Vasectomy (cont.)
What are the different vasectomy techniques?
In the conventional approach, a physician makes one or two small incisions, or cuts, in the skin of the scrotum, which has been numbed with a local anesthetic. The vas is cut, and a small piece may be removed. Next, the doctor ties the cut ends and sews up the scrotal incision. The entire procedure is then repeated on the other side.
An improved method, devised by a Chinese surgeon, has been widely used in China since 1974. This so-called nonsurgical, or no-scalpel, vasectomy was introduced into the United States in 1988, and many doctors are now using the technique here.
In a no-scalpel vasectomy, the doctor feels for the vas under the skin of the scrotum and holds it in place with a small clamp. Then a special instrument is used to make a tiny puncture in the skin and stretch the opening so the vas can be cut and tied. This approach produces very little bleeding, and no stitches are needed to close the punctures, which heal quickly by themselves. The newer method also produces less pain and fewer complications than conventional vasectomy.
Regardless of how it is performed, vasectomy offers many advantages as a method of birth control. Like female sterilization, it is a highly effective one-time procedure that provides permanent contraception. A vasectomy is medically much simpler than female sterilization, has a lower incidence of complications, and is much less expensive.
How effective is a vasectomy?
Vasectomy is very effective. It has been estimated that only about 15 out of 10,000 couples get pregnant during the first year after a vasectomy. Although rare, pregnancy is possible even years after the procedure.
Although some men have been able to have their vasectomies reversed (undone), this process involves expensive, major surgery, and success cannot be guaranteed. Therefore a vasectomy is considered appropriate for those who desire a permanent form of birth control.
Next: What is the recovery process for a vasectomy? »
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