Dave honey, it's not so bad.  My Dave had one.  He was on percocet for a few days and had to sit on the couch with frozen peas on his crotch (the conform to the shape needed better than bulky ice cubes - plus you can refreeze them when they start to thaw)...but he didn't have nuts the size of grapefruit and the bruising was minimal.  He was up and walking around Wal-Mart four days after he got snipped.

And yes, I think that pushing out 9lb babies unmedicated gives me the right to say that a vasectomy isn't 'so bad'.  I'm sure your wife has earned the right to say that too....

Now I know why I dont eat peas!

Nah.  They'd been thawed and re-frozen too many times to be good...besides, it wouldn't have been right, eating Dave's vasectomy peas.  No, they got thrown out.

Actually, it's not a "major" surgery any more.  It's outpatient, and only requires the same recovery as a vasectomy does (sore the first day, then you have to take it easy until you feel better).  It used to be a huge deal until Lap-scopes started to be used.  Now the woman can get a spinal for it (so it doesn't even need general), it takes less than an hour, then she goes home. 

The benefit that the women has over the man is that she already knows her Dr. from all the OB/GYN care that she already received.  The man...well...it's seems like an odd way to get to know a Dr.

Yes, now all the women can hate me......

This is a good explanation of it: http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/tubalig.htm

If having your abdomen filled with gas is what made you hurt so bad you couldn't quit moaning, you probably should think twice about having kids.  After childbirth, a tubal is a cake walk.  Matter of fact, it gives a Mom a day off for rest.  I went back to work the next day even though I was given a "permission" slip from the Dr. to take up to 3 days off (which is really no different than what a man will have to take off for a Vasectomy). 

I guess a big difference in healing is that the woman is healing inside where it isn't likely to get injured, whereas a mans is on the outside..in an area that is very likely to get "disturbed".

It's all a totally personal choice among couples.  I really don't think that either way is harder or easier or less "risky" than the other.  It used to be before lap-scopes started being used, but not so much anymore.

Oh, there is also a bit about Vasectomies on that site: http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/vasectomy.htm

It is theoretically a less complicated operation than a tubal, but the recovery is the same except they mention pain a bit more with it than the tubal.