After your vasectomy, you may be sore.
And that's normal.
For about a week, you may have swelling and bruising.
You'll probably be able to return to your normal routine a day or two after surgery.
But you may need to wait a little longer if you're active or have a job that involves lifting.
Here are some key things you can do to help yourself heal and avoid problems.
Get plenty of rest.
To reduce pain and swelling, put an ice pack or a cold pack against your scrotum for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
And put a thin cloth between the ice pack or cold pack and your skin.
Do this every 4 to 6 hours as needed.
You can also wear snug underwear to support your scrotum.
This can make you more comfortable.
Avoid hard exercise, like riding a bike or jogging.
And don't lift anything heavy for about a week.
You can do light activity, like easy walking.
Do a little more as you start to feel better.
As for ejaculation, you'll want to wait about a week.
And remember: You could still cause a pregnancy.
So make sure you and your partner keep using birth control until you've been tested to make sure there's no sperm in your semen.
This test is often scheduled around 3 months after surgery.
After you go home from surgery, follow any instructions about activity and take over-the-counter pain medicine as your doctor recommends.
And be sure to follow any instructions about caring for the surgery area.
Call your doctor if you have any problems such as: A lot of bleeding from the surgery area.
New or worse pain.
Or lots of swelling in the scrotum.
Also call your doctor if you have signs of an infection, such as increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness; pus draining from an incision; or a fever.
Knowing what to watch for and taking good care of yourself after surgery can help you heal and avoid problems.