Quick checklist

Submitted by Steve Porter

There have been requests in the newsgroup for a quick list of Questions to ask the doctor during your initial consultation. Steve posted one to the newsgroup, and here it is. I expect that this list will be added to as people suggest items, but the intention is for this to remain a quick list - more detalied discussions are elsewhere on the site.

General Questions:

Shave before hand or let it grow in and they shave?

Does the Dr. offer a prescription for something to calm the nerves on the day of the operation? (acceptable also is an injection of some substance to achieve the same thing).

Can my wife be present during the procedure. If not, why not?

Any supporting device need to be brought to be warn immediately after the procedure.

Immediate aftercare instructions and procedures:

What are the follow up procedures. (test intervals, where to deliver sperm samples, rules for taking samples, etc.)

Post-op visit ~1 week post procedure to ensure everything is healing correctly?

What are the procedures in case of short-term complications (infection, etc.) Specifically, what number do I dial out of office hours. E.G you have it done Friday and need attention Sunday who do you call?

What are the procedures in case of long-term complications? (spermatic cord denervation?, etc.)

Procedure Specifics:

Type of procedure. (open-ended, closed, NSV etc.)

Method of occlusion used?

One question you might add under Procedures is how much tube will the doctor leave at the testicle ends, assuming you are having the close ended technique? I have heard that the more that is left, the less chance there is of back up into the epididymis and subsequent pvp.

Detailed description of the entire procedure (injections, estimated time, possible complications during, etc.)

Dr. Specifics:

Number of procedures performed using the method which will be used in the last 1 & 5 years.

Incidents of short-term and long-term complications from those operations.

Disclaimer:- Information contained within this site is intended for the purpose of general information ONLY, and is not medical advice. For medical advice please consult a qualified Physician.