: 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.
