Around 500,000 vasectomies, permanent male sterilization procedures, are performed each year in the United States, the Urology Channel reports. Vasectomy, a very safe, short procedure, takes only 15 to 30 minutes. Vasectomies are usually done as an outpatient office procedure, under minimal sedation to numb the scrotum. A small incision into the scrotum brings the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from the testicle to the urethra for ejaculation into view and the tube is cut, cauterized or sutured to prevent sperm passage. Complications occur in around 5 percent of vasectomies, the Encyclopedia of Surgery states.
Bleeding and Bruising
Minor bleeding, swelling and bruising usually occur after surgery. Ice packs, athletic supporters and rest for one to three days after surgery help reduce normal swelling and bruising, the Urology Channel suggests. Mild bleeding into the scrotum occur in one out of 400 cases, and major bleeding occurs in one out of 1,000 cases, the Encyclopedia of Surgery reports.
Pain
Pain normally lasts only a few days and responds to anti-inflammatory medication or prescription pain medication. Occasionally a dull ache that worsens with ejaculation occurs due to buildup of fluid in the scrotum, MayoClinic.com reports. Persistent pain affects around one in 1,000 men after vasectomy, states the Encyclopedia of Surgery.
Infection
Infection complicates 1 percent of vasectomies, according to the Encyclopedia of Surgery. Very rarely, a serious complication called Fournier or Fournier's gangrene, an infection of the skin under the scrotum, occurs after vasectomy. Fournier gangrene, a type of fasciitis, spreads quickly and requires surgical removal of the damaged tissue. Symptoms include pain, fever, swelling, redness, drainage of pus and shock. Fournier gangrene causes death in 45 percent of cases.
Granuloma
A sperm granuloma forms when sperm leak out of the severed ends of the vas deferens, creating an immune reaction that causes inflammation and formation of a small nodule that usually resolves on its own, but may require surgical removal, the Urology Channel warns.
Pregnancy
Rarely, pregnancy occurs after a vasectomy. This may happen if a semen sample isn't checked after the procedure before having intercourse. Sperm are found in the ejaculate up to one to two weeks after vasectomy, or 10 to 14 ejaculations, so checking two samples one to three months after surgery helps prevent unwanted pregnancy, the Urology Channel states. Recanalization, reconnection of the ends of the tubes, occurs occasionally, probably no more often than one in 1,000 cases, according to Advanced Urology of Tampa Bay, and can result in pregnancy.
