The Anatomy of a Vasectomy

Have you ever wondered what happens when a male submits himself to the vasectomy procedure? Approximately 600,000 men each year decide to have this procedure done each year in the U.S. Urologists perform the majority of these procedures. Urologists are doctors specializing in men’s health. Approximately 15% of all vasectomies done in the U.S. are performed by family practitioners. Most vasectomies are performed and are covered by insurance plans. The cost of these vasectomies can range from $300 to $1,000.

There are two basic techniques that doctors use to perform the vasectomy. The traditional vasectomy is performed by surgically interrupting the vas deferens. These are the tubes on either side of the scrotum that carry the sperm from the testicles to the urinary tract. The doctor reaches the vas deferens through a small opening he has made in the front surface of the scrotum. The skin of the scrotum is very thin. It is this thinness that causes the bruising and swelling that many men experience after the procedure. Using a local anesthetic in order to decrease the pain and discomfort felt by the male during and directly after the procedure numbs the surface of the scrotum. The anesthetic usually wears off anywhere from one to two hours after the procedure is completed.

The vas deferens are each brought to the skin level, where they are then cut and cauterized (burned, or cut and then clipped or tied. They are then dropped back into the scrotum. Some doctors remove a section of the vas deferens. The male must continue to use an alternative form of birth control until a sperm count examination shows that his sperm count is negative (he is sterile). The sperm present at the time of the procedure usually takes approximately 20 ejaculations after the procedure to allow the sperm present at the time of the procedure to be released from the male’s body. This is the reason for using the alternative birth control following the vasectomy procedure.

Another technique used to perform vasectomies is the “no-scalpel vasectomy”. This procedure is slightly less invasive than the traditional vasectomy is and was developed in China in the 1970s. The no-scalpel vasectomy was first performed in the U.S. in the late 1980s. The no-scalpel vasectomy uses special instruments in order to punch holes instead of cutting into the scrotum. The procedure is actually faster than the traditional procedure and studies have shown that the no-scalpel vasectomy creates less pain and bleeding than the traditional technique does.

Males should be familiar with some of the terms that they will be hearing the doctor refer to during the initial vasectomy consultation, before and after the procedure. These terms include:

The scrotum, this is the sac that contains the testicles, epididymis and the vas deferens.

The testicles are located inside the scrotum, and are the male reproductive glands that produce the sperm and the male hormone – testosterone.

The vas deferens is the two tubes that carry the sperm from the testicles and the epididymis to the urinary tract and then out of the urethra during ejaculation. Each of the tubes is independently referred to as a vas deferens.

The epididymis is a tightly coiled, and very small series of tubes that cover the back and sides of the testicle, where the sperm are stored and where they mature after leaving the testis before they are transported to the vas deferens.

Semen is the glandular fluid that is released by the urethra when a male ejaculates. This fluid usually contains both sperm (1%) and seminal fluid (99%).