The Mayer Clinic in Fairbanks, Alaska, combines the feel of a country doctor who makes house calls with the expertise of a board-certified general surgeon and family medicine physician. For nearly 10 years, Drs. John and Natalie Mayer have been providing high-quality health care to the families of Fairbanks. From annual checkups and women’s health exams to intestinal health and vasectomies, the doctors here do it all.

Although many vasectomies are performed by urologists, about 15% are performed by family practitioners, such as the doctors at the Mayer Clinic. For men who are choosing to undergo a vasectomy — and every year more than m500,000 men in the U.S. do — Dr. John Mayer can help patients understand what happens during the procedure and what to expect after the surgery.

A vasectomy is a minor surgery that prevent the release of sperm when a man ejaculates. There are very few risks or complications involved. During the 20- to 30-minute procedure, the vas deferens from each testicle is sealed, which prevents sperm from mixing with semen. Although the man still ejaculates semen, there is no longer sperm in it.

A vasectomy is a very effective birth control method — only one to two women out of 1,000 have an unplanned pregnancy in the first year after their partners have a vasectomy.

After surgery, patients might experience some swelling and pain but are usually able to return to work in one or two days. Patients can resume sexual intercourse, but they must use another method of birth control until the sperm count is zero. Two months following the procedure, patients will return to the Mayer Clinic for sperm count tests. Once the sperm count is zero, then no other birth control method is necessary.

A vasectomy is considered a permanent method of birth control. However, sometimes men choose to reverse a vasectomy. The procedure is not guaranteed to restore fertility. An alternative is to freeze and store sperm at a sperm bank before the vasectomy.

The doctors at the Mayer Clinic are happy to answer any questions about vasectomies. In addition to men’s health and women’s health, the Mayer Clinic also provides services for everything from intestinal health to hernia repair. For more information about the Mayer Clinic, visit their website or call (907) 457-5050 to schedule an appointment at the Fairbanks clinic today.