Vasectomy is a very safe and effective form of contraception that has no known associated health risks.
It is a simple operation that usually takes less than half an hour to perform. It can be done under either a local or general anaesthetic. It is reliable because the two tubes that carry sperms from the testes to the penis are divided and tied off so that they cannot join together again.
Procedure of Vasectomy
The operation involves a small incision being made in the skin of the scrotum. The tube called the vas deferens which lies just below the skin on each side is drawn out, cut and a small piece removed, with the cut ends then being tied and cauterised using heat coagulation.
It is not uncommon to have a little swelling or bruising around the site of the skin incision for a few days after the operation.
Sperm count
A man who undergoes vasectomy is not sterile immediately. Even though no more sperms from the testes can pass through the tubes, it takes between ten to twenty ejaculations to clear all the viable sperms that are already in the tubes. Men undergoing vasectomy are advised to undertake a sperm count on a sample of semen about three months after the operation to make sure that the semen no longer has sperm. Until such a test confirms that the seminal fluid is no longer fertile, it is best for the man to use condoms when he has sex.
After a vasectomy, the man's testes continue to produce sperms but these cannot pass beyond the vasectomised ends of the tubes. After they are no longer viable, the sperm cells are absorbed into the blood stream (similar to the manner in which blood is absorbed from a bruise).
Sexual function
A common misconception is that vasectomy adversely affects a man's libido and sexual function. There is no truth in this - in fact many men seem to have an improved and worry-free sex life because the possibility of getting their partner pregnant after they have sex no longer arises!
Although the seminal fluid no longer contains sperms, its appearance is no different to normal sperm-containing semen. There is not even a reduction in the volume of semen in the man's ejaculate - and he can still reach orgasm just as he did before the operation.
Reversal of vasectomy
Vasectomy should be considered a permanent procedure for birth control, and it is important to consider all factors before deciding to have such an operation.
Although in theory vasectomy can be reversed, with the divided tubes being re-anastomosed by a microsurgical operation, success cannot be guaranteed. Only about a third of men undergoing vasectomy reversal actually achieve successful pregnancy.
More information available at Andrologyaustralia
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