The physical exam is carried out by your VasCenter affiliate urologist. The testicles are palpated (felt) to make sure they are normal. The vas deferens is also palpated to make sure that there is a vas on each side. In rare cases, the vas deferens can be absent on one side.

Each patient's anatomy is different. Some scrotums are loose and the vas is easily palpated. In other patients, the scrotum is tight and the spermatic cord thick, making it difficult to palpate the vas. Probably 95% of patients have favorable anatomy and can have vasectomy performed in an office setting under local anesthesia only.

Occasionally, if the anatomy is unfavorable, making the vas difficult to palpate or if the patient is too uncomfortable or too queasy with manipulation of the vas, we will recommend that the vasectomy be performed under local anesthesia plus sedation. In some cases, an anesthetist may be present to provide deep sedation. If the patient receives any type of sedation, whether it be oral sedation or IV sedation, he should arrange to have someone drive him home after vasectomy.