Vasectomy is the method of contraception chosen by men who do not want or should not have children. The effectiveness of the treatment has been confirmed in 99 percent. A man after a vasectomy can have sexual intercourse as usual, but his sperm no longer contains sperm. Check what is a vasectomy and what is the cost of the procedure.

Vasectomy is a microsurgical procedure performed by a urologist or andrologist in a treatment room under local anesthesia. It consists in dissection of the scrotal sac with a special tool and cutting the vas deferens. The cut ends are then ligated, closing the lumen of the vas deferens. The doctor inserts the vas deferens in this way into the scrotum and applies a dressing. Seams are not applied.

As a result of the procedure, no sperm is found in the ejaculate.Vasectomy , i.e. the obstruction of the vas deferens, is undergoing more and more men in our country every year, but for many people it is still a taboo subject. Instead of speculating and repeating false rumors, it is better to have reliable knowledge and know the most important facts about this medical procedure. We answer the 10 most frequently asked questions aboutVasectomy .

1. What is the purpose of a vasectomy?

Vasectomy is to lead to male infertility: after this procedure, male sperm no longer contains sperm.It is one of the most effective methods of contraception today. The partner of a man who has hadvasectomyno longer needs to use hormonal contraception or any other type of contraception.

2. What is and how does a vasectomy work?

It is a minimally invasive and medically not very complicated procedure. It can be carried out in several ways. Until recently, vasectomy was performed under general anesthesia, the skin was cut with a scalpel, and sutures were applied.

For several years, the procedure is mainly performed using the technique without a scalpel. It is less invasive and is performed under local anesthesia (administered without the need for puncture). With this method, the skin is no longer cut - it is delaminated with a special tool. After reaching the vas, the surgeon moves it outside, cuts it, and microcoagulates the vas opening (closure of the vas lumen with high temperature) andligates, i.e. ties or compresses with clips.

There is also a method in which the testicular ends of the vas remain open and extend beyond the sheath of the spermatic cord. The protected vas deferens are pushed back into the scrotum.

The doctor does not apply stitches, just a small dressing at the site of the skin dissection. The procedure takes 15-30 minutes. As a result of the procedure, the sperm cells are not found in the ejaculate - they are stored in the epididymides and then resorbed.

3. What happens after the procedure? How does recovery after vasectomy look like?

Aftervasectomyperformed using the method without a scalpel, you can quickly return to your business, usually there is no need to issue a sick leave. The patient may feel pain and use oral pain relievers, but this is often not necessary.

You should refrain from intercourse until the wound has completely healed, that is, for a week. For two weeks after the treatment, you should avoid strenuous physical exertion, including intense sports.

4. Is vasectomy effective?

Done correctly - prevents pregnancy very effectively (99.9%). But not immediately: the vas deferens take 2-3 months (or 20-25 ejaculations) to be completely free of sperm. Therefore, semen should be tested for the presence of sperm 8 weeks after the procedure, and if in doubt about the result - also 12 weeks after the procedure.

Rarely, but it may happen that this leaching of sperm is even slower: it can take 6 months or even longer. During this time, you must still use another method of contraception, e.g. condoms.

5. How does vasectomy affect a man's sexual function?

The treatment does not impair the man's sexual abilities in any way - all sexual and hormonal functions are preserved. Men do not have low libido, have normal sexual intercourse and orgasm. They ejaculate - with the difference that there is no sperm in the ejaculate.

6. How common are post-vasectomy complications and what are the types?

Vasectomy is not always successful, but the failure rate is low. Immediately after the treatment, the following may occur:

  • inflammation - swelling and pain at the treatment site,
  • fever (3-4% of cases),
  • bruise on the scrotum,
  • presence of blood in semen,
  • epididymitis
  • or testicular inflammation.

Late complications include:

  • recanalization, i.e. restoring the continuity of the vas deferens (0.2%)
  • and the so-called sperm granuloma (0.2%) - these are clusters of cells arounddegenerating sperm: small clumps that give no symptoms or cause little pain.

Chronic pain in the scrotum and testicles occurs in less than 1% of patients.

According to an expertdr hab. n. med. Piotr Dobroński, specialist urologist, specialist surgeon, FEBU, Department of Urology, Medical University of Warsaw

Patients usually endure this procedure very well

Vasectomy remains the most effective form of male contraception.About half a million Americans undergo it every year. The vasectomy procedure itself is actually minimally invasive and well tolerated by most patients. True pain syndromes that persist 1-2 years after a vasectomy are extremely rare.

Currently, work is underway on an even less invasive method of irritating the vas deferens - by transdermal injection of substances into their lumen, which can later be dissolved. Before vasectomy, it is worth telling the patient about the possibility of semen cryobanking. It can even be used many years later for assisted reproduction, which is an effective - albeit much more expensive - alternative to vasectomy reversal.

7. Is vasectomy reversible?

Vasectomy should be treated as a procedure aimed at permanent infertility of a man. Therefore, doctors who perform vasectomy recommend it only for men who do not want or plan to have biological children anymore.

There are methods of reversingvasectomy , but firstly - it is a complicated microsurgical procedure that requires the presence of an anesthesiologist and a well-equipped office, and secondly - it never has 100% guarantee that the revasectomy will be successful (the more time has passed since the procedure, the smaller the chances are).

Restoring the procreative function is from a medical point of view much more difficult than depriving it.

8. Vasectomy - the price of the procedure

Vasectomy is not reimbursed by the National He alth Fund in Poland, it is performed only in private medical facilities. The procedure itself, including the necessary consultations, costs from PLN 2,000.

To this you need to add the cost of two or three tests of semen, which gives a total of about PLN 2,500. The reversal operationvasectomycosts around 20,000. PLN

9. Is vasectomy legal in Poland?

Admittedly, art. 156 of the Criminal Code states that whoever deprives (e.g.) the ability to procreate, is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years, according to many lawyers, if the doctor reliably informs the patient about the procedure (consequences, possible complications) and obtains his written consent - that is, it's acceptable andlegal.

In 2009, the prosecutor's office refused to initiate proceedings against the doctor performing the vasectomy and discontinued the case due to the lack of any signs of a crime.

10. What is known about long-term he alth effects?

According to the current state of knowledge, the procedure does not increase - contrary to previous reports - the risk of future atherosclerosis or prostate cancer.

On the other hand, even 60% of men aftervasectomyshowed the presence of sperm antibodies (the effect of sperm contact with tissues it never comes into contact with), which can be treated as a form of allergy.

However, no negative interactions of these antibodies with any organs or systems were found.

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Pregnancy