Vasectomy is a permanent birth control method. A new type of vasectomy is a newer "key hole" method, which has been shown to have less side effects in the postoperative phase while being as safe as conventional methods without using a scalpel.
In some conventional clinics all or part of the vasa deferentia are surgically removed, thus sterilizing the patient. In more modern clinics and in no-scalpel vasectomies none of the vas is removed, but a part of it obliterated and interrupted.
Vasectomy should not be confused with castration: vasectomy does not involve removal of the testicles and it affects neither the production of male sex hormones (mainly testosterone) nor their secretion into the bloodstream. Therefore sexual desire (libido) and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm with an ejaculation are rarely affected. Because the sperm itself makes up a very small proportion of an ejaculation, vasectomy does not significantly affect the volume, appearance, texture or flavor of the ejaculate. Similarly, in females, hormone production, libido, and the menstrual cycle are not affected by a tubal ligation.
In some conventional clinics all or part of the vasa deferentia are surgically removed, thus sterilizing the patient. In more modern clinics and in no-scalpel vasectomies none of the vas is removed, but a part of it obliterated and interrupted.
Vasectomy should not be confused with castration: vasectomy does not involve removal of the testicles and it affects neither the production of male sex hormones (mainly testosterone) nor their secretion into the bloodstream. Therefore sexual desire (libido) and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm with an ejaculation are rarely affected. Because the sperm itself makes up a very small proportion of an ejaculation, vasectomy does not significantly affect the volume, appearance, texture or flavor of the ejaculate. Similarly, in females, hormone production, libido, and the menstrual cycle are not affected by a tubal ligation.
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Last Updated: Sep 2009
Last Updated: Sep 2009
When the vasectomy is complete, sperm can no longer exit the body through the penis. They are broken down and absorbed by the body. Much fluid content is absorbed by membranes in the epididymis, and much solid content is broken down by macrophages and re-absorbed via the blood stream. Sperm is matured in the epididymis for about a month once it leaves the testicles, and approximately 50% of the sperm produced never make it to ejaculation in a non-vasectomized man. After vasectomy, the membranes increase in size to absorb more fluid, and more macrophages are recruited to break down and re-absorb more of the solid content. Though much of the content that can no longer exit the body is reabsorbed by these macrophages, examination has shown that, over time, essentially every vasectomized man also experiences an epididymal blowout, which is the formation of a sperm granuloma in the epididymis, to relieve the high intra-luminal pressures in the delicate epididymal tubules.
Although men considering vasectomies should not think of them as reversible, and most men and their spouses are satisfied with the operation, there is a procedure to reverse vasectomies using vasovasostomy (a form of microsurgery). It is, however, not effective in all cases, with the success rate depending on such factors as the method used for the vasectomy and the length of time that has passed since the vasectomy was performed. There is evidence that men who have had a vasectomy produce abnormal sperm, which would explain why even a mechanically successful reversal does not always restore fertility.
In one study, vasectomy reversal was found to be 75% effective for reducing the symptoms of chronic post-vasectomy pain.
In order to allow a possibility of reproduction (via artificial insemination) after vasectomy, some men opt for cryostorage of sperm before sterilization, and although the long term viability of spermatozoa in cryostorage is questionable,[citation needed] some experts advise that this be done before vasectomy.
Various temporary male contraceptives are being researched but not yet available, such as male hormonal contraceptives and the intra vas device. There has been at least one documented case of a vasectomy being reversed on a dog, which then fathered puppies after the reversal.
Although men considering vasectomies should not think of them as reversible, and most men and their spouses are satisfied with the operation, there is a procedure to reverse vasectomies using vasovasostomy (a form of microsurgery). It is, however, not effective in all cases, with the success rate depending on such factors as the method used for the vasectomy and the length of time that has passed since the vasectomy was performed. There is evidence that men who have had a vasectomy produce abnormal sperm, which would explain why even a mechanically successful reversal does not always restore fertility.
In one study, vasectomy reversal was found to be 75% effective for reducing the symptoms of chronic post-vasectomy pain.
In order to allow a possibility of reproduction (via artificial insemination) after vasectomy, some men opt for cryostorage of sperm before sterilization, and although the long term viability of spermatozoa in cryostorage is questionable,[citation needed] some experts advise that this be done before vasectomy.
Various temporary male contraceptives are being researched but not yet available, such as male hormonal contraceptives and the intra vas device. There has been at least one documented case of a vasectomy being reversed on a dog, which then fathered puppies after the reversal.
