Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for male contraception. It is intended to be a permanent form of contraception and, along with condoms, is one of the only methods of birth control available for men.
During the procedure, the vas deferens in men are cut and tied or sealed in some way (e.g., cauterization) in order to prevent sperm from traveling through the reproductive system and entering into the urethra and, subsequently, prevent fertilization of a female egg through sexual intercourse.
For humans, vasectomies are usually performed in a physician’s office or medical clinic in an outpatient setting. Hospitalization is not typically required as the procedure is fairly simple, the incisions are small, and the necessary equipment common and readily available.
There are different methods for a vasectomy, all of which occlude (i.e., stop, close, or block) at least one side of each vas deferens (note: there is a vas deferens connecting each testicle to the urethra):
- Conventional or Incision method: a surgeon uses a scalpel to make small cuts (i.e., incisions) in the scrotum in order to access the vas deferens.
- No-cut, No-scalpel, or Keyhole method: a doctor uses a pair of sharpened forceps or other specially designed instruments to make smaller sized openings (less than 10mm) in the scrotum to access the vas deferens, which is associated with better recovery outcomes.
A vasectomy is such a simple procedure that it usually takes only mere minutes to complete, and patients are able to go home to rest after a short recovery at the doctor’s office. Also, since the procedure is minimally invasive, a majority of people who get a vasectomy can resume their typical sexual behavior within a short period of time (around one week), and do so with little or no discomfort.
However, immediately post-procedure, men are still fertile. It can take many weeks for sperm to completely exit the male reproductive tract, and patients undergo regular sperm checks to verify success of the procedure. It is important to note that people who have had a vasectomy can still have and enjoy sexual intercourse as they normally would; the procedure does not affect a man’s sex drive, only his fertility.
Again, the procedure is intended to be a permanent method of contraception. Reversibility is possible, but the success rates vary across individuals and decrease dramatically over time. Vasectomy reversal is also a very expensive procedure, which is not as widely available as vasectomy due to the required expertise and equipment.