Vasectomy Procedure
A vasectomy is a surgical procedure for men who have decided not to have more, or any, children. Vasectomy is the only permanent method of contraception for men and has a failure rate of approximately 0.1%. Vasectomy procedures are one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in Australia, with over 29,000 men getting one each year.
The vasectomy procedure involves separating the cut end of the tubes that move sperm from the testicles to the penis. After the procedure, ejaculated semen will contain no sperm. Sperm is the component that leads to pregnancy, and after a vasectomy it will be reabsorbed into your body through your tissue instead of being integrated into your semen.
- Vasectomies are reliable and extremely effective. Experienced vasectomy surgeons typically have success rates of greater than 99.9%
- It is a one-time cost. Vasectomy is a permanent choice of birth control, which means it is just a one-time expense.
- The procedure is often covered by insurance. Many of our clinics are eligible for private health rebates for vasectomy procedures.
- Does not affect sexual pleasure. A man’s orgasm will be no different than before the vasectomy.
- Minimally invasive. Quick recovery. The No Scalpel Open Ended Vasectomy technique used at MSI Australia causes considerably less tissue trauma than a regular vasectomy. This means a lower risk of infection, less discomfort, faster healing and a speedier overall recovery.
A closed-ended vasectomy blocks both ends of the cut tube either with suture, clip or by diathermy. The closed-ended method used to be the standard procedure for vasectomies. However, it led to some patients experiencing congestive epididymitis (tenderness caused by pressure building up).
An open-ended vasectomy only closes the upper part of the tube, leaving the end connected to the testicle completely open. This allows the sperm to be released within the scrotum, which is not noticeable as the volume is very small. The sperm are naturally reabsorbed and there is less chance of congestive epididymitis and other complications.
Before the no scalpel method, many vasectomies would require a scalpel incision and therefore, sutures. A no scalpel vasectomy only requires a single small puncture in the skin, and no stitches. We do this with a specially designed set of forceps. This decreases the chance of infection and minimises the chance of pain.
Some vasectomies may be advertised as a ‘no scalpel, no needle’ procedure. Before booking with one of these practitioners it’s important to ensure that they are doing this with devices approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Currently there are no devices capable of delivering a local anaesthetic through the skin that are TGA approved.
The MSI No Scalpel Open Ended Vasectomy
The MSI No Scalpel Open Ended Technique uses an inert permanent suture rather than a metal clip (which can fall off) or a dissolving suture (which can cause inflammation). We also use Bupivacaine local anaesthetic which has a longer duration of action and may protect from nerve inflammation.
At MSI Australia we provide a comprehensive service where both IV sedation (IV) and local anaesthetic (LA) are available. Our LA painless anaesthetic delivery technique means many patients report experiencing little to no pain when the local anaesthetic is injected.
Anyone can choose to have IV Sedation for their vasectomy and many men simply prefer to be “knocked out” as they know they will not handle being awake for the procedure well. Other men may have had previous inguinal hernia or scrotal surgery in which case we recommend them to have IV sedation as there is a chance that old scar tissue will make the vasectomy under LA difficult and may even mean the LA operation is postponed to a later date for the needed IV sedation. All men who have had a previous vasectomy in the past we insist on them having IV sedation for the same reasons.
If you have any questions about vasectomy, just drop a message below and we will get back to you shortly.
