After Your Vasectomy

The following will help you to recover from your No Needle, No Scalpel Vasectomy.


1. Avoid driving yourself home post vasectomy. Ideally arrange a ride in advance, or plan to use a taxi or public transit.

2. Do not return to work or perform any significant physical activity. Spend the rest of the day reclining and resting at home.

3. You may eat and drink normally.

4. We recommend taking acetaminophen (Tylenol®) immediately after your procedure, and then regularly for 24 hours. Should you need more pain control, you may take ibuprofen (Advil®) in addition to the acetaminophen. Avoid Aspirin® (ASA) for two days, as well as any blood thinners or anti-inflammatories you have stopped taking the week before. Icing the area is generally not required.

5. Wear the athletic support at all times for the next two days (except in the shower).

6. You may remove the dressing and shower 24 hours after your procedure. Do not bathe, swim, or otherwise immerse yourself in water for at least one week.

7. The following day you may drive, return to work if you have a desk job, and perform non-strenuous regular activities. After two days you may return to more strenuous work. Avoid strenuous exercise, sports, running and cycling for at least one week. Continue to wear the athletic support for a week during significant activity. Increase your activity carefully and listen to your body.

8. Refrain from having sex or ejaculating for five days following the procedure. Upon your first few ejaculations you may see a small amount of blood in the ejaculate, this is normal.

9. A small amount of dark bruising of the scrotum is normal. However, if you note that your pain is not improving, is becoming worse after a few days, or if you have fevers, increasing redness, swelling or drainage at the site, please contact the Toronto Vasectomy Clinics. 

On the day of your procedure you will be given the surgeon's cellphone number for any postoperative concerns.

10. After vasectomy the sperm left within the vas deferens needs some time to completely clear out. During this time you must use another form of birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy. After a minimum of 12 weeks AND 20 ejaculations, you will provide a semen sample to the lab (a lab requisition and container will be given to you at the time of the vasectomy). The doctor will receive these results and discuss them with you in clinic. You must not stop using your regular birth control until you return to clinic and are told by our physicians that your analysis shows that your semen is free of sperm. We do not discuss laboratory results by phone.

The following instructions are IMPORTANT!

Prior to collecting your semen sample, refrain from sexual activity resulting in ejaculation for a minimum of two days but not longer than seven days.

Ensure that you drop off your semen sample to the laboratory within two hours of providing the sample.  To ensure the most accurate semen testing results, please provide a masturbatory semen sample ejaculated directly into the container provided.

All the seminal fluid must be collected in the sterile container as the greatest concentration of sperm is found in the first portion of the ejaculate. Do not use a condom to transfer the sample into the container. 

Maintain the sample at or near body temperature prior to delivery to the laboratory. 

Label the sample container with your full name, and your date of birth and health card number.  Also record the time and date of collection on the container and the number of days of abstinence.  Please also bring the requisition form to the lab.  Please schedule an appointment for two weeks after delivering your sample.

The following labs have multiple locations. Please contact the labs directly to find the location nearest to you.

Gamma-Dynacare 1-800-668-2714

LifeLabs 1-877-849-3637

You may go to any other Ontario lab that offers post vasectomy semenalysis. The requisition form you received from us today may be used in all Ontario laboratories that offer this service.  

Please note that there is a $25 fee for replacing lost requisition forms


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