Vasectomy Health Article

Definition

A vasectomy is surgery to cut the vas deferens, the tubes that carry a man’s sperm from his scrotum to his urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries sperm and urine out of the penis. After a vasectomy, sperm cannot move out of the testes. A man who has had a successful vasectomy cannot make a woman pregnant.

Alternative Names

Sterilization surgery – male; No-scalpel vasectomy; NSV

Description

Vasectomy is usually done in the surgeon's office using local anesthesia. You will be awake but not feel any pain.

• After your scrotum is shaved and cleaned, your surgeon will give you a shot of the anesthesia into this area to numb it.
• Your surgeon will then make a small incision (cut) in the upper part of your scrotum, and tie off and cut apart the vas deferens. Your surgeon will use stitches or a skin glue to close your incision.

You may have a vasectomy without an incision. This is called a no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV).

• Your surgeon will find the vas deferens by feeling your scrotum and then give you a shot of the anesthesia into this area to numb it
• Your surgeon will then make a tiny hole in the skin of your scrotum and seal off the vas deferens. The surgeon will either by pull your vas deferens through the tiny hole or insert a clip into the hole to seal it. You will not need stitches.

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Vasectomy may be recommended for adult men who are sure they want to prevent future pregnancies. A vasectomy makes a man sterile (unable to get a woman pregnant). It does NOT prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

A vasectomy is not recommended as a short-term form of birth control. The procedure to reverse a vasectomy is a much more complicated operation.

Vasectomy may be a good choice for men who:

• Are in a relationship, and both partners agree they have all the children they want. They do not want to use, or cannot use, other forms of birth control.
• Are in a relationship, and their partner has health problems that would make pregnancy unsafe for her
• Are in a relationship, and one or both partners have genetic disorders that they do not want to risk passing on to their children

Vasectomy may not be a good choice for men who:

• Are in a relationship, and one partner is unsure about their desire to have children in the future
• Are in a relationship that is unstable, going through a stressful phase, or is very difficult in general
• Are thinking about having the operation just to please their partner
• Are counting on fathering children later by storing their sperm or by reversing their vasectomy
• Are young and still have many life changes ahead
• Are single when they want to have a vasectomy. This includes men who are divorced, widowed, or separated.
• Do not want, or have a partner who does not want, to be bothered by having to use other forms of birth control during sexual activity