoot on hard floors, every heelstrike sent a tiny jolt which ached. That wore off pretty quickly, by day four I was walking around normally, played table tennis during the lunch break at work. Did start to ache a bit by the end of the day though. Nothing that a couple of paracetamol couldn’t fix.

I was back on the bike commuting to work by day nine (only 5km each way), with hindsight I reckon I’d have been ok by about day six or seven, but had lifts sorted so took advantage.

And as someone pointed out above, if you normally wear boxer shorts, buy something snug that will hold everything in place (and wear them for the op), movement is your enemy those first few days, and you definitely don’t want them swinging about.

Having an ingrowing toenail sorted hurt more IMHO.

2 days of discomfort, 2 weeks off the bike.

I had mine done 8 days ago. I needed scar tissue removed so actually had a GA and the cut is the length / height (?) of my ballsack. The vasectomy was done as a’secondary’ op to the main thing.

The recovery:

I rode a motorbike to and from the hospital (24 hours after the op) without problems. A gentle road bicycle ride 4 days later was too soon. Doing the school run with a bike trailer yesterday was very slightly uncomfortable but nothing worth commenting on.

Considering the size of my cut compared to yours, you can stop worrying. The actual nuts were very slightly tender for a day but nothing worse.

I say the absolute opposite to WillH. I normally wear tight boxers (whatever they’re called) but went commando for a couple of days. Chaffing is worse than movement, I found.

Mine was done privately. Because of the GA I had IV antibiotics before the OP and pill antibiotics for a week afterwards. They give the pills to anyone, GA or LA, and it seems like better safe than sorry.

tl;dr

You’ll be fine ya big jessie.

And as someone pointed out above, if you normally wear boxer shorts, buy something snug that will hold everything in place (and wear them for the op), movement is your enemy those first few days, and you definitely don’t want them swinging about

this. x10. As above – proc was uncomfortable more than anything. I swapped from boxers for the week afterwards and TBH it was all a bit ‘what is all the fuss about’? My bro ignored my advice and had all sorts of swelling and bruising – spent two weeks limping and moaning (though he always was a bit of a sensitive flower 🙂 )

Had mine on the 27th of May. My first ride was on Tuesday everything is fine now. Worth getting some cheap sanitary towels and tight fitting underwear so you can keep a constant light pressure on the wound. Also do not leave the shaving till 30 minutes before.

The op is unpleasant but quick the aesthetic is a b&tch

Email in profile if you want pics.

Also, DO NOT watch any videos of the operation on youtube before you go!
I did afterwards out of curiosity, and if I’d watched it before then I might have been cancelling the appointment 😯

Got mine done on Thursday before first Bank Holiday in May. Didn’t give it much thought until I was sat in the waiting room. Was then start My to get a bit nervous. Nurse came out and called my name, stood up, all hung-Ho to get it over with and then she told me that they were still waiting for the doctor. Doh. Had to wait a few minutes more.

Anyway, op for me was into the room, trouser and pants down the the ankles. Nurse shuffles me onto enormous absorbent pads to soak up the icy cold antiseptic that was lavishly applied to the area. 1 nurse and 2 doctors in the room. The doctor had a rummage around to make sure he could find the tube (vas) to inject with the anaesthetic. This was the most uncomfortable bit. If you’ve been to the dentist and had a jab in the front teeth then you’ve had worse! Tube was pinched and the jab went in. It’s obviously fast acting stuff as they didn’t hang around afterwards but it was a bit nippy at first so they waited a bit. Then the strange sensations of tugging and more rummaging. Polite chitchat with the nurse and doctors to pass the time. Then came the second jab – 1 aside at a time it appears. Less bad this time. Stitches in, there was only 1 incision. Trousers up. Cup,of tea and a biscuit and a run through of some paperwork with the nurse. Slow shuffle to the taxi rank followed by the worlds bumpiest ride home. All in all about 40 minutes between getting in and out.

I took it very easy for the next few days. Out of choice and necessity. Most walking was a slow shuffle. I chose to use frozen peas to keep any swelling down. Normally a boxers wearer. Briefs were absolutely necessary. You need to keep it compact down there! I kept with these for a couple of weeks. Would’ve been fine sooner but found that the stitch would rub and was irritating. I got some bruising appear after 3/4 days, quite spectacular. Had some strange swollen feelings in my tubes.

4 weeks down the line and no bother at all. Was back on the bike after 3 weeks (chose this time to build a new bike but nowt much happened in the first week.).

I had mine done by marie Stopes a few years back now.

For me, the nut discomfort wore off sufficiently in a couple of days that I’d have been happy to ride again certainly within the week. Unfortunately the wound itself picked up a minor infection and didn’t heal properly, so after 2 weeks I was back again to have the pus and gunk scrubbed out (no anaesthetic for that – ouch!!) and restart the healing process. Left me off the bike for 4 weeks in total, but on the plus side I do have a nice scar now where the wound edges didn’t join tidily. (Chicks dig scars right – just got to persuade a few to have a real close look at it now)

I didn’t get the enjoyment of the ‘crunchy sounds’ as mine was cut and cauterised with a glorified soldering iron. So instead of sound, mine was in smell-o-vision. Sort of burnt bacon actually.

And finally. The procedure is no issue. Minor discomfort only. And frankly, once you’ve lain naked from the waist down on the tabel, had your tackle pulled through a hole in a sheet and painted brown, and been prodded with assorted fingers and needles, you’ll be wishing it over so you can get out of there with a shred of dignity intact and that will far outweigh any worries you have about the procedure.

Done in January, like the others not sure per se just a weir uncomfortable sensation. Done Friday PM, easy weekend in tight pants, was sore days 1-3 then a blue balls sort of feeling days 4-6 then by day 7 was feeling pretty normal. Back on bike in 2 weeks. All clear after 4 months – much better !

*closes thread sweating… 😳

no way, never ever.

Had mine done a few years ago. All female team, which was nice. Just took my iPod and listened to some music whilst they got on with it. Worst bit – the small of bacon when they’re cauterising the ends of the tubes.

Little pain. Running after a week, (road) bike after 2 weeks. No regrets.

had it done in November. The thought of it is worse than the process. GP who did it was excellent and put me at ease. 2 injections, one in each tube. 1st one is uncomfortable. second ones less so, as the area is largely numb. Sore when it wears off. 1st two days were uncomfortable. buy some tight briefs to minimise movement. was back on the bike after 2 weeks, all fine. wish id done it sooner.

If they don’t give you enough local anaesthetic, the surgeon will know a fraction of a second after you do.

You too eh? My surgeon carried on…

Also – ask if the procedure is the No scalpel, rather than the traditional way.,only one mcidion, in the middle, rather than a cut each side. It’s more of a puncture. Faster healing time. Some won’t even stitch it

I’ve always wondered, does it affect your, er, emissions? Does that change?

Not that she’s mentioned…. 😉

@Cougar some ‘bitterness’ has been mentioned, but other than that and the lack of swimmers it’s all the same, no noticeable difference.

Biggest difference for me has been in Mrs Jay since she could stop taking the pill, more level-headed sanity more of the time and a slight, but noticeable increase in generally happiness.

Procedure update.

Thanks for all the information and feedback. It was really helpful to know what I was in for before that fateful moment when your name is called.

I had the procedure 3 days ago now, and it was exactly how the majority of people have described it. A slight pain when first injected, but nothing really more after that. The only issues I had to cope with were trying to focus on the benign questions that they were asking me “Going anywhere nice on holiday?”, “Do you have any pets?”. That sort of thing.

The recovery has also been really fast, with only slight swelling to contend with, and that slight feeling of being kicked in the nuts. The only thing that i have noticed is that i’m doing everything quite cautiously to avoid catching anything down there. Hopefully that will change in a day or two.

Thanks again for all the support.

Chicks dig scars.

only slight swelling to contend with

No change for Mrsmckeeva then….. 😉

@Cougar some ‘bitterness’ has been mentioned, but other than that and the lack of swimmers it’s all the same, no noticeable difference.

I was told by someone with considerably more experience than I that vegetarians taste sweeter. So it’ll balance out for you.

EDIT: On refelcetion, maybe she said sweatier.

Chicks dig scars…

I think if they can spot the scars, you can be confident they pretty much dig you anyway.

I had issues between 6-12 months with aching plums to the point of daily anguish.

It passed by itself, but it made me miserable.

Hate these threads, they remind me that I’ve agreed to this after the race season is over… Might take up CX this winter…