No scalpel vasectomy procedure is considered permanent birth control ( male sterilization), and the decision to have it done should not be undertaken lightly. Although surgical techniques and technologies now exist in Minnesota that makes it possible to reverse a vasectomy, it will be more complicated and expensive. Moreover, insurance plans in Minneapolis & St Paul usually do not cover the cost of a vasectomy reversal. Other options such as vitro fertilization are even more expensive.

So before you decide if a no scalpel vasectomy is the right choice, you should talk to your partners. The conversation should cover several topics.

• Why do you want it?
• What are other birth control options?
• Do you think your family is complete?
• Do you want to have more children in the future?
• Are there any problems in your marriage or sexual difficulties? (understand that a vasectomy will not solve these problems)
• Any emotional or financial reasons? (wrong reasons)

The decision of a vasectomy based on the right reasons will avoid your regret and bring high satisfaction levels in emotional and sexual relationships with your partner.

No scalpel vasectomy is the preferred method in male sterilization in Minnesota. The procedure is usually done in an office setting under local anesthesia and the procedure takes about 20 minutes.

Many surgeons in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas claim that they perform no scalpel vasectomy. It is true that they don’t use a scalpel at all during the vasectomy, but there are differences in actual surgical techniques. Some surgeons in Minnesota cut off the small segment of vas only; others cauterize the ends of vas after cutting off. A few surgeons like Dr. Shu also perform the fascia interposition on top of cutting off vas and intraluminal cauterization.

What is fascial interposition in no scalpel vasectomy?

The fascia is a fibrous protective sheath that surrounds the vas deferens. Fascial interposition is the positioning of the prostatic “distal” end of the vas deferens to the outside of the fascial sheath while leaving the testicular “proximal” end within the confines of the fascia.

Why does Dr. Shu perform the fascia interposition on top of cutting off vas and intraluminal cauterization?

The failure rate of traditional vasectomy without fascial interposition is about 1-3 per thousand. Recanalization of the vas deferens is the main cause of vasectomy failure . Fascial interpositionhelps to prevent this type of failure, increasing the overall success rate of the vasectomy. This method, when combined with intraluminal cautery, has been shown to decrease the failure rate of vasectomy procedures. The failure rate of no scalpel vasectomy with intraluminal cautery and fascial interposition is below 1 per 2000 cases.

Every couple in Minnesota whose family is complete may consider permanent birth control. The sterilization procedures include vasectomytubal ligation, or tubal blocking. Both men and women should know and compare the differences, benefits and risks of these procedures. For most couples, vasectomy is often the safer, simpler and more affordable. There are ample medical and personal reasons why a couple might prefer vasectomy to tubal ligation or blocking. This blog may help you make a more informed decision.

Tubal ligation in Minnesota is usually laparoscopic procedure that involves hospitalization, general anesthesia and lengthier, more complicated surgery than a vasectomy. In comparison, no-scalpel vasectomy may be completed in minutes with minimal trauma.  Tubal ligation requires much longer recovery time than no scalpel vasectomy. Moreover, Women are more likely to have the immediate and long term complications related to a tubal ligation than men who have a vasectomy.

Vasectomies are usually outpatient procedures performed in the doctors’ office and usually take less than 20 minutes to complete. No scalpel vasectomy has a very quick recovery and very low risk of complications.

When it comes to cost, a simple office vasectomy is more than three to four times less expensive than a routine tubal ligation.

An advantage of tubal ligation is that it works immediately, but a vasectomy doesn’t give you instant result, it requires 15-20 ejaculations in the period of 2-3 months. So you have to use a backup method of contraception until you’re in the clear in semen analysis.

The Essure and Adiana devices, which are inserted into the Fallopian tubes, are new alternatives to traditional tubal ligation in Minnesota; it requires a confirmation in 3 months with an x-ray test called a hysterosalpingogram to ensure that they’re installed properly.  Another form of birth control must be used in the first 3 months. These tubal blocking procedures are less invasive than tubal ligation, but failure rates are higher in tubal blocking procedures than tubal ligation and no scalpel vasectomy.

People in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas should discuss these issues with your physician in the initial consultations, however, when it comes to risks, benefits, cost, and effectiveness, no scalpel vasectomy is more often the best option of sterilization.

Vasectomy is the surgical process of blocking the vas deferens (the tube that delivers the sperm from the testis to the penis) in order to prevent conception. It is the most popular form of male contraception in Minnesota and the United States. Each year, more than half million men worldwide choose to get a vasectomy. Since vasectomy simply interrupts the delivery of the sperm, it does not change hormonal function and sexual drive. Vasectomy has been proved to be free of known long term side effects, and Vasectomy is considered to be the safest and most reliable method of permanent male sterilization.

No Scalpel Vasectomy procedure was developed in the early 1970s in China. It is just as effective as traditional vasectomy. Almost 20 million No-Scalpel Vasectomies have been performed around the world. It has become more and more popular in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas over the past decade, and no scalpel vasectomy becomes a minimal invasive office procedure.

As compared to conventional vasectomy, the beauty of no-scalpel vasectomy includes:

• No incision with a scalpel–only a tiny puncture
• Quicker procedure
• Less Trauma
• No stitches
• Less discomfort
• quicker recovery (2-3 days)
• Less chance of complications

A vasectomy is a minimal invasive surgical procedure that closes off the vas deferens in the scrotum, effectively sealing off the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles out. It usually is performed in the office under local anesthesia.

Vasectomy is considered a permanent form of male birth control. Before you consider a vasectomy, you should be certain you don’t want to father a child in the future. Although it may be possible to reverse your vasectomy if you change your mind in the future, there’s no guarantee it will work. Vasectomy reversal surgery is more complicated than vasectomy itself, it can be expensive and is ineffective for many men in Minnesota.

A no-scalpel vasectomy is a type of vasectomy procedure where there is virtually no big incision involved.  For most men in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas, a no-scalpel vasectomy doesn’t cause any noticeable side effects, and serious complications are rare.

The common complications right after surgery include bleeding, infection, mild pain and swelling. Delayed side effects include sperm granuloma (sperm collection),chronic post vasectomy pain (rare). Many men in Minnesota worry that a vasectomy could affect their sexual performance – but this fear is unfounded.

A preoperative interactive consultation on vasectomy is an important step in planning on vasectomy in Minnesota. We recommend that a preoperative consultation should be conducted in person, so the consultation will be more effective.

Before Surgery:

You should follow the pre-op instructions, you may need to

• Stop taking aspirin or other blood thinners for 10 days before the procedure.
• May take Ibuprofen 3-4 tabs 1 hour before vasectomy
• Trim the hair as short as possible in the front of scrotum with a scissor (do not shave)
• Bring an athletic supporter on the day of the procedure.

After Surgery:

You are able to drive home by yourself after the surgery. The recovery after no-scalpel vasectomy is quick, most patients go back to work in 3 days.

• May take Tylenol or Ibuprofen as needed, May use ice packs.
• Wear a new scrotal support for a few days.
• Contact your doctor if experience severe swelling, bleeding, fever, and increasing pain.
• May take showers in two day, and do not take baths for a few days.
• No strenuous activities or heavy lifting for 1-2 weeks.
• It is recommended that you abstain from sex 1-2 weeks after the surgery.
• Use an alternate form of birth control until your doctor confirms that you are sterile.
• Collect your specimen for semen analysis after 3 months.

Was there a eugenics movement in America? If you haven’t heard of eugenics it is the study or belief in the possibility of improving qualities of the human species or human population by discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesired traits (negative eugenics) or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics) Does this sound familiar?

The origin of Eugenics in America started with Albert Oshsner,  professor of surgery at the University of Illinois. In 1899 he published, Surgical Treatment of Habitual Criminals. His list of advantages of dealing with criminals using vasectomy was:

1. It would dispense with hereditary criminals from the father’s side.
2. Aside from being sterile the criminal is his normal self.
3. It would protect the community at large while not harming the criminal
4. The same treatment could reasonably be suggested for chronic inebriates, imbeciles, perverts and paupers.

Eugenics was accepted and procedures were carried out without any legal authority in the United Stated. In time 29 states had bills permitting sterilization of insane and feeble minded individuals and 12 states included sterilization of criminals, Minnesota is one of them. Over 6000 men were sterilized in the United States from 1909-1924. By the 1960’s, the eugenic sterilizations slowed to a trickle and eventually stopped as many state statues were overturned due to legal challenges.

Vasectomy recovery can be uneventful if the patient reads and fully understands the post vasectomy instructions. Ask for clarification if you have any questions on the post vasectomy care. Most physicians in Minnesota will allow you to drive yourself home after surgery if you don’t need to take any sedatives, but you have to arrange for transportation if you will be sedated. The vasectomy patients rarely need any sedation.

The post-operative discomfort is quite mild after a vasectomy. Local anesthesia given during the surgery will begin to wear off about an hour after the procedure. You may take Tylenol or Ibuprofen for pain control, but narcotics are rarely needed. Pain and swelling can be minimized by elevating your legs, staying off your feet and applying ice packs to the scrotal area after surgery.

Antibiotic ointment, gauze and an athletic supporter will be placed over the wound immediately following the procedure.  Continue to apply the antibiotic ointment daily until the skin puncture site is completely healed.  The athletic supporter should be worn for at least 2 days.

Once you return home after the surgery, relax and rest. It is not practical to apply ice pack in the first day because you have high stack of gauze under the athletic supporter.  You may apply the ice packs intermittently for the first 48 hours to reduce swelling in the scrotum after the gauze is removed. Overall, Applying ice packs are no longer critical for no-scalpel vasectomy since the trauma is so minimal.

Patients in the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas often notice scrotal swelling in the first week following the surgery.  The swelling often increases with activity, and may be relieved by wearing the athletic supporter and resting.

You may shower and spend more time walking on the second day.  Soaking in a warm bath is allowed once the incision has scabbed and can be soothed and beneficial to healing. Heavy lifting or vigorous physical activity should be avoided for 1 to 2 weeks.
A small amount of bleeding is normal but active bleeding is not. Call the physician if you experience a significant amount of bleeding or swelling from the incision site or within the scrotum.

Infectionis very uncommon following the no-scalpel vasectomy procedure in Minnesota.  Contact your physician if you notice excessive redness, tenderness, warmth or drainage from your surgical site.

Bruising over the scrotal skin is common following vasectomy. Call the physician if the scrotal sac is severely bruised and/or expanding in size.

Some men develop a small, tender nodule where the vas was cut.  These sperm granulomas can produce discomfort, but almost always resolve spontaneously. You can have the site re-examined if you are concerned.

Semen examinations should be performed to document the success of the surgery. Another form of contraception (such as condoms) should be used until you have been notified by your physician that you have had one or two negative semen checks documented. During the first week after surgery, there should be no sex and/or ejaculation. It is important to note that the patient will not be considered sterile for several months after vasectomy. It is important to resume ejaculation because it takes up to 20 ejaculations for any remaining sperm to be released. A semen sample will be examined about 12 weeks or 20 ejaculations after surgery to determine if sperm is still present.