A vasectomy is a permanent form of sterilization for men. It is a short, office-based procedure that involves small incisions in the scrotum to remove a piece of the vas deferens, or the tube that sperm travel through to reach the ejaculate. At Purely Vasectomies, we make sure that your experience is as comfortable as possible from the consultation to follow up. In this article, we are going to discuss what you can do to make the procedure and recovery as comfortable as possible, focusing on what you should wear!
Why Clothing Matters Post-Vasectomy
Post-vasectomy, you will be pretty sore and a bit uncomfortable. You want to make sure that your clothing does not add to that discomfort. In general, you are going to want to choose clothing that is easy to get on/off to minimize the disruption to your fresh incisions after the procedure and once you get home. You are going to want to make sure your underwear will provide some support to take the pressure off of your scrotum. You want to make sure that the clothing is not rubbing/irritating your fresh incisions while you’re moving around. While a clothing choice seems insignificant for a small procedure like this, it’s the little details you may not even think about that’ll make the biggest difference.
What to Wear After a Vasectomy
In regards to your underwear, we actually recommend wearing supportive underwear that will keep your scrotum close to the body. Gravity adds a little bit of extra pressure so wearing briefs instead of boxers may be a good way to help take the weight off of your scrotum. Keeping everything close to the body will also help reduce the amount of swelling that you have post-procedure. You may be given a jockstrap to provide additional support. You can wear this over your underwear for about the first week after the procedure for additional support.
In regards to pants, you want to wear something that will be a bit looser around the crotch area. This could be sweatpants, joggers, loose jeans/khaki pants, etc. While we just discussed why tighter underwear is better for support, we do not want you having to manipulate your scrotum to fit nicely into pants made of a thick/firm material, as this can be pretty annoying immediately after the procedure. If you are wearing looser pants, your scrotum will be allowed to sit in a nice and natural position supported by your underwear/jockstrap, which is the most ideal scenario!
What to Avoid Wearing
You should avoid wearing boxers. While it might feel nice to not have a piece of clothing directly touching your scrotum/incisions, this allows your scrotum to hang freely, lacking any kind of support. This can keep things sore and also will not help in minimizing swelling.
You should avoid wearing tight denim pants/jeans. While you do want to have support, you don’t want to be wearing anything that could be putting pressure on your incisions or having your scrotum sitting in a weird position soon after the procedure.
Overall, having a vasectomy involves small incisions on your scrotum. Your clothing choices after the procedure, while seemingly insignificant, can actually make a difference in your recovery. We recommend wearing pants that are slightly looser in the crotch area to prevent any unnecessary friction or awkward positioning for your scrotum. At the same time you should prioritize tighter underwear with or without a jockstrap to keep the scrotum well supported and close to the body. This can help improve soreness and minimize post-procedural swelling. Feel free to reach out to Purely Vasectomies with any concerns as we are here to help make your recovery as smooth as possible.
