What Are The Risks And Benefits Of Getting A Vasectomy

Males who have made up their minds that they are choosing the permanent form of birth control called "vasectomy" in order to not be able to father a biological child should think again before having the surgery about the possible risks and benefits of having a vasectomy.

The very first thing a male should do upon making this decision is to select a qualified doctor/surgeon to do the surgery if he really wants to have the protection he is seeking. To be truly effective the vasectomy needs to be done CORRECTLY! This is the type of surgery that you do not want someone doing it on YOU who has only done a few hundred of them, you want someone who has been doing vasectomies for at least a couple of years and is well experienced in doing them and is current on the latest techniques. The failure rate for vasectomies done correctly is still as few as 1 in 1,000 vasectomies. What they fail to do is to prevent the sperm from getting into the semen that is then ejaculated upon orgasm. If you choose to have a vasectomy done by a doctor that is qualified to do one but does fewer than 50 a year the failure rate could be as high as 17% or more! Which failure rate would you rather have when you know for sure that you do not want to father a biological child?

There are various techniques that surgeons use in order to cut, inactivate, or close the two ends of the vas deferens. Recent surveys have concluded that the best technique is called "intraluminal cauterization with fascial interposition". Using the interposition puts tissues between the two cut ends, so there is a "double zip lock" effect between any remaining sperm and the semen. After you have selected a well-qualified surgeon to do your vasectomy; ask him/her about this technique and if this is the one that will be done during your surgery?

As many as 10% of men who have had vasectomies (according to one review of 10,000 men), can still have sperm in their semen some 6 months AFTER the surgery. Make sure that if you are one of these men ending up in that 10% group, that you have the technique that ensures the highest success rate.

Choosing the correct surgeon to do your vasectomy not only ensures the lowest failure rate possible, but it will also help to make sure you have the lowest rate of complications possible from your surgery.

To further reduce your risk of having a pregnany after a vasectomy it is very important to make sure that you use alternate birth control methods for at least 3 months after your vasectomy to prevent any sperm that are still swimming around "downstream" of where the cut was made from reaching your semen. Twelve weeks from the date of your vasectomy, you should have a follow-up sperm test of your semen to be sure that your sperm count is now zero. A negative result (no sperm present) will mean that your vasectomy has been successful. Now, that you have read that sentence, know this: Even with a negative sperm count on a test post-vasectomy the statistics say that 1 in 2,000 men can become fertile again after having a vasectomy. This happens when a male's body "heals itself". This can happen and if it does do not jump to the conclusion that your wife/partner has cheated on you! It just may be that you are that 1 in 2,000 who can return to fertility.

While researching vasectomies prior to having one done you may run across studies done in the early 1990s that report a link between vasectomies and prostate cancer. A later survey done in New Zealand refuted those claims.

You may find a study linking possible dementia with vasectomies but, according to Sokal and Labrecque, dementia is only at this time a "hypothetical risk of vasectomy", and one that still requires more research to prove.

It is important to note that it is not prudent to expect that once you have a vasectomy that it can be "undone or reversed", according to Sokal and Labrecque. Give your decision careful consideration, do your research, ask questions, and choose a doctor/surgeon well qualified to do your surgery in order to increase your benefits and decrease your risks from your vasectomy.

Recommended Reading

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2. Pregnancy After Vasectomy Still A Possibility - The whole point of going through a vasectomy is the fact that you don't have to worry about birth control...
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