What Is A Vasectomy

What is a Vasectomy?

A vasectomy is a type of permanent contraception for men. It consists of an operation to cut and seal tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis preventing the possibility of pregnancy. It is often referred to as the snip, which refers to the fact the Vas tubes are ’snipped’ as part of the operation.

Who have Vasectomies?

Men who either don’t want children, or have children but do not want any more. It is most common for middle aged men who already have a family, and decides with his partner that they do not want any more children. The procedure will mean that they will no longer need to worry about other forms of contraception.

What does it do?

It essentially prevents sperm from travelling from the testicles to the penis. Semen will still be produced, but it will not contain any sperm. It doesn’t prevent sperm from being produced, it only prevents it travelling to the penis; it is instead absorbed naturally by the body.

How is it done?

The vasectomy is performed with a local anesthetic, meaning the patient is awake during the procedure. The surgeon begins by making a small incision in the scrotum. (S)he then ’snips’ the Vas tube. The Vas tube is the tube that connects the testicles and penis, and carries the sperm from one to the other. After being cut, the Vas tube is sealed at the end. There is a Vas tube for each testicle meaning these actions need to be performed twice. It is a very simple procedure which rarely involves any complications. Patients will generally be in and out on the same day.

What does it mean?

As mentioned above, the procedure means that sperm can no longer travel from the testicles to the penis. Men can have sex as soon as the procedure has been completed, although contraception will need to be used for a short while after. After the operation there will still be some sperm in the tubes between the testicles and penis. A few weeks after the procedure men can have a test to see whether or not there is still sperm in the tubes which can make their way to the testicles. Once this test proves to be clear contraception no longer needs to be used as a pregnancy prevention method, although it does not prevent the threat of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).

Success rate

There have been some instances where couples have become pregnant despite the male having had a vasectomy. This is rare though, with only 1 in 2,000 vasectomies being unsuccessful.

Vasectomy Reversals

It is possible to reverse a vasectomy. This involves a procedure that aims to reconstruct the Vas tubes. There is no guarantee that it will be successful though, and it is only 80% successful. It is therefore very important that men are certain they do not want to have more children before they commit to the procedure.