Coleen Rooney reveals Wayne had a vasectomy: What is it, and why do people get it?
Coleen Rooney has revealed that her husband Wayne Rooney had a vasectomy after the birth of their fourth son in 2018.
The mum-of-four disclosed, for the first time, that the footballer had the male sterilisation procedure in the family's tell-all Disney+ documentary Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story.
Coleen, who shares four children with her husband: Kai, 13, Klay, 10, Kit, seven, and Cass, five, shared that Wayne "got the snip" after their youngest child was born.
"I always thought I’d have a few kids, maybe three at the most," she says. “And then number four came along and we knew our family was complete.
"Then me and Wayne talked about him having a vasectomy. He said, 'After this baby, we’re not having any more." And Wayne went in and got the snip. So I knew for sure we wouldn’t have any more children."
Watch: First look at pictures from Disney's Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story
The TV personality discusses the vasectomy in the documentary because one of the fake stories that Coleen had planted on her private Instagram, to see if it got leaked to the press, was a made-up post about trying for a baby girl and considering gender selection.
In the documentary Coleen reveals Rebecca Vardy was not aware Wayne had undergone a vasectomy, so when the story appeared in the newspapers "from an insider" she believed it was Rebecca who had leaked it.
Read more: Coleen Rooney reveals snip secret that caught Rebekah Vardy in Wagatha Christie investigation (Yahoo News, 3-min read)
What is a vasectomy?
The NHS says vasectomy (male sterilisation) is a surgical procedure which cuts or seals the tubes that carry a man's sperm to permanently prevent pregnancy.
It is a quick procedure, usually lasting around 15 minutes and is typically carried out under local anaesthetic, where the patient is awake but doesn't feel any pain.
In rare cases, some men may have a general anaesthetic, where you're asleep during the operation.
Read more: Couple welcome baby after only retrieving one egg during IVF (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Vasectomies: the facts
A vasectomy is considered permanent because it is more than 99% effective.It's considered permanent, so once it's done you usually don't have to think about contraception again.
It won't affect sex drive or ability to enjoy sex and post-procedure the patient will still have erections and ejaculate, but the semen won't contain sperm.
You'll need to use contraception immediately after the procedure (for at least 8 to 12 weeks) because sperm will still be in the tubes leading to the penis.
During the procedure the patient's ball sack (scrotum) may become bruised, swollen or painful and some men have ongoing pain in their testicles.
As with any surgery, there's a small risk of infection.
Vasectomies are very difficult to reverse, so it is important to consider all options beforehand.
Although the tubes that carry sperm re-joining is rare, according to Professor Suks Minhas from London Andrology it does occur in one in 2,000 cases.
Read more: Most searched-for fertility questions answered by a doctor (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How a vasectomy works
According to Professor Minhas there are two types of vasectomy: a conventional vasectomy using a scalpel (surgical knife) and a no-scalpel vasectomy.
"A conventional vasectomy occurs when the doctor makes two small scalpel cuts to reach the sperm tubes, while a no-scalpel vasectomy is done when a small puncture hole is made in the skin rather than cuts," Professor Minhas explains.
Patients will usually have discomfort in the groin area for a few days following a vasectomy.
"Doctors recommend over the counter pain medication to alleviate the discomfort of the procedure," Professor Minhas. "Along with taking pain medication, applying ice to the testicles and wearing snug underpants can reduce swelling and pain. Men should refrain from doing any physical work or activity for a few days after the procedure."
Read more: Three-person babies, artificial wombs and other groundbreaking fertility treatments in the works (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
How much does a vasectomy cost?
In most parts of the UK, a vasectomy is available free of charge from the NHS. But waiting lists can be several months, depending on where you live.
Cost varies for a private procedure from clinic to clinic and patient to patient depending on individual requirements
At London Andrology the cost for the procedure starts from around £3,500
