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Vasectomy

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• Risks

Definition:

A vasectomy is a surgery to cut the vas deferens, the tubes through which a man's sperm travels. After a vasectomy, sperm cannot move out the testes . A man who has had a vasectomy can not make a woman pregnant.

A vasectomy is sometimes called "tying the tubes."

Alternative Names:

Sterilization surgery - male

Description:

Vasectomy is usually done in the surgeon's office under local anesthesia. You will be awake, but will not fee any pain. A small cut is made in the upper part of the scrotum , and the tubes (vas deferens) are tied off and cut apart. Stitches are used to close the wound.

You should be able to return home as soon as the procedure is completed, and return to work the next day if your job is not physically strenuous. Full physical activity may be resumed in 3-7 days.

This surgery does not affect a man's ability to achieve orgasm, ejaculate, or have an erection.  There will still be fluid (semen) in the ejaculate, but it will contain no sperm.

Indications:

Vasectomy may be recommended for adult men who are certain that they wish to prevent future pregnancies. A vasectomy makes a man permanently sterile.

A vasectomy is not recommended as a temporary form of birth control, but it may be reversed if you change your mind. However, revearsal surgery is a much more involved operation. The results vary depending on the location of the vasectomy site along the vas deferens and the experience of the surgeon.

• Review Date: 6/13/2006
• Reviewed By: Neil D. Sherman, MD, Urologist, Essex County, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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