35 years old here... vasectomy booked for next month as it seemed the sensible, reponsible thing to do as we definitley dont want any more kids.
However, I happened upon a large body of evidence online that suggest chronic pain is a very real side effect for a large amount of men that have this "simple" and "painless" procedure.
My GP talked about 2% of men having chronic pain as a result of the op but made a much bigger deal about the chance of still getting pregnant. The clinic didnt mention chronic post vasectomy pain or any on going pain as a possibility.
From 2 weeks research I have decided this is actually a big issue and men are not being given the full infomation. If the op goes well it is indeed painless and trouble free...but the newer research figures show between 5-30% of men suffer some long term daily pain as a result of vasectomy. Even more scary is that there is research showing that 7 out of 10 vasectomy reversal operations are done not to have more children, but to try and stop the pain caused by the original procedure. There are many people who report no initial pain only to have the symptoms come on in later life.
It seems having tubes cut or sealed does not agree with lots of men and it is pure lottery if it happens to you or not. I dont like the odds as I am 35, active and currently pain free so I have cancelled my op and we will think again if more evidence comes out or if the procedure is improved. I'm not saying dont have it done - but at least get infomred about the actual risk of complication.