Vasectomy

Definition

A vasectomy is surgery to cut the vas deferens, the tubes that carry a man's sperm from his scrotum to his urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries sperm and urine out of the penis. After a vasectomy, sperm cannot move out of the testes. A man who has had a successful vasectomy cannot make a woman pregnant.

Alternative Names

Sterilization surgery – male; No-scalpel vasectomy; NSV

Description

Vasectomy is usually done in the surgeon's office using local anesthesia. You will be awake but not feel any pain.

• After your scrotum is shaved and cleaned, your surgeon will give you a shot of the anesthesia into this area to numb it.
• Your surgeon will then make a small incision (cut) in the upper part of your scrotum, and tie off and cut apart the vas deferens. Your surgeon will use stitches or a skin glue to close your incision.

You may have a vasectomy without an incision. This is called a no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV).

• Your surgeon will find the vas deferens by feeling your scrotum and then give you a shot of the anesthesia into this area to numb it
• Your surgeon will then make a tiny hole in the skin of your scrotum and seal off the vas deferens. The surgeon will either by pull your vas deferens through the tiny hole or insert a clip into the hole to seal it. You will not need stitches.

Risks

There is no serious risk to vasectomy. Your semen will be tested in the months after the operation to make sure it does not contain sperm.

Very rarely, the vas deferens can grow back together again. If this happens, sperm can mix with semen. This would make it possible for you to make a woman pregnant.