Vasectomy
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
A vasectomy is a form of permanent birth control for men. It is a simple surgery that involves cutting the tubes which transport sperm.
Normally, sperm are made in a man's testicles. The sperm travel to the man's penis through tubes called vas deferens. The sperm mix with other fluids to become semen, which is released when a man ejaculates. A procedure stops sperm from becoming part of the semen. If there are no sperm in a man's semen, he can not get a woman pregnant.
The procedure does not affect a man's ability to ejaculate or to have sex.
How Vasectomy Is Done
A vasectomy must be done by a doctor. It may be done in the doctor's office or in a special surgical center. The surgery itself takes only a few minutes. The entire experience will last a few hours, including preparation time and rest or observation afterward. Usually, the man can go home the same day.
To do the procedure, the doctor injects a numbing medicine into the man's scrotum. Then, the doctor makes a small cut on one side of the scrotum and pulls out part of one vas deferens tube. The doctor cuts the tube and seals the ends. The same procedure is repeated on the other side. The incisions are closed with stitches. Some doctors prefer to reach both tubes through a single incision in the front of the scrotum.
Many doctors use a newer way which does not require stitches. Instead of making incisions, the doctor makes one small puncture to get at both tubes. The puncture is small enough to heal without stitches. This method is often called a "no-scalpel" vasectomy.
It takes a week or two to heal completely after a the surgery. The scrotum may look and feel bruised at first. It may appear swollen and feel tender. Many men will want to take a day or two off from work after the procedure. Men who do heavy lifting at work may need more time off. Once healing is complete, there may be a small scar from the incision.
Risks and Side Effects
Studies show that vasectomy is a very safe procedure. Complications do not happen very often. When they do, the most common are pain in the scrotum and infection. Pain may be caused by sperm leaking out around the place where the tubes were cut. The sperm can irritate the surrounding tissue. Rest and anti-inflammatory medicine usually helps. Infection can be treated with antibiotics.
In the past, doctors thought that vasectomy might increase a man's risk of heart disease and prostate cancer. Newer studies have not shown any increased risk.
Effectiveness
The man will need to return to the doctor's office a month or two after the surgery to make sure the procedure worked. For a while after the tubes are cut, semen can still contain sperm that were left in the tubes. So it's important to use another form of birth control until tests show that there are no sperm in the semen.
This procedure is one of the most effective methods of birth control. Occasionally, a man's vas deferens tubes will heal in a way that lets sperm get through, but this is not common. In general, only about one to three in 1,000 couples will become pregnant after a vasectomy.
Vasectomy does not protect against any sexually transmitted diseases.
Reversal
Sometimes, a man who has had a vasectomy will change his mind and decide he wants to have a child. A reversal is a much more complicated surgery than the procedure itself, and reversal is not always successful. Reversal can cost thousands of dollars and is usually not covered by insurance.
The amount of time that has passed since the surgery affects a man's chances of having it reversed successfully. If it has been less than three years, the chance is about 75% that he will be able to get a woman pregnant. If it has been more than 15 years, the chance is only 30%.
For More Information
There is a lot of information available on the web. Here are two articles from sites written by medical experts:
Learn More
Comments
Gary, as you probably know, the most likely time for a vasectomy to fail is in the months right away the procedure, usually the first three months. After that, there is only a very slim chance (I've read .2 percent) that you would deliver any sperm. I'm not an expert or medical professional, but in my opinion it's probably not yours.
But, it would only take one sperm to make it through for it to be yours. Anything is possible, so I think you are wise to use the DNA test. Good luck.
-- Contributed by: HollySwansonMy wife is pregnant and is expecting to deliver a child this May. I had a vvasectomy done in October of 2006. I have my doubts as to whether this child is mine. I never got checked until I found out she was 20 weeks pregnant which would have made it ten months post op. I have no active sperm as of last month.
What is your opinion? I have ordered a DNA kit and will be using it when this child is delivered. Thanks and please give me the honest truth as to the liklihood that this child is mine.
-- Contributed by: GaryThis page has been accessed 1,352 times. This page was last modified 18:00, 11 April 2006.
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