Yes, a little op for you as the surgeon Cyclo, but a bigger deal for the guy at the other end of the scalpel...
I also went the local anaesthetic option, 'cos I wanted to be up and out of the hospital ASAP. Why? Why? Actually, once I got past the momentary "oh shit, perhaps we need to talk about this" feeling as the cold steel was poised, it wasn't too bad. There was a moment on the second ball when the scalpel outreached the local, and that wasn't fun. The chatty surgeon wanted to keep me informed, and held up the removed section of vas for me to admire, as well as the clips. I was not so chatty at the time. But I took the advice on recuperation and that part went smoothly.
Only 12 "releases", Reg? My surgeon required 20 in six weeks, "and I can put that in a letter for your wife if you need". Given how you feel for the first week or two after the op, achieving that was quite a feat.