ABCs of Vasectomies
Did you ever want to know all the relevant facts regarding vasectomies without all the technical terms or at least have the technical terms explained to you in easy to understand English? Would you like to see all the relevant information or at least all the basic stuff you need to know right at your fingertips? Read on, because you may just have at your eye-level and fingertips what you have been seeking.
A (answers to why)
A vasectomy is the male version of a tubal ligation for women. Both of these birth control methods are considered to be permanent birth control procedures. Men for many reasons choose the vasectomy:
1. The woman they are sexually involved with is physically unable to have a tubal ligation for medical or other reasons and they desire to have a permanent birth control method.
2. The male is 100% sure that he never wants to father a biological child.
3. The male and or his sexual partner have decided that they cannot financially afford to have children and wish to be sure that they do not bring children into a dire financial situation.
4. There is a genetic factor that having a biological child would be devastating physically or emotionally for the child and/or the parents.
B (basic information)
A vasectomy is considered to be a permanent birth control method, but it does have a failure rate depending on the skill of the doctor performing the operation. Approximately 1 in 2000 men can conceive children, within the first year following a vasectomy. It is especially important to use alternative birth control for the first 3 months and for some men as much as 8 months following a vasectomy until a sperm test has shown a negative count for sperm if you want to lower your risk of being in this failure rate statistic.
The majority of men can after approximately 20 ejaculations, clear any remaining sperm from their system, following a vasectomy.
It is rare, but some men can reconnect the vas deferens (heal themselves) after a vasectomy. This ability of the body to heal itself after a vasectomy is called: “recanalization”. To prevent this, surgeons should remove a significant amount of the vas deferens, or cauterize the ends of the tubes.
There are two basic types of vasectomies: the traditional surgical one and the scalpel-free vasectomy, which involves punching holes instead of cutting into the tissue. Both of these methods are safe and effective.
Risks and Complications of having a vasectomy:
Bleeding and or bruising
Swelling
Pain
Infection at the incision site
Sperm granuloma (a small lump in the teste that is a response to sperm leakage during the procedure. No treatment is necessary unless pain is experienced.
Long-term post-operative pain (rare)
Allergic reaction to the anesthesia used
C (cost)
The cost of a vasectomy can run anywhere from $500 to $1,000 depending on where you have the procedure done (hospital, surgical clinic, doctor’s office) and whom you have the procedure done by (medical doctor, surgeon, urologist). The cost of a vasectomy may be covered by most insurance companies. Check with your particular plan to discover what your policy says about vasectomies.
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