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Men's health · Family planning
Vasectomy is the most reliable permanent contraception a man can choose, and it is a short procedure done in our office. We also give you the part of the conversation many men never hear: what recovery really looks like, and how we confirm it worked.
Sperm is made in the testicles and travels up two small tubes, the vas deferens, before it mixes with the fluid of ejaculation. A vasectomy divides and seals both tubes. You still ejaculate normally, orgasm feels the same, and testosterone production is untouched; the only thing that changes is that sperm no longer reaches the semen.
It is a decision for men who are confident they do not want future biological children. Reversal exists, but it is a longer operation, it is not always successful, and it is rarely covered by insurance, so we ask you to treat vasectomy as permanent.
The procedure is performed in our office surgical suite through a very small opening in the scrotal skin, usually in well under an hour of total visit time. Most men choose local anesthesia; for anxious patients sedation with a separate anesthesiologist in the room is available.
Expect a few days of soreness. Supportive underwear, ice and simple pain relievers carry most men through it. We ask you to avoid heavy lifting, strenuous exercise and sex for about a week.
You are not sterile on the day of the procedure. Sperm already beyond the cut takes weeks and a number of ejaculations to clear, so you continue other contraception until a semen test in the following months confirms there is no sperm. Skipping that test is the most common reason for a vasectomy "failure."
Published figures put long-term pain after vasectomy at around one or two percent. In Dr. Shusterman's experience the number of men who notice some ongoing tenderness is higher, closer to ten to fifteen percent, partly because men with lingering pain often do not return to the surgeon who operated and so drop out of the statistics. For most it is mild and fades. We tell you this before the procedure rather than after, because an informed decision is a better one.
Two more points worth knowing: a vasectomy gives no protection against sexually transmitted infections, and until your semen test is clear, a condom is the only reversible method under your own control.
Most men who are certain about not wanting future children are good candidates. We take more time with men who are young, not in a stable relationship, already have chronic scrotal pain, or are deciding under pressure. A consultation first is always an option, and there is no obligation to schedule the procedure at that visit.
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No. Testosterone is made in the testicles and enters the bloodstream directly, and erections and orgasm do not depend on the vas deferens. Ejaculate volume barely changes because most of it comes from the prostate and seminal vesicles.
Not immediately. You need a semen analysis in the months after the procedure to confirm there is no sperm; until then, keep using other contraception.
Most men describe the procedure as brief pressure and a few days of soreness. A minority notice tenderness that lasts longer, which is why we discuss it openly beforehand.
Reversal is possible but it is a longer microsurgical operation, success is not guaranteed and it is rarely covered by insurance. Plan on vasectomy being permanent.
Many plans cover it. Our office will check your benefits before you schedule.
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Manhattan & Queens · All Five Boroughs