Vasectomy Facts

Vasectomy. The mere mention of the word causes most guys to wince. Yet for men seeking a reliable form of birth control, a vasectomy presents a safe, effective and maintenance-free option.

Vasectomy: How Safe Is It?

Very. A vasectomy is a minor operation - it's usually performed in a doctor's office or other outpatient setting. It only takes about 30 minutes and requires only local anesthesia (i.e., the patient remains awake for the procedure). Statistically, having a vasectomy is safer than crossing the street in Manhattan during rush hour. In fact, no deaths resulting from a vasectomy have ever been reported in the United States.

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Vasectomy: How Effective Is It?

Very, after a while. Some men will be ready to resume sexual activity in as little as one week after having a vasectomy. However, live sperm will still be present in the ejaculatory ducts located above the site of the vasectomy, so their ejaculatory fluid will still contain sperm. In other words, the vasectomy will prevent any new sperm from being carried into the ejaculatory ducts, but the sperm that is already there must be "used up" before the patient is truly bullet-proof. Couples should use another conventional method of birth control for the first few months after a vasectomy to prevent conception.

Once all of the pre-existing sperm is flushed from the ejaculatory ducts, a vasectomy has an efficacy rate greater than 99 percent, which is comparable to the effectiveness of the female birth control pill.

Vasectomy & Future Sexual Performance

A vasectomy will not affect sexual performance. It's not castration. The body continues to produce semen and sperm; the procedure merely blocks the tubes that carry the sperm into the semen. Erectile function and ejaculation remain the same, except for the fact that no sperm are present in the ejaculation fluid. A vasectomy does not affect the production or balance of male hormones.

Vasectomy: The Risks

As with any surgical procedure, there are certain inherent risks, including infection, inflammation, or bruising. Despite this, most patients report that by simply following their physicians' advice in the days after surgery, most of these can be avoided.

Other risks include the development of sperm granulomas, which are firm masses composed of scar tissue and inflammatory cells. About 60 percent of vasectomy patients develop these, but they are benign (non-cancerous) and only cause problems in 3 to 5 percent of men who develop them.

Additionally, some medical researchers have speculated that undergoing a vasectomy may increase a man's risk for developing prostate cancer, osteoporosis, or changes to the immune system, but several clinical studies dispute these theories. Clinical research has, however, strongly suggested that men who have the procedure before they reach their mid-40s have an increased risk for developing kidney stones.

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