The Melbourne
Vasectomy Centre

A vasectomy is a simple procedure where the vas deferens (vas) the is cut to cause sterilisation in a male. The vas is a tube that carries sperm from the testicles where it is made to the penis. On the way sperm is joined by semen so your ejaculate contains both sperm and semen. Sperm makes up a very small percentage (less than 5%). Because we are only stopping sperm being made most men will not notice any change in the volume of their ejaculate after a vasectomy.

A vasectomy takes between 15-20 minutes, depending on the procedure.

There are two ways to categorise a vasectomy procedure.

Traditional or No-Scalpel

The traditional way to perform a vasectomy uses a scalpel to make an incision on each side of the scrotum, giving access to the vas.

The no-scalpel technique only involves one access hole via blunt dissection to access the vas from both sides. The no-scalper method has less chance of complications like bruising and bleeding and offers a quicker recovery time.

Open-ended or Close-ended

Open-ended vasectomy leaves the vas attached to the testis open to allow sperm release into the scrotum. The open-ended method reduces congestion and pressure, using a kinked hose on a running tap as a metaphor. 

Close-ended vasectomy clamps the testicular end of the vas with a clip or suture.

It is our recommendation that you have someone drive you home by private vehicle or cab / Uber. Public transport is also acceptable. If this is not possible it’s important you wait at least 20 minutes after leaving the procedure room, and feel 100% fine, before you commence driving. If you feel lightheaded while driving, pull over immediately.

We only offer local anaesthetic for our vasectomy procedure. A Urologist can give a referral if you prefer sedation or general anaesthetic options.

Yes, you can reverse a vasectomy; however, the process is costly and not covered by medicare. If you ask this question, you may need more time before deciding on permanent contraception via vasectomy.

All surgical procedures have some sort of risk, yet we do all we can to reduce the rate of complications. We believe our patients should be aware of all risks, and we have outlined potential complications in your consent form.

After a vasectomy, there are some symptoms which include:

• Bruising in the days following your vasectomy, but it should fade after a week or so.
• Mild pain and swelling that should settle within a few days post vasectomy.

Less common complications include:

Scrotal haematoma – A large bruise within the scrotum.

*The chances of scrotal haematoma can be significantly reduced by following recovery instructions regarding lifting heavy objects in the days following the vasectomy. If your job requires manual handling, we suggest taking time off work or performing light duties only.

Infection – We adhere to strict infection control protocols to reduce infection chances. If an infection occurs, they are often mild and can be treated with oral antibiotics.

Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome (PVPS) – PVPS is a complication that can arise any time post-vasectomy and with no agreed cause. Pain often reduces naturally, but in rare cases, a specialist may need to perform additional surgery or a vasectomy reversal to resolve PVPS, which is not always successful.

A vasectomy procedure does not mean sterilisation. You must consider yourself fertile until you are informed the vasectomy was a success and a semen analysis is performed. The semen analysis is performed approximately three months post-vasectomy to ensure all residual semen has cleared and your ‘pipes are clean.’

It depends on if your job involves heavy lifting. If not, you can return immediately; however, if it does, you may need to take some time off or request light duties for the first week. A medical certificate can be written if required.

Generally, you can resume sexual activity after a week, but you must consider yourself fertile until notified otherwise.

A GP referral is not necessary.

Some men recover quite quickly from vasectomy while others may take up to 2 weeks. The average time to feeling back to normal is about 7 days.

Technically, “Laser” vasectomy does not exist. Some Vasectomists use a hyfrecator to cut the vas, which may confuse people; however, it is not “laser vasectomy. 

To answer this question there is some good news and bad news.

The bad news: you won’t be able to use your private health insurance when you have a vasectomy with us.

That’s because we do our vasectomies in medical centres rather than in a private hospital. Private health insurance is only of benefit when you have your procedure performed in a hospital or day surgery by a urologist.

So what’s the good news?

The good news is that it will almost certainly work out more affordable to have your procedure with Vasectomy Australia.

This is because of a few reasons:

1. Private Health usually requires you pay an excess. This excess might be $500 or even up to $1000. A vasectomy with us is only $572 out of pocket.
2. Your urologist will almost certainly have a gap on their fee. This will vary but again could range from a few hundred dollars to over $1000.
3. Nearly all surgeons will want you to be asleep when you have your vasectomy. This means an anaesthetic fee and – you guessed it – a gap fee.

Once you add up these 3 fees you may end up being $2000 or more out of pocket. With insurance!

When you choose Vasectomy Australia you know exactly what your fee will be – $572 out of pocket. No if, ands or maybes. No “it depends on your health fund”. No “you will have to check with the anaesthetist”.

Just one fee so you can know exactly what you will pay and can plan for this. Privately insured or not, you will be getting your procedure with one of Australia’s top vasectomists at an affordable price.