Follow these guidelines for your care after your surgery to help your recovery.

Activity

• Limit your activity for the first 5 days after surgery to light activity.
• You may return to work in a day or so.
• Limit lifting, pushing, or pulling to less than 20 pounds for the next week. Also, limit running and long walks.

Swelling

• Scrotal swelling from the surgery may take weeks to get better. You should call your doctor if the swelling is severe and the scrotum is larger than an orange.
• Use ice packs to the scrotum and penis for 15 minutes every hour for the first 48 hours when you are awake to limit swelling. Use a plastic bag with ice or a bag of frozen peas for the ice pack. Wrap a cloth or towel around the ice pack so the ice does not directly touch your skin.
• Wear a jockstrap or tight underwear for the next week to support your scrotum and reduce swelling.

Incision care

• Stitches will dissolve and do not need to be removed.
• Expect a small amount of blood that may stain the dressings for up to 72 hours after surgery.
• For the first few days, apply two or three gauze pads to the site each day and as needed to keep the dressing dry. This will protect the incision and help keep your clothes clean.
• When you are no longer having any drainage, stop using the gauze pads over the site.

Bathing or showering

• You may shower 48 to 72 hours after surgery. Allow the water to wash over the incision but do not scrub the incision. Dry the site gently by patting it with a clean towel.
• Tub baths should be avoided for 7 days after surgery.
• Swimming should be avoided for 14 days after surgery.

Pain control

You will likely be sent home with a prescription for a few days of pain medicine. Use this only as needed. After 48 hours, most patients can take extra-strength Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) for pain, following the label directions. Pain most often is eased after 5 to 7 days.

Sexual activity

You need to avoid ejaculating for 21 days after surgery.

Follow up

• You will have a follow-up appointment in 6 weeks. Please call the office to schedule.
• You should have a semen analysis done 6 weeks after the vasectomy reversal. You will then need to have the analysis done every 3 months until pregnancy occurs.
• Please call the office for the script for the semen analysis if you wish to have this done closer to home.

When to call your doctor

Call your surgeon’s office at 614-788-2870 right away if you have:

• Severe swelling, larger than the size of an orange
• A large amount of fluid drainage that soaks several pads per day
• Pain that is not controlled with pain medicine and use of ice packs
• Any signs of infection such as:
• Increased redness or tenderness around the incision site
• Pus type drainage from the incision
• Fever of greater than 101 degrees F