Bleeding can occur during or after vasectomy, but it is less common with a non-scalpel method like SimpleVas Vasectomy.

• If this occurs within the scrotum, drainage of a scrotal hematoma (blood clot) in a hospital operating room may be necessary. Smaller hematomas do not require surgical drainage, but tender swelling can last for two to four weeks. Both large and small hematomas are very rare. If the scrotal skin bleeds at the vasectomy access site, the scrotum can become discolored (black and blue) for about a week. This discoloration is more common than swelling, but painless.

Infection is also a rare complication. Mild infections (swelling unresponsive to anti-inflammatory medications) respond to oral antibiotics. It is rare to require drainage of infected areas.

Sperm granuloma is a pea-sized (sometimes tender) lump on the vas tube at the vasectomy site, but it almost never requires treatment.

• They may increase the likelihood of success with vasectomy reversal. Periodic tenderness usually responds to an anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen.

Congestion, tender buildup of sperm and white blood cells upstream from or at the vasectomy site, can occur anytime after vasectomy, but usually goes away with use of an anti-inflammatory drug such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen.

• About one in 2000 patients will experience chronic post-vasectomy discomfort (PVPS or Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome) severe enough that he will seek vasectomy reversal or neurolysis (division of the sensory nerves coming from the testes). A larger percentage may have milder forms of chronic pain that can affect quality of life but not severely enough to seek vasectomy reversal.

Recanalization is the development of a channel for sperm flow between the two cut ends of the vas.

• If recanalization happens during the healing process (early), the semen never becomes sperm-free until the vasectomy is repeated.
• If recanalization happens months or years after a man’s semen has been examined and declared sperm-free (late), an unplanned pregnancy could result, but the odds of this occurring are far less after vasectomy than the odds of pregnancy with any other form of birth control, including birth control pills and tubal ligation (female sterilization).
• Failure rates of vasectomy vary with the technique used to obstruct sperm flow through the vas tubes. The early failure rate is about one in 2500 and the late failure rate is one in 3500.