I wouldn’t advise that every man get a vasectomy. Still, there are certain situations where it is helpful, like when a man knows he doesn’t want to have any biological children or any more biological children.
I got a vasectomy nearly two years ago, and it’s the best investment I’ve ever made. I’ll give you my review of the no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy offered by Pollock Clinics. The one-time procedure is permanent birth control for men.
Here’s what it was like for me…
Finding Out About Vasectomy
A co-worker told me about groups of men going together to get vasectomies in California. They would make a day of it. Get the procedure done. Put ice on their balls afterward. Like a day at the spa. No big deal, right?
I remembered that conversation. I had heard about vasectomies before but hadn’t looked into them to discover what they were about. This got me curious.
Some women get their tubes tied and can’t get pregnant anymore. That’s called tubal ligation. It’s really expensive, invasive, and risky. And it can be tough to heal from afterward.
Vasectomy is what some men get done so that they can’t get women pregnant anymore. Except the cost is really low. It’s not nearly as invasive as tubal ligation. It has its risks, but they’re manageable. And the healing can be done within a matter of days.
What is a vasectomy?
Turns out men have tubes as well, tubes that sperm passes through. These tubes are located in a man’s testicles. With the vasectomy at Pollock Clinics, a small puncture is made in the middle of the testicles. One tube is pulled out of each testicle, cut, burned shut, and put back in the testicles.
With the tubes being cut and burned shut, the sperm stays in the testicles instead of being shot out during ejaculation.
After the vasectomy, it’s necessary to ejaculate enough times to empty the sperm banks. Ejaculation still happens after a vasectomy. Sperm makes up only 3% of the amount of the ejaculate.
After emptying the sperm banks, a man gets his ejaculate tested to ensure he is sterile. Then, the result comes back from the lab and confirms that he is now shooting blanks.
However, for the first ten years after a vasectomy, there is a 1 in 3,000 chance that a man could get a woman pregnant if he doesn’t use a condom and doesn’t pull out in time. After those ten years have passed, there is no longer the risk of getting a woman pregnant – at least according to what I’ve read.
With vasectomy, a man’s balls do not get chopped off. He does not have less testosterone after the procedure, and he doesn’t have a lower sex drive. Yes, there are some wildly insane misconceptions and misunderstandings about what vasectomy is and what it involves.
One reason for sharing my experience is to do my part in helping accurate information about vasectomy be known.
Choosing to Go Ahead With the Procedure
I am child-free by choice, so getting a vasectomy perfectly aligns with being honest with myself. I had given the idea of having children plenty of careful thought over many years. I have my reasons for not being a dad. I’ve been told I would make a great dad, but I know it’s not for me.
So, I did my research. I looked for where to get a vasectomy, and one place showed up above all the rest. That place was Pollock Clinics. No-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy. Done in 6 minutes. Gentler than the regular vasectomy method. Only one small puncture. No stitches are required. Low cost. Sign me up!
I was single then, so I didn’t have to discuss with anyone else about getting a vasectomy. I called Pollock Clinics, scheduled the procedure, and took the day off from work. The day of the surgery was a Friday. I would have the weekend to recover and could return to work on Monday.
I was excited to get permanent birth control handled. I could hardly wait.
Then the day arrived.
Tubes Cut and Burned Shut
I had recently told some friends that being child-free by choice wasn’t a sacrifice for me. On the day of the vasectomy, the realization hit me like a piano had dropped on me from the sky.
It is a sacrifice to be child-free by choice. It really is.
But that’s okay because I knew that getting a vasectomy is the right choice for me. I had some last-minute nerves and pushed through them. I arrived early for my appointment, paid cash for the vasectomy, and received the post-vasectomy kit. The kit included ice packs, bottles for getting my ejaculate tested later, liquid soap, a razor, gauze, and the vasectomy information book.
I read through the vasectomy information book while waiting for Dr. Pollock to be ready. The information book covers possible side effects of vasectomy. So does the Pollock Clinics website, for that matter. It helps to be well-informed before you get the procedure done. Know what you might be in for.
I was brought into the surgery room and prepped for the vasectomy.
Dr. Pollock trains other doctors in his method. The Pollock vasectomy method is used in multiple countries and continents. That day, Dr. Pollock trained a doctor from another continent in his method.
Local freezing was applied, which felt like rubber bands being flicked on my balls. I was lying down and made sure not to watch what was happening. I heard various medical and understandable terms, too, as Dr. Pollock told the other doctor what was happening and what to do.
The local freezing did help. Otherwise, I would have felt more pain than I ended up feeling. Freezing, like during dental work, only serves to lessen the pain to a certain extent, at least for me.
I got to feel what was happening and hear about it, too. The puncture was made. The tubes were pulled out. Cut. Burned shut.
When the tubes were being burned shut, I could smell the burning and feel it, too. I remember thinking, “What’s burning? Oh, right. That’s me!”
Then, the tubes were put back in my balls. The bleeding was cleaned up. And that was it. The vasectomy was complete.
The Pollock vasectomy method is open-ended. Only one end of each tube is burned shut. A close-ended vasectomy is where both ends of the tubes are burned shut. With close-ended, it might be impossible to undo it. With an open-ended vasectomy, there is a chance, however unlikely, that a reverse vasectomy could be successfully accomplished. However, it’s best to consider a vasectomy as permanent birth control for men, whether open-ended or close-ended.
I stood up from the operating table after a few moments had passed. That’s when I realized I had entered the recovery phase.
Physical and Mental Recovery
I was dizzy and nauseous. I didn’t feel well enough to go home yet, so I was directed to one of the other rooms, where I got to have a drink and protein bars. I had the day off from work. I wasn’t in a hurry to leave until I felt well enough to go.
I left once the dizziness and the nausea had calmed down enough, approximately an hour after the surgery.
Days later, I saw that my penis and testicles were drying out. I had never had that before. The condition was severe enough that I wondered if I would lose them completely, either from falling off or drying out until nothing was left.
Thankfully, I got the idea to use my Aveeno moisturizer. It had oatmeal in it. It had a soothing effect and worked wonders. The drying out was completely reversed. I used the moisturizer at least once daily until I no longer needed it. I only needed to use it for a few days.
During the dryness, I also experienced post-vasectomy depression. The depression, like the dryness, was severe, too. I got through the depression by connecting more with genuine friends. I didn’t tell them what I was going through with the vasectomy and my recovery, but I became more open by sharing about other areas of my life.
I share about the dryness and the depression because I want men to know they might face those same challenges after getting a vasectomy. I didn’t learn about possible dryness and depression until I experienced them myself. I had read about the other possible side effects but didn’t experience any of those.
Pollock Clinics recommends contacting them after the vasectomy if you’re experiencing any side effects or other difficulties. That support is included in the cost of the vasectomy.
I was relaxed about doing the necessary number of ejaculations to empty my sperm banks over the next few months. I got my ejaculate tested at a lab, and the results were forwarded to Pollock Clinics.
I followed up with Pollock Clinics and discovered that I am indeed sterile. I requested and received a copy of the lab results, too.
It’s been nearly two years since the vasectomy. I’m happy I did it. That’s one time I know I did the right thing.
Is Vasectomy the Right Option for You?
For any man who is child-free by choice, doesn’t want to have any biological children, or doesn’t want to have any more biological children, a vasectomy could be the right option for you.
If you’re single, you might not have to talk it over with anyone before you go ahead and get a vasectomy. But if you’re not single, it’s probably best to discuss it with your partner first.
As a reminder, Pollock Clinics offers a no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy. Done in 6 minutes. Gentler than the regular vasectomy method. Only one small puncture. No stitches are required. Low cost.
If you are going to get a vasectomy, I recommend you go to Pollock Clinics or find somewhere that uses the Pollock vasectomy method.
Until vasectomy can be done entirely with lasers or some other futuristic, painless method, the Pollock vasectomy method is as close to painless as you can currently get for a vasectomy.
No referral is required; you can book your appointment as soon as mere days from now.
I enjoyed my experience with Pollock Clinics. They provide an extremely valuable service and are gentle in their approach to what could otherwise be a much more traumatic procedure. I highly recommend them for their vasectomy service. I’m delighted that I chose to go with Pollock Clinics.
Thank you for reading. Here is what else you can do:
- Add any questions or comments you have in the comments section below;
- Subscribe so you can be notified by e-mail when I add another post on this website; and
- Share this post, including on social media.
Until next time,
James Barnett