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My DH got a vasectomy (one stitch incision and tied off) in January of this year and for the most part it's been a nightmare for him. The surgery itself went very well and he felt no pain and he had 4 full days of recovery before he went back to work. Everything seemed fine and then he started to tell me that he was having pain in the region where his left testicle is and some bruising and swelling. He brushed it off until about 3 weeks after the surgery and came home from work one day and told me that he couldn't bear it and to get him an appointment. I told him to drop his drawers and let me look at it and as soon as I did I reached for the phone. I mean, I've been looking there for 13 years, I know what it's supposed to look like and that ain't it.
Anyway. I got him an appointment for the next day at the place he got it done but with the head doctor there. She examined him and one of the FIRST things she said was that she was sorry and that all of the doctors in the practice tried very hard to prevent what happened to him but that sometimes these things just happen. He was diagnosed with a hematoma and sperm granulomas and was given antibiotics and told to rest as much as possible and to soak in Epsom salt baths every day. That issue eventually cleared up and things were great...until about 2 months ago.
Back in late June my DH told me that he was once again having pain but this was only present when his arousal was building and also when he was about to ejaculate. I once again got him an appointment- with a different urologist because our insurance changed- and that doctor just told him that he "may" have an infection of some sort and gave him a 30-day antibiotic and a follow-up appointment. This particular doctor told my DH that he himself had had the same type of complications after his own vasectomy and that it eventually got better. My DH finished the antibiotics but the pain has not stopped. He went to the follow-up appointment and the doctor basically just shrugged and told him to wait it out.
Waiting it out is no longer a possibility because this is causing my husband such pain that he is dropping to his knees in agony and it is ruining our intimate life. He says that getting a vasectomy is the worst decision that he's ever made and he'll discourage any other men from getting one. I have some calls and emails out to some friends who are in the medical field asking for help finding doctors who specialize in vasectomy complications; the 2 previous doctors that my DH went to were rated well but they still didn't seem to know what the hell they were doing, given that they can't provide answers or give any help.
Has anyone else experienced this type of complication following a vasectomy? What did you do about it? Any advice or insight is appreciated
I'd take him to your best emergency room when he is really in pain.
What's an ER doc going to do? Waste of time and money for a urologic complaint...
Get a second opinion with a urologist outside of the group where your husband had the surgery, if there is a good university teaching hospital near where you live look there first...
I don't think that the doctor was saying that what happened to him is common but instead was saying that they tried to do things in such a way that those things wouldn't happen as much. It is A LOT more common than doctors claim- the more research we did after his procedure the more we found out and we're kicking ourselves for buying into the idea that vasectomies are a "simple procedure".
We are a little more than an hour away from UCLA and they have the #4 rated urology department in the country and we are 30 minutes away from Loma Linda Hospital and they also have a reputable urology department. I think UCLA would be the best place to visit first and will be calling tomorrow and trying to get an appointment ASAP. My husband and I are only in our early 30's and having something like this going on is devastating, especially since we've been going through so much else for the past few years.
Sorry you are going through this. All surgeries carry risk and we all like to think we won't be the small minority that experiences complications. Going to a larger, well-reputed hospital system for a consultation with the best urologist you can find, sounds like the very best option. Good luck to you.
I have found another doctor in LA who is world-renowned and have been reading accounts of how he has helped men with chronic pain from vasectomies. I will also be calling that office tomorrow, too, and seeing if my husband can get in this week.
What's unbelievable to me is the amount of men who suffer after having a vasectomy and how the doctors performing the procedures downplay the possible outcomes. The rates of problems that we were given were 2-5%- in reality, the percentage is probably closer to 33%.
I told my husband that I will do ANYTHING to make this better for him- and I will. He had a surgery about 3 years ago to correct an issue that had been a huge burden for him for almost 20 years and did everything he could think of to correct it until I suggested surgery. I looked him straight in the eye and told him that I would do anything and spend whatever money had to be spent to make it right for him. I didn't care about going into debt because money can always be made but his emotional well-being....well, to me, that is priceless. Once again we are faced with a hurdle with this vasectomy crap and once again I am determined to make it right for him no matter what. My husband works his ass off for our family and I will do anything for him to make his situation better.
I have found another doctor in LA who is world-renowned and have been reading accounts of how he has helped men with chronic pain from vasectomies. I will also be calling that office tomorrow, too, and seeing if my husband can get in this week.
What's unbelievable to me is the amount of men who suffer after having a vasectomy and how the doctors performing the procedures downplay the possible outcomes. The rates of problems that we were given were 2-5%- in reality, the percentage is probably closer to 33%.
Sound like a good plan.
Men don't care to discuss this kind of matter as a general rule, and would just as soon grin and bear it and wait for it to resolve on their own.
I have found another doctor in LA who is world-renowned and have been reading accounts of how he has helped men with chronic pain from vasectomies. I will also be calling that office tomorrow, too, and seeing if my husband can get in this week.
What's unbelievable to me is the amount of men who suffer after having a vasectomy and how the doctors performing the procedures downplay the possible outcomes. The rates of problems that we were given were 2-5%- in reality, the percentage is probably closer to 33%.
I told my husband that I will do ANYTHING to make this better for him- and I will. He had a surgery about 3 years ago to correct an issue that had been a huge burden for him for almost 20 years and did everything he could think of to correct it until I suggested surgery. I looked him straight in the eye and told him that I would do anything and spend whatever money had to be spent to make it right for him. I didn't care about going into debt because money can always be made but his emotional well-being....well, to me, that is priceless. Once again we are faced with a hurdle with this vasectomy crap and once again I am determined to make it right for him no matter what. My husband works his ass off for our family and I will do anything for him to make his situation better.
Sorry your husband has had complications from what is typically a very safe procedure but you are way off base here.
There is NO WHERE NEAR a 33% complication rate for vasectomy. There are NOT huge numbers of men who suffer problems after vasectomy and the complication rate for ALL complications is around the 5% you are quoted THAT is the reality.
Of course you can find sites where people will spout of and complain if they have had complications makes it seem like complications are not so rare except for the fact that the overwhelming majority of men who have no complications from the procedure have no reason to go online and talk about how easy it was...
About 300,000 vasectomies are performed in the US every year, there aren't 100,000 men suffering complications from one of the safest medical procedures performed.
There has never been a death associated with vasectomy, can't say the same for tubal ligation, can't say that for knee arthroscopy or other supposed "minor" procedures.
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