Vasectomy is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, which makes it the most effective contraceptive method available. It is also very safe and is performed over 500,000 times in the United States every year. There are many different types of vasectomy procedures that vary based on location and the doctor's experience. Our surgical method is the least invasive, most pain-free method available. Plus, it's completed in less than an hour.
All vasectomies accomplish a single goal, which is to close the two vas deferens tubes to prevent the flow of sperm. This is the safest and most effective contraceptive method available. While sperm will continue to be produced by the testes, it will not flow through the vas deferens and into the ejaculate. By stopping the flow of sperm, we are preventing pregnancy. The majority of ejaculate is composed of semen produced by the prostate, so you will not notice any change in volume.
We use a spray anesthetic method, as is it much less painful and more effective than using a needle. Local anesthetic is delivered using a needle-free spray injector called a MadaJet. This instrument is made specifically for this purpose, to avoid needles and deliver a virtually pain-free injection directly to the area. If there is any pain, it doesn't hurt any more than a blood draw would.
While there is very little pain involved, we do see patients who are anxious and prefer to have mild sedation as an option. That's why we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) as an option. Learn more about nitrous oxide sedation here.
We use small dissecting forceps to make a tiny opening, so no scalpel is needed. This tiny hole is spread just enough to access one of the vas deferens tubes. We clamp the tube and separate it from the surrounding tissue.
With a cautery tool, we open the tube and heat it from the inside. This effectively separates the two ends of the tube without cutting. The tube at the abdominal end is allowed to safely reenter the scrotum, and we use a single suture or clip to close the surrounding tissue. We then continue to work with the testicular end of the tube.
At the testicular end of the vas deferens tube, we cleanly cut it and observe for bleeding. Once bleeding has stopped, which is fairly quick, it is dropped back into the scrotum. This is called an open-ended vasectomy as we do not close the tube. It is completely safe and just as effective as a closed-ended vasectomy. A huge benefit to an open-ended vasectomy is less pain, as there is decreased swelling and inflammation that would be caused by closing the tube.
We then repeat this process with the other tube using the same opening. So, the entire procedure, from anesthetic to the vasectomy itself, is completed through a single tiny opening. This hole is so small that no sutures or glue are necessary. It closes and heals on its own in about a day.
The entire appointment, from beginning to end, takes less than an hour. You leave our office with no stitches and little pain. You'll also leave our office with a semen collection kit, to make it as easy and convenient as possible to submit your semen sample a few months later.
