Vasectomy

A vasectomy is a minor in-office surgical procedure that makes a man permanently unable to get a woman pregnant. It blocks sperm from getting into the semen. Having a vasectomy does not protect you against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

The Everett Clinic family medicine team offers a no-scalpel vasectomy. It involves a small puncture that heals in about two days. In most cases, there is little pain after the procedure.

For those afraid of needles, we offer the MadaJet at our Silver Lake location. We use this tool to inject a pressurized puff of anesthesia to numb the area.

Usually 20–40 minutes.

You should feel well enough to go back to work or have intercourse after 48 hours. There may be some minor pain for up to a week after the vasectomy.

The most common problem is bleeding, which is rare. Infection and cyst formation are also rare, but possible. Some men have minor pain that goes away over time.

There is a less than 0.70% failure rate. 

You’ll need to be tested. We’ll ask you to bring a semen sample to our lab three months after the procedure. Once we confirm there is no sperm in the semen, you can stop using other forms of birth control.

There may be minor pain during the procedure and more pain the first evening after it. This usually goes away in 24 to 48 hours.

There is a 50% success rate in reversing vasectomies. The Everett Clinic does not offer vasectomy reversals. 

You should know that a vasectomy is meant to be a permanent form of birth control. Reversing it may be expensive and it’s not guaranteed to work. If a man wants to reverse a vasectomy, we can send him to other clinics that offer this procedure.

Insurance companies, including Medicaid/Medicare, typically cover most of the costs. Check with your insurance company to learn what costs they cover.