Vasectomy (cont.)
What is the recovery process for a vasectomy?
After vasectomy, the patient will probably feel sore for a few days, and he should rest for at least one day. However, he can expect to recover completely in less than a week. Many men have the procedure on a Friday and return to work on Monday. Although complications such as swelling, bruising, inflammation, and infection may occur, they are relatively uncommon and almost never serious. Nevertheless, men who develop these symptoms at any time should inform their physician.
What are the side effects of a vasectomy?
A major study of vasectomy side effects occurring within eight to 10 years after the procedure was published in the British Medical Journal in 1992. This study -- the Health Status of American Men, or HSAM -- was sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Investigators questioned 10,590 vasectomized men, and an equal number of nonvasectomized men, to see if they had developed any of 99 different disorders. After a total of 182,000 person-years of follow-up, only one condition, epididymitis/orchitis (defined as painful, swollen, and tender epididymis or testis) -- was found to be more common after vasectomy. This local inflammation most often occurs during the first year after surgery. When treated with heat, it usually clears up within a week.
Can you reverse a vasectomy?
The chief advantage of vasectomy -- its permanence -- is also its chief disadvantage. The procedure itself is simple, but reversing it is difficult, expensive, and often unsuccessful. Researchers are studying new methods of blocking the vas that may produce less tissue damage and scarring and might thus permit a more successful reversal. However, these methods are all experimental, and their effectiveness has not been confirmed yet. It is possible to store semen in a sperm bank to preserve the possibility of producing a pregnancy at some future date. However, doing this is costly, and the sperm in stored semen do not always remain viable (able to cause pregnancy). For all of these reasons, doctors advise that vasectomy be undertaken only by men who are prepared to accept the fact that they will no longer be able to father a child. The decision should be considered along with other contraceptive options and discussed with a professional counselor. Men who are married or in a serious relationship should also discuss the issue with their partners.
Next: Does a vasectomy protect against AIDS and other STDs? »
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