Vasectomy and prostate cancer- Is there a link? | Minneapolis & St Paul

Vasectomy is one of the most common methods of male contraception in Minnesota, and is popular due to its efficacy and permanence. It was estimated that 15%, or about 50 million men had vasectomy procedures done in the United States. The first mention of an association between vasectomy and prostate cancer were in the late 1980s, where a study showed a positive link between vasectomy and risk in developing prostate cancer. Further studies throughout the years since then have been contradictory or inconclusive as to whether or not vasectomies actually increase the risk of prostate cancer.

For the most part, prostate cancer is nothing to fear for men considering a vasectomy. A recent 2015 meta-analysis of 9 different cohort studies was statistically analyzed in order to determine if a possible correlation between vasectomies and prostate cancer. The study concluded that there was no evidence that vasectomy increased the risk of prostate cancer. While there was slight positive correlation, it was deemed not statistically significant. Furthermore, correlation does not equate causation- there is no reason why vasectomy would actually cause prostate cancer. There is no proven biological mechanism that relates these two together.

There are many reasons why early studies may have shown a correlation between the two; for an example, men who have had a vasectomy were more likely to have tests for prostate cancer under a urologist. Also, prostate cancer diagnoses in general have risen in recent decades in part due to an aging population and better testing methods. Most authorities, like the National Cancer institute and the American Urological Association, agree that vasectomy does not increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Regardless, the decision to get a vasectomy is not one to be made lightly. It is an important family planning decision and permanent as well- vasectomy reversals are becoming more and more easily attainable but they are still expensive compared to a vasectomy and are not guaranteed to work, especially if the vasectomy was done a long time ago. Please take the time to decide whether a vasectomy something that you really want.

Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome (PVPS) | Minneapolis & St Paul

Some men in Minnesota experience chronic pain after a vasectomy, known as post-vasectomy pain syndrome (PVPS). While pain is normal for a few days post-vasectomy, those with PVPS will continue to have pain months after the procedure. The pain can be severe enough to interfere with daily life. It can be a dull, general pain, or be sharp and localized, and many report that the pain gets worse during intercourse. In the past, the incidence of PVPS was thought to be very low (<1%), but recent surveys have shown that up to 15% of men who get a vasectomy experience PVPS, while 2% experience chronic pain that significant effects quality of life. Dr.Shu performed about 1000 vasectomies, only one patient came to have a follow up due to ongoing post vasectomy pain after three months of vasectomy.

Treatment and cause of PVPS may be different patient-to-patient, as everyone responds differently to the procedure.There are multiple potential causes of post-vasectomy pain syndrome, including sperm granulomas (small clusters of sperm cells), neuroma (pinched nerve) due to inflammation, vasectomy being too close to the epididymis and epididymal congestion.

Generally, PVPS is treated initially treated conservatively, via heat/cold therapy, scrotal support, NSAIDs, etc. If this isn’t enough, other drug therapies are sued. If pain is debilitating and continues despite treatment, it may require the excision of a granuloma, epididymectomy (removal of epididymis), or vasectomy reversal. These methods, while more invasive, have a fairly high rate of resolution.

While PVPS is certainly something to take into account when deciding on whether or not to get a vasectomy, it is not common and in most cases very mild. For most, the freedom granted by a vasectomy far outweighs the (very low) potential of complications.

Scalpel vs. No-Scalpel vasectomy | Minnesota

Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that involves severing or tying the vas deferens, the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles. This is a very effective, permanent form of birth control.
During a conventional vasectomy, the doctor must first make two big incisions in both sides of the scrotal skin. The vas is surgically separated from the other structures in the spermatic cord. The vas is then tied off cut, and separated. The incision is then sutured back together.

In no-scalpel vasectomy, there is no big incision; instead, a small single hole is made in the skin of middle scrotum using a special sharp hemostat, and the vas deferens are lifted using a ring clamp. The surrounding fascia is removed to expose the vas. The vas deferens is cut, and the upper ends are cauterized. The titanium clips are placed on to keep the opened ends of the vas deferens out of alignment. The vas deferens are then placed back into the scrotum. A scrotal support is applied and the procedure is done; no sutures are used on the hole.

No-scalpel vasectomy offers several advantages. No-scalpel vasectomy is inherently less invasive, and safer. The chances of complications with conventional vasectomy is 5-10% as a result of bleeding, scarring, infection, etc, while chance of complications with no-scalpel is less than 1%. No-scalpel vasectomy is takes 10 minutes; conventional vasectomy takes 30 minutes. No-scalpel causes less pain, and it also takes less time to heal completely. Most can resume normal physical activity the next day. They are both equal in effectiveness. Ultimately, it seems clear the no-scalpel vasectomy is the better option of the two.

Dr. Steven Shu in the procedure clinic has performed more than 1000 non-scalpel vasectomies with 100% success rate, Zero percent wound infection, and the extremely high patient satisfaction.

Three Common Questions Men Have About Vasectomies | Minnesota

How effective is it?
A vasectomy is 99.85% effective as a birth control method. Typically, a year after vasectomy, only two women out of 1000 become pregnant. So far, Dr. Shu’s techniques have proved to be very effective, and he performed about 1000 vasectomies without any failure (100% effective).
Post-vasectomy pregnancy usually occurs soon after the procedure due to residual sperm in the vas deferens and late occurance due to vas recanalization. It usually requires 20-25 ejaculations before no sperm is present in seminal fluid; prior to that partners should take caution during intercourse, and it is strongly recommended to have a follow up test for sperm in ejaculate after the procedure.

Tubal ligation, or “getting your tubes tied” is often seen as the female equivalent, and is similarly effective; however, it is considerably more invasive and poses higher risk of complications.

Does it effect sexual pleasure/performance?
Physically, vasectomies have no effect on sexual performance or libido. Vasectomies only involve cutting the vas deferens, the path that leads from the testes to the urethra. Sperm is still produced in the testes after a vasectomy, but it is absorbed into the body rather than enter the urethra. Erection, orgasm, and ejaculation all function as normal, just in the absence of sperm in the ejaculate. The testes function normally and continue to secrete hormones as they did before the surgery. Psychologically, some men may feel sexual anxiety, as fertility is seen by some as a crucial aspect of masculinity, in which case understanding and reassurance is required. That said, most partners seem to find that a vasectomy makes their sex lives better as fear of pregnancy is no longer an issue. Studies show that couples where the men has had a vasectomy tend to have sex 5.9 times per month on average, compared to 4.9 times a month for the average couple.

Is vasectomy reversible?
Yes! Vasovasostomy is a procedure where the severed vas deferens is reconnected to allow the passage of sperm. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done under local anesthesia in the office. Dr. Shu uses the no scalpel technique with minimal trauma, so the patients usually have a quick recovery. A vasoepididymostomy, done when vasovasostomy is not possible, involves connecting the vas tube to the epididymis, which is a far more invasive and is beyond the scope of an office procedure. Generally, success depends on how long the man has had a vasectomy.

Men’s Birth Control | Minnesota

Currently, there are very few methods of birth control available to men, as that responsibility has largely been assigned to the woman until recently. Today, however, due to rapid cultural shifts through the past few decades, there is a great and increasing number of men around the world looking to take birth control into their own hands! Still, there are few male contraceptives available to couples that engage in intercourse, which are male condoms, which are used by (15.3%) of contraceptive users, withdrawal (4.8%), and vasectomy (8.2%). The remaining 71.7% of users are using exclusively female-oriented birth control methods, such as the pill, IUD, diaphragm, spermicide, etc. Hormone-based birth control for men, like a pill or an implantable contraceptive, has the potential to be widely used but is not yet available for use.

So, of the three listed, how do they compare?
The most popular by far are male condoms– understandably so, as they are single serve, reliable, and do not require commitment. They offer some protection against STDs. They also don’t affect hormones, since it is a physical rather than physiological form of contraceptive, which is a relief for women that do not want the side effects of birth control. That said, condoms must be used every time a couple has intercourse to be fully effective, which can be annoying. The process of putting the condom on can often kill the mood, and many feel that having a condom on makes intercourse less pleasurable. Also, if used incorrectly, they can break, compromising their effectiveness. Whether or not condoms are worth the hassle is quite subjective, as every couple is different and may not have the same sexual requirements as others.

Withdrawal, also known as the pull-out method or coitus interruptus is the least common of the three. The advantages to withdrawal are easy to see- it is free, there are no side effects, and it’s obviously better than nothing. However, the effectiveness of withdrawal is questionable. At it’s best it can be 96% effective, but at its worst there is a 27% chance of pregnancy. It really all depends on the male partner’s ability to pull out in time, so a high level of trust between sexual partners is required. Even if male partner is reliable however, it is possible for pre-ejaculate to contain sperm left in the urethra that can still cause pregnancy. For some it could also make intercourse less enjoyable due to nervousness and sexual interruption. It also does not protect against STDs.

This leaves vasectomy. Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that involves blocking the tubes that carry sperm, effectively resulting in sterilization. There is still ejaculate, just no sperm in it. This makes vasectomies the most reliable form of contraception of the three. It is a one-time procedure that lasts indefinitely, as opposed to most other forms of contraception that require routine usage or usage during intercourse. It also does not affect hormones, unlike female birth control. One of the biggest concerns of getting a vasectomy is fear of it affecting the quality of sex, but it does not affect libido or sexual pleasure for either partner. Likewise, it is not a cure a lack of sex drive or erectile dysfunction. Some couples may want kids in the future, and conception is not possible after a vasectomy. A vasectomy can be reversed but requires another, more costly surgical procedure. Vasectomies also do not protect against STDs- only pregnancy.

Ultimately, the best option depends on the needs of the patient. Deciding to get a vasectomy is a commitment and should definitely be given some prior thought.

289 Vasectomies were Performed in 2016 Haiti Missions | Minnesota

Dr.Shu went to Haiti for his 2016 Haiti mission in the end of October. This is the second time that Dr. Shu participated in the Haiti mission through No Scalpel Vasectomy Inc. (NSVI), and it is also the fourth time that he participated in the international mission in the past two years.

For the first time, in October 2016, two NSVI teams provided vasectomy procedures and training at two sites simultaneously in northern Haiti. Over four days, this enabled the team to provide vasectomies at five sites, visiting some sites on more than one day. Each team was composed of three international vasectomy experts and either an experienced Haitian vasectomist or a Haitian trainee. About 122 vasectomies were performed during the October mission alone. In total, 289 vasectomies were performed during the three Haiti missions of 2016.

Our “Guest Vasectomist” volunteers not only paid their own ways to Haiti, but also made generous donations to help cover NSVI expenses.
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From distant locations in North America, our vasectomists met the Floridians in Miami.
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    NSVI team and Haiti physicians

  • More Feedback From Our Vasectomy Patients in 2016 | Minnesota

    More Feedback From Our Vasectomy Patients in 2016:

  • I was very nervous about having the procedure done but Dr. Schu was very professional and put me at ease. There was literally no pain whatsoever and the recovery time was very quick. I would highly recommend his services. Also the office was very warm and inviting and the staff were very friendly.
  • Easy start to finish
  • It was a piece of cake. I was so anxious up to and most of the way through the procedure, but it was done quickly and as easy as I hoped.
  • Amazing should have did it years ago.
  • It was a breeze! 7 minutes and I was in and out. Very little pain, and after taking it easy for a couple days I was right back into my regular schedule. Highly recommended!
  • Already have recommended to friends
  • Should of done this sooner! Very fast, easy and painless.
  • The procedure was fast, convenient and the pain was minimal (less than I expected). Happy with the decision to chose this procedure and this Dr.
  • Had a little more pain post-vasectomy than anticipated. And occasional pain a couple times in the few weeks after the procedure. Otherwise it went well.
  • I would recommend all my friends to Dr. Shu
  • 2 Free Large Pizza on World Vasectomy Day on November 18th | Minnesota

    For the fourth year in a row, Dr.Shu will be participating in World Vasectomy Day, an event that brings focus to the role men can take in family planning as responsible citizens of our planet. The vasectomies we are offering on World Vasectomy Day are part of a global effort. If you have the vasectomies done on November 18th, you will receive 2 free large pizza ($20 gift card).

    pizza

    Doctors in health clinics and medical offices around the globe will perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period for World Vasectomy Day, Nov. 18th, 2016. The fourth annual event is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and to inspire more men to become engaged in the global family planning conversation, above all.

    On November 18, 2016 World Vasectomy Day will be headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya! with free vasectomies offered by the local providers in Nairobi and international trainers. They will be joined by 1000 vasectomists worldwide. The event will be live-streamed including interviews with family planning experts, patients and their family members.

    Although most family planning specialists consider vasectomy the most effective permanent form of birth control available to men, there is still much resistance. Despite costing on average one-fifth as much as tubal ligation, not requiring general anesthesia or hospitalization, vasectomy is performed at less than half the rate of tubal ligation in the U.S. Worldwide, less than three percent of married women ages 15 to 49 rely on their partner’s vasectomy for contraception.

    More information about World Vasectomy Day can be found at http://worldvasectomyday.org.

    World Vasectomy Day, November 18, 2016 | Minnesota

    On November 18, 2016 World Vasectomy Day will be headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya! with free vasectomies offered by the local providers in Nairobi and international trainers. They will be joined by 1000 vasectomists worldwide. The event will be live-streamed including interviews with family planning experts, patients and their family members.

    For the 4th year in a row, Dr.Shu will be participating in World Vasectomy Day, an event that brings focus to the role men can take in family planning as responsible citizens of our planet. The vasectomies we are offering on World Vasectomy Day are part of a global effort.

    WVD Doctors in health clinics and medical offices around the globe will perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period for World Vasectomy Day, Nov. 18, 2016. The fourth annual event is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and to inspire more men to become engaged in the global family planning conversation.

    More information about World Vasectomy Day can be found at World Vasectomy Day.

    Feedback from Our Vasectomy Patients (1) | Minnesota

    Here are the feedback from our vasectomy patients.

    • I found I was worried over nothing. It was minimal discomfort and even that was completely gone after a week.

    • The procedure was very quick (20 minutes from the moment that I was called in until the moment that I walked out). There was virtually no pain at all, and within 4 days I was completely back to normal. I would highly recommend this procedure and Dr. Shu to anyone looking to have a vasectomy.

    • super easy procedure

    • I am very pleased with the procedure! It was as easy as 1,2,3 .

    • Everything was real good except having to wait 30 min. past the scheduled appointment before getting in for procedure.

    • Very easy procedure. Thanks to the staff for calming my nerves.

    • It’s hard to rate the procedure. I didn’t enjoy it.

    • I have recommended the office to several friends.

    • I would highly recommend this type of vasectomy. A quick procedure,with very little pain and a fast recovery.

    • Any fears about pain, mishaps, or the procedure were unnecessary. The entire experience was far more easier than I had anticipated. I highly recommended your clinic for anyone considering a vesectomy. Thank you.

    • This was as easy and painless as it could possibly be. I also saved a TON of money over going to my regular doctor’s office. I am very happy with my decision.

    • I should have had this done 30 years ago

    • I could not believe how painless it was. I was worried about it for no reason. It was over in less than five minutes once from the time I was set on the table to the time i was

    Three Major Reasons a Vasectomy Beats a Tubal Ligation | Minnesota

    Every couple in Minnesota whose family is complete may consider permanent birth control. The sterilization procedures include vasectomy, tubal 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.

    1.Hospital based Versus Office based
    Tubal ligation in Minnesota is usually laparoscopic procedure that involves hospitalization, general anesthesia and lengthier, more complicated surgery than a vasectomy. In comparison, vasectomy may be completed in 10 minutes with minimal trauma. Tubal ligation requires much longer recovery time than 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 10 minutes to complete. No scalpel vasectomy has a very quick recovery and very low risk of complications.

    2.Pain
    Women who have had tubal ligation may experience abdominal pain/cramping, dizziness, fatigue, gas, bleeding from the incision, and discharge. Of course, not every woman will experience these symptoms, and severity of symptoms can vary from woman to woman.

    Believe or not, the Easy™ no scalpel vasectomy procedure is incredibly simple and almost pain free. How do we achieve it?

      No scalpel: The new surgical techniques of the no scalpel vasectomy greatly minimize trauma and pain by only making a small, single punch in the skin of scrotum with special instruments, as opposed to a conventional, more invasive open procedure.
      No Needle: Madajet is a spray applicator that delivers a fine stream of anesthetic at a pressure great enough to penetrate the skin and envelop the vas deferens tube beneath the skin with an almost 100% efficacy rate, eliminating the need for additional anesthetic.
      No suture: the wound is so tiny ( a few millimeter) that it doesn’t require a suture to close it.

    3.Cost
    When it comes to cost, a simple office vasectomy is more than four to five 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 review all information on sterilization procedures from the reliable websites and your physicians, however, when it comes to risks, benefits, cost, and effectiveness, no scalpel vasectomy is more often the best option of sterilization.

    An Affordable and One Trip Vasectomy Care System in Minnesota

    In the previous blog, we talked about the fear of pain, one of three most common road blockers for Minnesotan men hesitating to have a vasectomy. This blog talks about affordability and convenience in vasectomy care in Minnesota.

    Not too long ago, there was no Internet, or very limited information on Internet. All medical information came from the words of doctors only. Therefore, the patients had to come to the doctor’s office for detailed counseling on sterilization. In the 21st century, medical information on the Internet has been exploding, including vasectomy information. The patients are able to study everything about vasectomy procedures as much as they want and take their time to make a wise decision on their family planning. As we all know, men are a different creature, and they hate coming to the doctor’s office three times for finishing the whole process of vasectomy care.

    We understand men’s psychology. That is why One Stop Medical Center developed a powerful website, EZvasectomy.com, with rich information on vasectomy and vasectomy reversal. All patients are required to review the important vasectomy information and watch a consultation video. A separate initial consultation is no longer required, although it is an option in certain special situations or per patient’s request. Dr. Shu will finalize the consultation on the same day of the surgery, so the patients don’t need another trip for the initial consultation. Moreover, the patients are able to register their vasectomy procedures by filling out the online registration form in the website.

    Traditionally, the vasectomized patients need to bring specimen for semen analysis three months following the surgery. One Stop Medical Center developed a mailer system to eliminate another trip for patients. Patients who live far away may simply mail the specimen to the clinic instead of bringing it personally. Therefore, most patients are able to have a vasectomy done in just one trip to our clinic instead of three.

    Our clinic used to charge much more for vasectomy procedure. In order to reduce the financial burden for our vasectomy patients, we cut the price of no scalpel vasectomy almost in half. This way, more men can afford to have their vasectomy done.

    One Stop Medical Center has simplified the vasectomy care system to create a more affordable, friendly and convenient vasectomy care system.

    Common Questions Men Ask About A Vasectomy: Pain | Minnesota

    The idea of Easy™ no scalpel vasectomy can seem daunting – on the one hand, it is a minimal invasive procedure done in a doctor’s office in 10 minutes, using only local anesthesia, and it is one of the most reliable, cost-effective forms of long term birth control available. On the other hand, a vasectomy can feel like kind of a drastic step to take because vasectomy is a surgical procedure. Although the techniques used in Easy™ no scalpel vasectomy is so advanced and so minimal invasive, still, many men in Minnesota hesitate to have their vasectomy done due to three factors: fear of pain, cost, and time. We are talking about each of them in this series of blogs. The first blog is to talk about pain related to vasectomy.

    Is there pain during the Easy™ vasectomy procedure?
    The number one objection voiced by the male in Minnesota to having a vasectomy done is the fear of pain. Believe or not, the Easy™ no scalpel vasectomy procedure is incredibly simple, safe and almost pain free. How do we achieve it?

    1. No scalpel: The new surgical techniques of the no scalpel vasectomy greatly minimize trauma and pain by only making a small, single punch in the skin of scrotum with special instruments, as opposed to a conventional, more invasive open procedure.

    2. No Needle: Madajet is a spray applicator that delivers a fine stream of anesthetic at a pressure great enough to penetrate the skin and envelop the vas deferens tube beneath the skin with an almost 100% efficacy rate, eliminating the need for additional anesthetic.

    95% of Minnesotan patients said there was mild, minimal, or no pain with their brief vasectomy procedure. Each patient is unique, and some are more sensitive to pain and discomfort than others. For some men, thinking about it may be more discomforting anxiety than the actual procedure. By offering no needle and no scalpel techniques for a vasectomy, One Stop Medical Center in the Twin Cities has mitigated the pain of the procedure and the fear that comes with it.

    How long will I experience discomfort after Easy™ vasectomy?
    The single wound in the middle of scrotum after Easy™ vasectomy is so tiny that it doesn’t even require a suture to close it, which further facilitates the recovery and healing. Discomfort afterwards is minimal. A shorter recovery time with mild swelling and bruise means that patients will be back to their normal routine just in two days after the procedure.

    Small percentage men state they still felt a certain degree of ache or discomfort for a few weeks after the procedure, but if you’re still sore or tender after more than a couple weeks you may want to give your physician a call.

    Procedure Clinic Offers No-scalpel, No-needle, No-suture Vasectomy | Minnesota

    Getting a vasectomy is an important decision in any man’s life and it is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Vasectomy is a safe and popular procedure of male contraception that is highly effective and a no scalpel vasectomy can be done in as little as ten minutes. Dr. Shu at Procedure Clinic uses state of the art technology and minimal invasive techniques and his years of experience for performing vasectomies and he has performed hundreds of such procedures in recent years. No scalpel vasectomy is a simple procedure that has a very low failure rate and quick recovery period as patients can resume work in as little as two days.

    Things to Know About Vasectomy

    One should gather ample information and learn the facts and concepts associated with vasectomy before undergoing the procedure. Here are some things you should know about vasectomy before choosing it as a form of contraception:

  • Vasectomy is performed as a permanent form of male contraception
  • No scalpel vasectomy is much less invasive and offers quick recovery
  • Vasectomy is ideal for men who are 100% sure they do not want more children
  • Vasectomies are nearly 100 percent effective and safe.
  • They don’t reduce a man’s sexual drive, virility, or ability to have or enjoy sex.
  • For more information on no scalpel vasectomy, please browse through https://ezvasectomy.com.

    2016 Philippine Mission – 454 Vasectomies in 7 Days | Minnesota

    Dr. Shu participated in the 2016 Philippines Vasectomy Mission from February 23 to March 1. This was his third time participating in the NVSI’s international mission.

    For the 2016 mission, physicians and support staff arrived from three continents and had more countries of origin than we could easily count. Dr.Shu was the only surgeon from Minnesota.

    The whole team performed a total of 454 no scalpel vasectomies in the seven-day mission, and Dr. Shu performed at least 50 vasectomies by himself.

    Phil-2016-Physicians-JohnAbano-JohnCurington-SarahMiller-JaySandlow-RobertKulik-NickDemediuk-StevenShu-RonWeiss

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    • Steven JB Liz Sarah under the Free No Scalpel Vasectomy sign
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    • NSVI group after lectures at Southwestern University NSVI group after lectures at Southwestern University[/caption]

    Dr. Shu participating in 2016 Philippine Vasectomy Mission | Minneapolis & St Paul

    A group of doctors from the United States, Canada, Australia, Poland, will be going to the Philippines from February 21 to March 2nd, 2016 to provide free vasectomies for local residents. Minnesota physician Dr. Steven Shu, medical director of One Stop Medical Center, is participating in this mission. This is the third time that he has been part of an international vasectomy mission sponsored by the nonprofit organization, No Scalpel Vasectomy International Inc (NSVI). It is expected that more than 400 no scalpel vasectomies (NSV) will be done in the 8-day trip.

    The NSV mission is sponsored by No Scalpel Vasectomy International Inc.(NSVI), which has been providing free NSV services since 2001. The mission of NSVI is to promote and provide free No-Scalpel Vasectomy services worldwide, but especially in developing countries whose infrastructure and environmental resources are challenged by rapid population growth unchecked by established and/or effective family planning programs.

    Dr. Shu shares a passion with the vasectomy guru Dr. Doug Stein in Tampa, FL, promoting and providing no scalpel vasectomy (NSV) services worldwide. As an expert in office procedures in Minnesota, Dr. Shu has been enjoying making my contributions to local communities over the past 13 years. Since 2015, he has been focusing more on his international volunteer work in Philippines and Haiti..

    Please feel free to steer a few of your philanthropic dollars toward NSVI. You probably already give to other organizations with top-heavy administrations who are strangers to you. What better gesture than to donate $45 to help a poor Haitian man (1) reduce his overhead, (2) reduce the risk to his partner of another unintended pregnancy, (3) more successfully nurture fewer children, and (4) reduce overcrowding in a small country whose environment has already been stripped of many resources by a population of over 10,000,000.

    World Vasectomy Animation

    Video World Vasectomy Animation

    We all have occasions we celebrate each year. For us, that date is World Vasectomy Day!

    But what is World Vasectomy Day? Let’s take it one step at a time.

    A vasectomy is a permanent form of birth control for men where the doctor first separates the vas deferens and then seals up each end. This prevents sperm from entering into the seminal stream and fertilizing a woman’s egg. After it’s done you’ll still produce the same amount of semen, but no sperm, or like some say, ‘all juice no seeds’.

    Can you just use a condom? For sure, but it turns out 18 out of every 100 men who use a condom as their primary form of birth control get a woman pregnant within a year.

    With a vasectomy, failure is less than 1%. You do the math. And what do you call a man who uses withdrawal? Daddy.

    And while no guy likes a doctor poking around in our private parts, for almost 99% of men there’s no lasting pain, the whole thing takes only 15 minutes and there’s no negative effect on our sex lives.

    In fact, eliminating the fear of pregnancy can actually make it better.

    You’d think every man, whose family is complete would get a vasectomy, but there are whole countries where less than 1% even choose the option.

    So why are men so resistant?

    Bad information and old habits lead to fears like my sex life will decrease” or “My testosterone will decline.

    The Luo language of Kenya uses the same word for “vasectomy” and “castration’, but the common fear world over is that a vasectomy makes you less of a man.

    Really?

    Manhood is not determined by how many children you make, but how well you care for those you already have.
    And some people don’t even want any kids and that’s their choice as well.

    A courageous man doesn’t run from risk, he shares responsibility with his partner. He doesn’t give in to fear. He gets a vasectomy out of love.

    And if that love includes concern for the planet our children will inherit, you should know that a vasectomy lowers carbon footprint 28 times more than a lifetime of reducing, reusing and recycling.

    So on World Vasectomy Day we celebrate the men and women who rise as one to take responsibility for our children, our families and our future. For some this means choosing to get a vasectomy, for the doctors and providers it means doing them.

    For all of us how we create new life is certainly the most important conversation of our lives. So join us this year on November 13, as we make history and create a better future.

    2 Free Large Pizza on World Vasectomy Day on November 13th | Minnesota

    Doctors around the world will perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period for World Vasectomy Day on November 13, 2015. This 3rd annual event is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and inspire more men to become engaged in global family planning conversations. Dr. Steven Shu of One Stop Medical Center in the Twin Cities announced his clinic’s participation in 2015 World Vasectomy Day and will offer 2 large free pizza to all vasectomy patients on November 13.

    WVD

    pizza

    2015 World Vasectomy Day will be headquartered in Bali with free vasectomies offered by the local providers in Bali and international trainers. They will be joined by over 500 vasectomists worldwide. The event will be live-streamed, including interviews with family planning experts, patients and their family members.

    “This is my third time participating in this event. In 2013 we celebrated our first year out of Adelaide, Australia with 150 doctors doing 1000 vasectomies in 25 countries. In 2014 we headquartered in Orlando, Florida, and 500 doctors in 32 countries did 30,000 vasectomies, making it the largest male-oriented family planning event in history,” said Dr. Shu, medical doctor and surgeon at One Stop Medical Center. “A countdown to Third World Vasectomy Day will begin on November 13. More information can be found at http://worldvasectomyday.org.”

    A majority of the men who undergo the vasectomy procedure do so in order to ease the burden of family planning on their wives. Although a vasectomy has long been considered as the most effective and affordable way for a couple to pursue long-term contraception, there is still much resistance. Many men hesitate to undergo a vasectomy due to fear of pain, cost, and time. In order to eliminate these roadblocks, One Stop Medical Center in Minnesota’s Twin Cities has developed an affordable, virtually painless and convenient one-trip vasectomy care system. The patients are able to register their vasectomies online through its website http://www.EZvasectomy.com.

    Failure of Vasectomy and Recanalization | Minneapolis & St Paul

    The patients will have the semen analysis to confirm the success of the procedure three months after the vasectomy. If motile sperm is present 12 weeks after the vasectomy, it indicates that recanalization has occurred or that there was a technical failure in vas occlusion.

    However, the vasectomy should not be repeated immediately if motile sperm is found in the semen analysis prior to six months after the vasectomy. Additional semen analysis should be performed at intervals of four weeks for up to six months after the vasectomy for further evaluation.

    Approximately 30% to 50% of men with recanalization eventually achieve azoospermia or rare nonmotile sperm over a period of six months after the vasectomy due to fibrosis of the vas and occlusion of the recanalization. Therefore, the decision to repeat the vasectomy should not rely on a single semen analysis. A repeat vasectomy should be done if the number of motile sperm increases in the subsequent semen analyses or if motile sperm persists for six months after vasectomy.

    Motile sperm may represent a risk of pregnancy and indicate the need for continued use of another contraceptive method.

    One Stop Medical Center in Minnesota reported a zero failure rate in about 600 vasectomy cases, most of which were performed in the past few years. All vasectomies were performed with no scalpel, no needle, and no suture techniques.

    Achieving Zero Failure Rate and Zero Infection Rate in No Scalpel Vasectomy | Minnesota

    All birth controlmethods work best if used correctly every time you have sex. The vasectomy has one of the lowest failure rates among birth control methods. Moreover, no-scalpel vasectomy has many proven advantages with a lower complication rate over the conventional vasectomy. Still, some men in Minnesota hesitate to have their vasectomy done because they are afraid of failure and complications.

    One Stop Medical Center of Twin Cities reported a zero failure rate and zero infection rate in about 600 vasectomy cases, most of which were performed in the past few years. All vasectomies were performed with no scalpel, no needle, and no suture techniques.

    The failure rate for the no scalpel vasectomy, which uses the fascia clipping technique, is even lower than the traditional vasectomy. The immediate risks of vasectomy are bleeding and infection, but these risks are generally very low for vasectomies. The risks are even lower with our no scalpel vasectomy.”

    A very small percentage of patients develop small hematomas (collection of blood) and large hematomas are even rarer. Small hematomas usually resolve by themselves. Large hematomas need an incision and drainage.

    One Stop Medical Center has developed a powerful website with a plethora of information on the vasectomy that helps Minnesota patients to understand the potential side effects and complications. It also provides detailed instructions on how to prevent common complications.

    World Vasectomy Day, November 13, 2015 | Minnesota

    On November 13, 2015 World Vasectomy Day will be headquartered in Bali with free vasectomies offered by the local providers in Bali and international trainers. They will be joined by over 500 vasectomists worldwide. The event will be live-streamed including interviews with family planning experts, patients and their family members.

    For the third year in a row, Dr.Shu will be participating in World Vasectomy Day, an event that brings focus to the role men can take in family planning as responsible citizens of our planet. The vasectomies we are offering on World Vasectomy Day are part of a global effort.

    WVDDoctors in health clinics and medical offices around the globe will perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period for World Vasectomy Day, Nov. 13, 2015. The third annual event is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and to inspire more men to become engaged in the global family planning conversation.

    More information about World Vasectomy Day can be found at http://worldvasectomyday.org.

    A Different Experience in Haiti Vasectomy Mission comparing to the Philippine Mission | Minneapolis & St Paul

    Dr. Shu of One Stop Medical Center in Minneapolis participated in the vasectomy mission in Haiti in mid of July 2015. This is the second time this year that he has been part of an international vasectomy mission sponsored by the nonprofit organization, No Scalpel Vasectomy International Inc (NSVI).

    Dr. Shu shares a passion with the vasectomy guru Dr. Doug Stein in Tampa, FL, promoting and providing no scalpel vasectomy (NSV) services worldwide. He joined the international team in the Philippine mission in February 2015.

    Thanks to the opening of the expanded runway at Cap Haitien Airport, there is now jet service to Northern Haiti from Miami. We served three locations: the Uls Sante Clinic in Ft. Bourgeois, the town of Plaisance, and the Ft. St. Michel Health Center in Cap Haitien, and three physicians performed about 90 vasectomies in three days.

    The Haiti mission is much more challenging than the Philippine mission because of the poor economy with a high unemployment rate, poor public infrastructure, and an under-developed health care system. NSVI has established a Domestic Program in Northern Haiti as it has done in the Philippines. The Haitian government has made family planning a national priority, and should be very receptive to the help offered by NSVI.

    Please feel free to steer a few of your philanthropic dollars toward NSVI. You probably already give to other organizations with top-heavy administrations who are strangers to you. What better gesture than to donate $45 to help a poor Haitian man (1) reduce his overhead, (2) reduce the risk to his partner of another unintended pregnancy, (3) more successfully nurture fewer children, and (4) reduce overcrowding in a small country whose environment has already been stripped of many resources by a population of over 10,000,000.

    Dr. Shu Announced to Participate in Vasectomy Mission in Haiti in July 2015 | Minnesota

    Dr. Shu of One Stop Medical Center has announced that he will participate in the vasectomy mission in Haiti in late July 2015. This is the second time this year that he has been part of an international vasectomy mission sponsored by the nonprofit organization, No Scalpel Vasectomy International Inc (NSVI). A total of 365 vasectomies were performed by the international team in six days in the Philippines mission last month, and Dr.Shu did more than 50 vasectomies alone.

    Dr. Shu shares the passion with the vasectomy guru Dr. Doug Stein in Tampa, FL, promoting and providing no scalpel vasectomy (NSV) services worldwide. He joined the international team in the Philippine mission last month, and the whole team performed 365 vasectomies in 6 days.

    In the past 13 years, Dr. Shu has dedicated his time to community activism, including the founding of the Minnesota Chinese Physician Association (AMCP) and the free clinic Minnesota Chinese Health Center (MCHC), and publishing the Chinese newspaper Minnesota Times. From 2015 onward, he will focus more on his international volunteer work.

    Minnesota Physician Dr. Shu to participate in Vasectomy Mission in the Philippines in Feb 2015

    A group of doctors from the United States, Canada, Australia, Poland, and Ireland will be going to the Philippines from February 3nd to 10th to provide free vasectomies for local residents. Minnesota physician Dr. Steven Shu, medical director of One Stop Medical Center, is participating in this mission. It is expected that more than 500 no scalpel vasectomies (NSV) will be done in the 8-day trip.

    The NSV mission is sponsored by No Scalpel Vasectomy International Inc.(NSVI), which has been providing free NSV services since 2001. The mission of NSVI is to promote and provide free No-Scalpel Vasectomy services worldwide, but especially in developing countries whose infrastructure and environmental resources are challenged by rapid population growth unchecked by established and/or effective family planning programs.

    As an expert in office procedures in Minnesota, Dr. Shu has been enjoying making my contributions to local communities over the past 13 years. From now on, he will focus more on his international volunteer work.

    For more information, please read the news release “Minnesota Physician to Participate in Vasectomy Mission in the Philippines“.

    Dear Men in Minneapolis & St Paul

    Dear Men,

    We came up with Ten Reasons to support World Vasectomy Day as a way to explain the spirit behind our event, but we want to make sure that every one of you who decides to get a vasectomy, either during WVD or any point in the future, does so because it is the right option for you.

    First – as valuable as it may be to make a positive contribution to the world, the decision to have a vasectomy is highly personal and dependent on your individual circumstances. We must emphasize the importance of taking the time to seriously consider whether you are in fact ready to take this step. Even though the decision is yours, we encourage you to talk it through with trusted friends as well as other men who have had a vasectomy.

    Second – vasectomy should be considered as a permanent form of birth control. Reversals are possible, but not only are they much more expensive than a vasectomy, success is not guaranteed.

    Third – while we live in a world where an 18 year old is considered old enough to die or kill for his country, it is likely that this same young man would be questioned and even counseled against getting a vasectomy. And while there are some men who feel sure at a very young age that theyʼll never want to be a father, statistically, some of those men will end up changing their minds. WVD does not have a position on what the minimum age should be to get a vasectomy. However, if you are a young man, or a man who has never had a child, you might consider freezing some of your sperm!

    Fourth – while a young man may feel certain he wants to have a vasectomy, it might not be a service that a particular physician or a clinic feels comfortable doing. This decision is not necessarily a moral judgment, but a reflection on what he or she believes is in the best interests of that patient.

    Fifth – and of great importance – although the vast majority of men who have a vasectomy are satisfied with the procedure, and most of their female partners are grateful to no longer have to worry about taking ultimate responsibility for birth control, there is a small percentage of men who might regret their decision. This may be due to changes in their lives, their family, negative psychological reactions, or complications that include long-term pain.

    Serious complications can occur in about 1-2% of cases. If you suffer from pain, your pain is not a statistic, but a very serious issue. We share this information because itʼs critical each patient is fully informed about the procedure and the full range of possible consequences. Furthermore, we believe that continued research is needed in this area and we fully support any and all efforts to do so.

    Sixth – if you or your partner is non-monogamous, you should wear a condom. A vasectomy does not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.

    Seventh – for those who say ʻgetting a vasectomy makes you less of a manʼ, we say, thereʼs nothing manly about getting a woman pregnant when itʼs not what you want or not having sufficient resources to care for your child in a way that reflects what you value.

    Eighth – while the biggest fear for many men is that a vasectomy will have an adverse effect on their capacity to give or receive sexual pleasure, the good news is, eliminating fear of pregnancy might actually improve your sex life!

    In conclusion, vasectomies may not be right for every one, but for men:
    1. who are certain they donʼt want any or more children
    2. whose families are complete and
    3. that are certain theyʼre going to be sexually active with women who are still fertile vasectomy is a very good option.

    Regardless of whether or not you choose to have a vasectomy, on World Vasectomy Day or any other day, please take the time to consider all of the above points.

    Sincerely,
    Jonathan Stack, Co-founder
    World Vasectomy Day

    World Vasectomy Day FAQ | Minneapolis & St Paul

    What is World Vasectomy Day?
    For World Vasectomy Day, an annual observance, doctors in health clinics and medical offices around the globe perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period. The second annual observance, Nov. 7, 2014, will represent participation by at least 200 physicians in some 25 countries including the U.S, Australia, India, Kenya, China and Colombia. World Vasectomy Day is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and inspire more men to become engaged in the global family planning conversation, above all.

    What is the goal of World Vasectomy Day?
    World Vasectomy Day is not just about how many vasectomies are completed, but how many
    conversations about men’s role in family planning are launched.

    Who founded World Vasectomy Day?
    Filmmaker Jonathan Stack and urologist and vasectomist Doug Stein, MD, joined forces in 2012 to tell the story of human population’s impact on the planet. World Vasectomy Day sprang from their alliance. Stein has performed over 33,000 vasectomies.

    Where will World Vasectomy Day 2014 be headquartered?
    It will be headquartered in Florida at Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando’s new Kissimmee Health Center. Those vasectomies performed in Dr. Stein’s office in Florida will be part of the second annual Vasectomy-athon, to be live-streamed on the World Vasectomy Day website. The live webcast will include feeds from many participating doctors, interviews with family planning leaders, and live vasectomies from around the world.

    How much will the vasectomies cost in World Vasectomy Day?
    Each practitioner will set his or her own pricing. One Stop Medical Center offers 2 free large pizza ($20 gift card) on the top of its very affordable price ($590). The patients may call 952-922-2151 to schedule the procedure.

    When did the first World Vasectomy Day take place?
    The initial celebration was the largest male-oriented global family planning event ever, taking place on October 18, 2013. We achieved our goal of getting over 100 doctors in 25 countries to do over 1,000 vasectomies in 24 hours.

    Was it a live event?
    The first World Vasectomy Day was headquartered at the Royal Institution in Adelaide, Australia, a national scientific nonprofit organization. It included live vasectomies performed in front of invited experts and a live studio-audience that were live-streamed globally.

    2 Free Large Pizza on World Vasectomy Day on November 7th | Minnesota

    For the second year in a row, Dr.Shu will be participating in World Vasectomy Day, an event that brings focus to the role men can take in family planning as responsible citizens of our planet. The vasectomies we are offering on World Vasectomy Day are part of a global effort. If you have the vasectomies done on November 7th, you will receive 2 free large pizza ($20 gift card).

    WVD

    pizza

    Doctors in health clinics and medical offices around the globe will perform as many vasectomies as possible in one 24-hour period for World Vasectomy Day, Nov. 7, 2014. The second annual event is designed to heighten awareness of and dispel myths about vasectomy, increase access to the procedure, and to inspire more men to become engaged in the global family planning conversation, above all.

    Some 250 physicians in 30 countries are expected to perform roughly 1,500 vasectomies on Nov. 7. To date, among some 30 countries with confirmed participation in the event are Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, England, Kenya, the Philippines, Poland, Rwanda, Spain, Thailand, Uganda and the United States. A countdown to World Vasectomy Day will begin on Oct. 7, 2014.

    Last year, 100 physicians in 25 countries performed 1,000 vasectomies for the first World Vasectomy Day, which was headquartered at the Royal Institution in Australia, a national scientific nonprofit organization where the day’s vasectomy-athon was streamed live. A majority of the men deciding to have the procedure did it to ease the burden of family planning on their wives. “They tell us they felt it was time to step up,” Stack says. Although most family planning specialists consider vasectomy the most effective permanent form of birth control available to men, there is still much resistance. Despite costing on average one-fifth as much as tubal ligation, not requiring general anesthesia or hospitalization, vasectomy is performed at less than half the rate of tubal ligation in the U.S. Worldwide, less than three percent of married women ages 15 to 49 rely on their partner’s vasectomy for contraception.

    More information about World Vasectomy Day can be found at http://worldvasectomyday.org. An open letter to men considering vasectomy includes Ten Reasons to support World Vasectomy Day and concludes that while vasectomies may not be right for everyone, they can be a good option for men whose families are complete, who are certain they don’t want any or more children, and who are certain they are going to be sexually active with women who are still fertile.

    More FAQ (2)

    Q. Is no scalpel vasectomy easily reversible?
    A.
    Yes, current vasectomy technique is much more reversal friendly. We no longer remove the segment of vas, and we no longer to cauterize both ends of vas. The open ended vasectomy technique keeps healthy vas as long as we can, so vasectomy can be easily reversed if you change your mind later. You also need to remember that we can put the tubes back together in the majority of cases, but you cannot guarantee that the reversal will be successful since the success rate is related to the time between the vasectomy and its reversal. You can’t guarantee that a pregnancy will result. And that is regardless of the method of vasectomy.

    Q. What happens if I get an erection during the procedure?
    A.
    I have performed many hundred of vasectomies in the past decade, I haven’t seen this. Most male patients are nervous enough to suppress their sexual arousal. It is not an issue.

    Q. Is there anyone else in the room during the procedure?
    A.
    Usually not. You will always be asked if someone else is to be present. Our front desk and medical assistants will greet you and help you to get paperwork done right before vasectomy. On occasion the doctor ask the medical assistant to assist if needs more instruments and accessories. Very occasionally, other physicians visit to observe the no scalpel vasectomy procedure. However, no family members or partners will be allowed to attend.

    More FAQ (1)

    Q. Can I take Aspirin for pain?
    A:
    No, Asprin is a blood thinner, which may cause bleeding or more bruising.

    Q. Can I take Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin?) or Naproxen ?
    A.
    Yes, you can take it in limited doses. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is preferred. Many patients don’t take anything after a vasectomy.

    Q. Do I have to put ice on afterwards?
    A.
    No, because no-scalpel vasectomy causes very small trauma in your scrotum.

    Q. Can I lift my kid after the vasectomy?
    A.
    You should not lift anything in the first week.

    Q. Can I take a Sauna/bath/Jacuzzi/Whirlpool?
    A.
    We recommend to only shower before complete healing.

    Q. When can I shower after the procedure?
    A.
    You can shower in 24-36 hours.

    How is Easy™ vasectomy done without a needle?

    In order to make vasectomy patients happier, the no needle technique was invented. It significantly reduces the fear and vasovagal reaction (fainting) during vasectomy.

    Conventional needle anesthesia in no-scalpel vasectomy involves the use of a 27 gauge needle to raise a wheal at the skin of scrotum; it is then advanced its full length along the vas on each side where further anesthetic solution is deposited. One could feel a small poke and a bit of a squeezing pain during injection. However, most men do not like needles of any size … especially there!
    MadaJet_2

    Madajet

    MadaJet® was invented to replace needle injection. Wilson in 2001 initially described no-needle jet injection as a new anesthetic technique. Weiss and Li refined the jet injection technique for vasectomy. (J Urol 2005; 173:1677-1680). It is a spray applicator that delivers a fine stream of anesthetic at a pressure great enough to penetrate the skin and envelop the vas tube beneath the skin, attaining a close to 100% efficacy rate with no need for supplemental anesthetic.

    Vasectomy March Madness in Minnesota

    National media reported the phenomena of vasectomy March Madness last year, and CNN gave a follow up report on this topic last week. What is Vasectomy March Madness? It is the phenomena that more men seek vasectomy during NCAA Basketball tournament time.

    There is no national data to support the trend of vasectomy March Madness. Dr. Ed Sabanegh, chairman of the Department of Urology at the Cleveland Clinic told CNN that they performed 40 or 50 more vasectomies a month before and during the 68-team basketball tourney.

    One Stop Medical Center in MN reported that we didn’t notice a trend with vasectomies in Minnesota during the NCAA Basketball tournament last year. We monitored it closely this year, and we did notice big jump in vasectomy procedures in the past few weeks although other factors may play a role, too, such as lowering price and the convenient one trip vasectomy service system.

    Men can do two things at once; recover from their vasectomy and catch some great basketball action. It just may become a trend. Pick your favorite sport and time your procedure with the games you want to watch. It may be the World Series, The Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup playoffs that you want to watch with your wife’s approval during your recovery time.

    New Study showed Recession Drove More Men to Have Vasectomy

    According to a study presented at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine on October 15, 2013, there was an increase in the rate of vasectomies performed each year from 2005 to 2012, which coincided with the recession starting in 2007. The increasing trend of vasectomies plateaued at the end of the recession in 2012. The researchers interviewed about 1,700 men who had a vasectomy consultation at a clinic in Wisconsin. About 1,450 of the men went through with the vasectomy procedure.

    The studies showed that recession drove men to have a vasectomy earlier. Men who received vasectomy consultation in the years 2005-2008 had on average 3.1 children, a number that fell to 2.3 following the 2008 recession.

    The study researcher Dr. Anand Shridharani, a practicing urologist in Milwaukee, thinks that the increase in vasectomy rates mirrors the decrease in average income, which could be taken as a measure of economic health. He believes the economy plays a role in trying to prevent having unintended children because of the economic burden of having a child. Another possible factor is that people may have become more educated about various options for contraception, including vasectomy.

    More studies are needed in the future to prove the trend that the recession influences more Americans to decide against having another child with abortions and vasectomies.

    Easy™ Vasectomy in Minnesota

    We know you don’t like scalpels and needles, we know you don’t like multiple trips in order to have a vasectomy, and we know you don’t like to pay a lot of money for a vasectomy. So we developed the most convenient, affordable, and efficient system to help you to get the vasectomy done in a single trip.

    Here is how it works.
    (1) Initial consultations and post vasectomy follow ups are not required.
    (2) Before scheduling a vasectomy:

    • Download the Vasectomy Handout, fill out the demographic form, and review the instructions, general information and consent. Bring the seven page vasectomy handout with you on the procedure day. You also review more information in vasectomy page,
    • Watch counseling video. Dr. Shu was personally trained by Dr. Stein, and he uses the same techniques that Dr. Stein uses.
    • Consider payments options. We bill your insurance or charge $640 for the cash patients.
    • Select a location: Edina or Shoreview.
    • You don’t need to buy an athletic supporter, we provide you with one for free.
    • The vasectomy procedure is done under local anesthesia within ten minutes, and you are able to drive home by yourself.

    Easy™ Vasectomy is so easy, a single trip and 10 minutes procedure.

    Dr.Shu performed six vasectomies on World Vasectomy Day.

    Oct 18th was World Vasectomy Day. Dr. Shu participated in the international event as part of a global effort. 1,000 men in 25 countries took the ultimate snip to show they care about the growing strain that population is placing on the planet’s resources, their families, and themselves. The goal of World Vasectomy Day is to raise awareness about the environmental impact of rising population on the planet and men’s roles in family planning and vasectomy as a solution to prevent unintended pregnancies. pizza

    Dr.Shu performed six vasectomies on World Vasectomy Day. These patients received free large pizzas and athletic supporters. Some of them took the pictures as a meaningful moment in their life. One of them sent the information to the “Late Show with David Letterman” right after his vasectomy.

    We believe that October 18 is becoming a special day every year for many men and families all over the world.

    Dr. Shu had Own Vasectomy Done

    Dr. Shu has performed hundreds of no scalpel vasectomies in his office over the past years. He recently went to Tampa for vasectomy reversal training. While he was learning the reversal techniques from Dr. Doug Stein, he asked Dr. Stein to do the vasectomy for him. Dr. Stein is the world’s most prolific vasectomist, who has performed more than 30,000 vasectomies and 1500 vasectomy reversals, and he will perform vasectomies in front of an audience at the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) – Australia’s national science hub – to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day on October 18th, 2013.

    When we asked Dr. Shu why he had the vasectomy done, he stated that he had three lovely children and has completed his family. More importantly, he plans to expand his vasectomy practice, so he wanted to know how his patients experience vasectomies.

    “Of course, I didn’t need an initial consultation”, Dr. Shu said. “When Dr. Stein finished all vasectomy patients at the end of day, he said, Steven, your turn. I lied down on the exam table, and in less than eight minutes, my vasectomy was done with no scalpel, no needle and no sutures. I didn’t feel any pain during the procedure except mild discomfort after the numbing medicine went away, so I took Tylenol since I continued my reversal training next day. I wore the athletic supporter for two days. I was back to see my patients right after I came back from Tampa, and I didn’t take any days off, although this is not recommended.”

    Dr. Shu told his medical staff that he had a very good experience from his own vasectomy. Now he is able to share his experience with his vasectomy patients. We lowered our price of vasectomy, put more practical information on our website, and simplified the whole process from consultation to vasectomy and post care. We are confident that we are going to be the number one vasectomy and reversal center in Minnesota.

    Free Large Pizza and Athletic Supporter on World Vasectomy Day on October 18th

    Dr. Shu participates in the international event, World Vasectomy Day. The vasectomies we are offering on World Vasectomy Day are part of a global effort. If you have the vasectomies done on October 18th, you will receive a free large pizza and a free athletic supporter.

    WVD

    For more information: World Vasectomy Day, the vasectomist.

    On October 18, 2013 men all over the world, whose families are complete, will dedicate their vasectomy to Planet Earth in a world-first vasectomy-athon to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day (WVD). The goal is to raise awareness about the environmental impact of rising population on the planet, men’s role in family planning and vasectomy as a solution to prevent unintended pregnancies.

    1,000 men in 25 countries will take the ultimate snip to show they care about the growing strain that population is placing on the planet’s resources, their families and themselves.

    Benefits of Open-ended Vasectomy in Minnesota

    More men in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas know about no scalpel vasectomy, but not many of them know about the open-ended vasectomy. The open ended technique leaves the testicular end open, which improves reversibility and lessens the chance of long term chronic pain.

    In closed-end vasectomy, blocking the normal exit of sperm in a vasectomy can increase the chance of pain due to elevated pressure within your testes secondary to accumulating fluid, thickening sperm debris and swelling (i.e.dilation of seminiferous tubules).

    Open-ended vasectomy Technique:
    1) Cut the vas. It is unnecessary to remove a segment
    2) Cauterize the prostatic end with eye cautery and seal it with surrounding fascia using a clip
    3) Do not cauterize the testicular end

    Research shows that these potential problems can be avoided if you leave the testicular end open. Granuloma formed at the cut end of the testicular end acts as a natural safety valve because it does not seal completely, which leads to a reduced rate of post vasectomy pain.

    The open-ended technique results in less scarring than when cautery is used and provides an easier vasectomy reversal in men who choose reversal later in life.

    Concerns with theOpen-ended vasectomy:
    1) If the fascia is not adequately closed over the prostate end of the vas, recanalization can occur. It is important to use the proper cautery technique and implement an adequate barrier of fascia between the cut ends of the vas.
    2) Elevated serum levels of anti-sperm antibodies could be a little more common, which may cause a very minor effect on vasectomy reversal. But 50-70% of traditionally closed-ended vasectomized men have elevated serum levels of anti-sperm antibodies anyway.

    What is World Vasectomy Day? | Minnesota

    WVD

    For more information: www.indiegogo.com/projects/world-vasectomy-day, www.thevasectomist.net

    On October 18, 2013 men all over the world, whose families are complete, will dedicate their vasectomy to Planet Earth in a world-first vasectomy-athon to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day (WVD). The goal is to raise awareness about the environmental impact of rising population on the planet, men’s role in family planning and vasectomy as a solution to prevent unintended pregnancies.

    1,000 men in 25 countries will take the ultimate snip to show they care about the growing strain that population is placing on the planet’s resources, their families and themselves.

    Why World Vasectomy Day?
    WVD is a chance for men all over the world to make a very personal choice that has a profoundly public impact on our present and our future. We are asking men who do not want more children to join forces to shoulder the burden of family planning and in so doing, fight for their family, their community, their country and our planet.

    WVD will be a world-class knowledge-sharing forum addressing critical science related issues within the context of a highly innovative and ambitious multiplatform public event. But we need YOUR HELP to get there.

    What will Happen on World Vasectomy Day?Dr. Stein
    vasectomies performed: The world’s most prolific vasectomist, Dr Doug Stein will perform vasectomies in front of an audience at the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus) – Australia’s national science hub – to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day.

    Streamed live: The event will be the world’s first live-streamed vasectomy-athon. Dr Stein will field questions from both the live Adelaide audience and an international online audience.

    Discussion: There will be a gathering of diverse thought leaders including population expert and author of The Population Bomb Professor Paul Ehrlich who will weigh in on the social, political, cultural and ethical issues raised by the event and Dr Stein’s mission to save the planet… one vasectomy at a time.

    Multiple locations around the globe: While Dr Stein performs vasectomies live from the RiAus in an unorthodox ‘operating theater’, doctors around the world will also perform vasectomies, connected to the event via Skype and social media platforms.

    Does Vasectomy increase the risk for prostate cancer?

    Two decades ago, several studies showed conflicting results on the correlations between vasectomy and prostate cancer, which received media attention at that time. The current conclusion is that there is an insufficient basis for recommending any change in the current clinical practice on vasectomy.

    You should know these three important concepts on this issue.

    • The validity of a study depends on how well the study is designed. Researchers have to consider all possible compounding factors that affect the results.
    • Since the causes of prostate cancer remain unknown, it has been impossible to assure that the risk factors for the illness were equally distributed between the vasectomized and nonvasectomized men.
    • There is an absence of a biological explanation of how vasectomy might lead to prostate cancer.

    In 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO) expert meeting concluded that a causal relationship between vasectomy and prostate cancer was unlikely. In 1993, the NICHD expert meeting concluded that the positive associations between vasectomy and prostate cancer found in some studies may or may not be valid. Most physicians in Minnesota have been guided by NICHD’s expert panel of 1993 which concluded there is an insufficient basis for recommending any change in current clinical or public health practice. Providers should continue to offer the vasectomy procedure. It has a long track record as a safe and effective method of male contraception.

    Good Reasons to Have a No-Scalpel Vasectomy in Minnesota

    No scalpel vasectomy is a simple, quick and safe method for male sterilization. The recovery period is very short, and patients in Minnesota can return to work and their regular lifestyle within a few days. Sexual activity, penile sensitivity and male hormone production are not affected by vasectomy.

    There are a variety of benefits to have a no scalpel vasectomysuch as the ones listed below:

    • The number one good benefit is an obvious one – you won’t have any more kids!

    • Once the procedure is done, there is no need to constantly think about contraception; in other words, after vasectomy, couples in Minneapolis and St Paul can stop thinking and worrying about this issue altogether.

    • Some patients in Minnesota find that freedom from the fear of producing an unwanted child improves the mutual enjoyment of sexual relations, sometimes making it more spontaneous and frequent.

    • Women should not take all the responsibility for birth control. Female contraceptives can be associated with more risks than a vasectomy. Birth control is something that most women have thought about a lot longer than most men for the simple fact that they are the ones getting pregnant. It may be time that middle aged men take it upon themselves to practice birth control. In addition, your woman will love you for it, isn’t that reason enough?

    • One great and indisputable benefit of having a vasectomy for some men in Minnesota is that you will never be asked to wear a condom again. A comic once said that “having sex with a condom is like eating ice cream with a balloon stretched over your tongue” which is something everyone can agree on!

    • Another ancillary benefit to a vasectomy is that you can get a few days off of work.

    Myths of Vasectomy in Minnesota

    Men in Minneapolis and St Paul sometimes believe that the is a vasectomy painful surgical procedure. However, this is just a myth. Here are some other myths about vasectomy.

    1. MYTH: A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that requires hospitalization and sedation.
    FACT: A vasectomy is usually performed in an outpatient setting. In our procedure clinic, all vasectomies are performed in our office. Like many other office procedures, the patients in Minnesota usually don’t need any sedation. The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes.

    2. MYTH: A vasectomy is a painful surgical procedure involving scalpels and sutures.
    FACT: At One Stop Medical Center, we use a revolutionary no-scalpel technique that doesn’t involve scalpels or sutures. No scalpel vasectomy is a less invasive procedure with a quicker recovery. The whole procedure is painlessly done through a single tiny skin puncture. If you are afraid of needles, we also offer the no needle approach with a “jet” injector to deliver the local anesthetic which provides maximum in patient comfort.

    3. MYTH: Most men in Minnesota don’t consider a vasectomy to be viable form of birth control.
    FACT: A vasectomy is an acceptable and effective form of birth control for couples that have completed their family. Each year, more than half million men in the US choose to get a vasectomy. About one out of six Minnesota men over the age of 35 have had a vasectomy.

    4. MYTH: A vasectomy really isn’t permanent, as the vasectomy reverse is easy and quick.
    FACT: A vasectomy is a permanent male sterilization. The patients in Minnesota should only have a vasectomy if they are certain that they do not want any more children. While a vasectomy can be reversed with microsurgery in many cases, the procedure is more complicated and quite expensive with a relatively low success rate, nor does it guarantee restored fertility.

    5. MYTH: Vasectomy works immediately after the procedure.
    FACT: A vasectomy may take up to 3 months to completely free your semen of sperm. Therefore, couples are advised to use another form of contraceptive until the doctor can confirm that the man’s semen no longer contains sperm.

    6. MYTH: A vasectomy will negatively affect a man’s enjoyment of sex .
    FACT: A vasectomy simply interrupts the passage of sperm during an orgasm. Erections, climaxes, and ejaculations should continue after a vasectomy. Normal hormones are still produced. Some men in Minnesota may experience difficulty with erections or ejaculations, but this is usually a psychological problem rather than a surgical complication. In fact, many couples in Minnesota experience an improvement in their sexual relations because they are no longer worried about pregnancy.

    How is No-scalpel Vasectomy Procedure is Performed in Minnesota?

    If you are considering having a no scalpel vasectomy, you are definitely not alone. Every year, about five thousands Minnesotans choose to have a no scalpel vasectomy as a permanent male contraception.

    No scalpel vasectomy is performed in an office under local anesthesia. It takes only 15 minutes for each vasectomy.

    Here is the detailed description of how no scalpel vasectomy Procedure is performed.

    • NUMBING THE AREA AROUND THE VAS DEFERENS
    With the patient lying down, the scrotum skin is cleaned with alcohol and a small amount of local anesthesia is placed into the scrotal skin with a fine needle or needleless pressure spray applicator around the vas deferens. Then the scrotum and its surrounding areas are prepped with Betadine.

    • HOLDING AND EXPOSING THE VAS DEFERENS
    Dr. Shu begins the procedure on the right side by gently bringing the vas deferens to a position just under the scrotal skin. A tiny puncture is made in the numbed area of scrotal skin. The vas deferens are then secured and pulled out with a ring clamp through the small opening. The surrounding fascia is stripped with a sharp instrument to expose the vas deferens.

    • INSURING COMPLETE OCCLUSION
    Dr. Shu uses 3 steps to insure complete occlusion: he cuts the vas deferens and destroys the lining of the tube on each end with cautery (scarring it) and places small titanium clips in the vas fascia to separate the opened ends of vas deferens. The vas deferens are then placed back into the scrotum in its normal anatomic position.

    A similar procedure is performed on the left side vas through the same puncture hole to complete the no scalpel vasectomy. No suture is placed in the puncture hole in the scrotal skin. A scrotal support is applied and the patient can then walk out the office. The local anesthesia will keep the area numb for two hours after the procedure.

    Pain Issues in Vasectomy | Minnesota

    Vasectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done safely in the office. The procedure is performed painlessly under local anesthesia. The patients in Minnesota feel mild discomfort and/or aching in the first couple days after the anesthetic wears off, however most patients don’t take any pain medications after no scalpel vasectomy. Fear of pain is still the number one reason for men in Minnesota to resist getting a vasectomy because they don’t want to have surgery near their genital organs. A good consultation before vasectomy the helps to relieve anxiety.

    Another concern related to pain in the vasectomy ischronic scrotal pain. Pain continues in 3 months or more after the procedure. The old literature suggests that approximately 20% of men will have “chronic pain” following the vasectomy. This surprisingly high rate is probably caused by traditional surgical technique which closes the ends of vas at the surgery or influenced by other compounding factors. Men in Minneapolis and St Paul continue to produce sperm at about the same rate as before, so the sperm have to go somewhere. They typically build up in the epididymis, which is a 16-foot-long tightly coiled tube behind each testicle. Some men become sensitive to the buildup of pressure in the duct and begin to experience pain.

    The urologist Dr. Turek in San Francisco in California did a survey in his patients to examine the issue of chronic scrotal pain in his practice. Overall, 7% of respondents said they had pain, much lower than the rate in the literature. In addition, no man in the survey was self-medicating for pain. He also surveyed healthy medical students who had not had a vasectomy and found almost identical findings: 5% had chronic pain, sometimes in the scrotum, but often elsewhere – and without a vasectomy! He concluded that: 1) normal, healthy men occasionally have scrotal and other kinds of pain, making the scrotum a “hot spot” for men, 2) the prevalence of this pain in his patients is no different from that found in healthy men without vasectomies, and 3) the men at highest risk for having pain after vasectomy are men with pain in the scrotum or even elsewhere before the vasectomy. This data has been reassuring information for all patients in Minnesota to know. We believe that no scalpel vasectomy has very low rate of chronic scrotal pain, and we haven’t had any reports on the chronic scrotal pain from our vasectomy patients in Minnesota yet.

    How to Talk about No Scalpel Vasectomy to Your Husband in Minnesota (2)

    Women in Minnesota truly carry significant burden of responsibility for birth control. After you learn the fact that no scalpel vasectomy is a safe, minimally invasive and highly effective male contraception, and that most insurance plans in Minnesota cover vasectomy, some of you may wish that your husband could share responsibility in contraception. How do you talk to your husband about it?

    1.You should not force our husband to do the vasectomy, after all, it is his body and his vas. He should feel the freedom to say yes or no.

    2.Explore all options with your husband first, then discuss the pros and cons without bias. People are most able to take in information when they can let their guard down. In other words, have this part of the process be as neutral as possible. If your husband feels pressure, he is less likely to fairly weigh the options.

    3.Find a good time to discuss the birth control issue.

    4.Take your time, and be patient. Let your husband to do his own research online or talk to friends who have had vasectomies.

    5.After finding out more about the no scalpel vasectomy, he will probably discover that the procedure is actually quick, easy, and has a smooth recovery. When men make the vasectomy decision, they can feel a great weight lifted off their shoulders that they no longer worry about future pregnancy. They might also feel proud of themselves for sharing the responsibility in the family planning.

    How to Talk about No Scalpel Vasectomy to Your Husband in Minnesota(1)

    Many women in Minnesota do not enjoy taking birth control pills. Some of them forget to take them every day. This is one of reasons why birth control pills fail. Other people suffer from the side effects. But many women still take it because they and their partners have to use something for birth control.

    If a couple in Minnesota choose to use a condom, the failure rate will be much higher than other birth control methods. It also affects their passion and dynamic during the love-making process. “Honey, I have to put it on first”.

    If women in Minneapolis choose IUD, they would have to do a small procedure in the doctor’s office. Some women may develop excessive bleeding, ectopic pregnancy or increase the chance of pelvic infection. Otherwise, IUD is a reliable and reversible birth control method, but it is not very popular in the US.

    If women in St Paul choose to get a tube ligation, they would have to go through a surgical procedure under general anesthesia in the hospital with significant expense. The tube ligation surgery has a higher complication rate than other birth control procedures. Other tube blocking methods are also options with slightly higher failure rate.

    Many women in Minnesota know that no scalpel vasectomy is a very safe and simple office procedure for male sterilization. and it is a better birth control option for many couples in Minneapolis and St Paul. They prefer their husbands to share birth control responsibility. The question is, if women want their husband to get a no scalpel vasectomy, how do they talk to them about it? We will give you the advices in the next blog.

    Reasons for Men in Minnesota Resisting Getting a Vasectomy (2)

    • Sexual dysfunction – A deeper psychological reason men in Minnesota have against vasectomies is that they are worrying about their sexual function and masculinity. The psychological issue is that if men cannot impregnate a woman anymore that makes them less of a man.
    Reality: A vasectomy does not reduce a man’s sexual drive or his ability to have an erection or enjoy sex. The procedure only blocks sperm and simply prevents the possibility of conceiving a child. There’s no effect on “masculinity”. The man’s body continues to produce hormones as before and testosterone continues to be produced and released into the bloodstream.

    •Worries about permanency – Men in Minnesota know that a vasectomy is a male sterilization and a permanent method for birth control. This becomes another reason for men to resist vasectomies. With a divorce rate of more than 50% and deadly accidents and diseases, the chances of remarriage are much higher than decades ago. What if you get remarried, and you and your new partner want to have another child?
    Reality: You want to have a vasectomy now because you don’t want to anymore kids, period. We cannot predict the future. But if you truly change your mind, or if your new wife wants to have kids, you may consider a vasectomy reversal (60% success rate) or vitro fertilization, however both are fairly expensive. Also, the reversible vasectomy with a plug may be in the market in the near future.

    • Procedure failure – Men also worry about a vasectomy failure , as many of them really don’t want kids any more. They may have heard stories of how a vasectomy failure changed his friend’s life.
    Reality: Vasectomies are almost 100 percent effect and very reliable. The traditional vasectomy failure rate was about one to three per 1000, while a no scalpel vasectomy with fascia clip technique had a significantly decreased failure rate (less than one per 2000). There has not been a single case report from the hundreds of vasectomies performed in Dr. Shu’s office over the past 10 years.

    • Complications – Any procedure could have potential complications. Men in Minnesota are afraid of vasectomy complications which may affect their sexual organs.
    Reality: There are few risks involved with vasectomies. The most common complications are bleeding and an infection, it can be easily controlled with an evacuation and antibiotics. We have not seen a single case with large hematoma or infection in the past 10 years.

    Reasons for Men in Minnesota Resisting Getting a Vasectomy (1)

    Thanks to the Internet, men in Minnesota are getting more education on male birth control. They are more comfortable to make the biological decision and get a vasectomy done.

    There are many reasons men resist getting a vasectomy, even no scalpel vasectomy.

    Pain: Almost all men in Minnesota fear the idea of having surgery anywhere near their genital regions. This is probably the number one reason on the list. Fear of pain causes anxiety and makes it hard for men to make their decision.

    Reality: Local anesthetic is given gently with a hair-sized needle or jet spray without causing any significant pain which completely numbs the area, so there should not be any discomfort or sensations during the procedure. If patients feel mild discomfort and/or aching in the first couple days after the anesthetic wears off, medications or ice packs can be used. It is important to understand that vasectomies are generally much less invasive and painful than surgical options for the woman. Moreover, no scalpel vasectomy is even less invasive with a tiny skin puncture and causes much less pain than traditional vasectomy. Patients in Minneapolis and St Paul are recommended to ask questions and consult doctors about any risks and concerns in order to relieve anxiety. We constantly get positive feedback from all patients, and they say that it was much simpler than they thought.

    Australia’s Live Vasectomy in Front of Audience

    Last week, TIME reported that the Royal Institution of Australia in Adelaide is looking for a few incredibly bold men to undergo vasectomies in front of a live audience. Why? To get people talking about it. That’s right, the institution is planning to hold a number of public vasectomies later this year. According to TIME, the institution’s program manager, Lisa Bailey, said the organization was hoping to encourage wider and more open discussion on male contraception and population control.

    Concepts of Non-hormonal Male Birth Control | Minnesota

    Over the past decade, several concepts of non-hormonal male birth control were developed. Researchers use the molecular biology technology to target the sperm.

    These ideas include:

    • paralyzing sperm by blocking Cs protein in the sperm. Cs protein is related to the mobility of sperm’s tail.
    • blocking sperm maturation by turning off a trigger protein
    • stopping the sperm production by medication or compound

    Blocking the vas deferens with implants or plugs is another approach for male birth control. One of the most promising male birth control options under investigation is reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance (RISUG), also known as VasalGel. It was developed by Indian scientist Sujoy Guha. The procedure is very simple; a gel form of nontoxic polymer is injected into vas, and the gel coats the interior of the vas deferens and immobilizes sperm. An injection is able to sterilize men for 10 to 15 years. It is also completely reversible with a follow-up injection that dissolves the gel.

    As of right now, no scalpel vasectomy is the best bet for Minnesota men, as it is safe and effective!

    Male Birth Control Options in Minnesota

    There are numerous birth control options available today, everything from the oral birth control pill and intrauterine device (IUD) for Minnesota women, but men in Minneapolis & St Paul have very limited options for male contraception on the market. The main ones are abstinence, rhythm method, withdrawal, condoms, and vasectomy. Given this lineup, there is certainly room for more reliable contraceptives for men. Yet some men in Minnesota complain that none of those options allow them to fully enjoy sex, as condoms may reduce penile sensation, for instance, and vasectomies require a surgery.

    A male birth control pill certainly sounds like an attractive idea. But after the millions of dollars of research in the past several decades, there’s still no pill. Pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers have investigated long-term, reversible forms of birth control designed for men, and all have fallen short.

    We believe that a male birth control pill can be developed in the future, but it is definitely not easy. Here are possible reasons.
    • Side effects. Researchers discovered that the high dose of testosterone approach comes with a host of physical side effects, including acne, weight gain, prostate-gland growth and abnormal liver function.
    • The effects of hormone-based male pills varie with a man’s ethnicity. Works for some, but not all.
    • International pharmaceutical corporations all dropped their male birth control development programs, without financial assistance from a pharmaceutical company.
    • Even a magic pill is developed; two big questions still surround its possible use: will men take it? Will women trust them to take it?

    Despite all of this, there is still a healthy interest in a male birth control pill or non-hormonal options. One thing seems to be clear: given the safety and effectiveness of vasectomy, and fact that there is no daily compliance issue with vasectomy, any new option for male contraception has to be this good or better. In the next blog, we will talk about a reversible vas-blocking procedure in the future.

    Talking to Your Partner Before You Make the Permanent Decision | Minnesota

    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 Techniques in Minnesota

    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.

    Comparison between Vasectomy and Tubal Ligation | Minnesota

    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.

    Beauty of No-Scalpel Vasectomy in Minnesota

    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

    Overview of Vasectomy in Minnesota

    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.

    Eugenics Movement with Vasectomy in America | Minnesota

    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 | Minnesota

    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.

    Psychological Effects of Vasectomy | Minnesota

    Men have been surveyed about their vasectomy satisfaction since the mid 1970’s. The goal was to find out whether they were happy over all with their decision to have a vasectomy based on their sexual satisfaction and happiness.  90% agreed that their sexual desires and satisfaction levels were the same or better than before they had their vasectomy. 7-10% of men surveyed regretted their decision. The first surveys being done were just asking whether men were satisfied or dis-satisfied with their procedure. It did not ask about how they were feeling about it.

    When the men were interviewed about their feelings and the psychological aspect was looked at, it was found there were valid reasons for men regretting their decision. Some were feeling bullied by their wife into having the procedure done. Others felt good about their decision but major changes in their life made them feel regretful.  Life changes such as divorce and re-marrying or re-partnering with someone have a big impact on men especially if their new spouse or partner wants to have children. Up to 5% of men have a vasectomy reversal. A higher percentage would probably have a reversal done if it wasn’t for the cost and low success rates. Men who are typically younger when they have a vasectomy tend to have more regrets down the road.

    Dr. Steven Shu of One Stop Medical Center located in Edina, MN always requires a consultation and likes to make sure that both partners are in agreement before doing a vasectomy. It is important to have both couples on the same page in order to maintain high satisfaction levels in the emotional and sexual relationship.

    Doctor in UK Performs a DYI Vasectomy

    So far in Minnesota, we haven’t had any doctors reporting a DYI surgery but in the UK they have a brave doctor who gave it a try. Dr. Jonathan Heatley of Horsham, West Sussex in the UK, performed 3 vasectomies and decided that he should be number 4 that day. He and his wife already have 3 boys who are ages, 12, 14, and 16 and he knew at some point he wanted to get a vasectomy.   He called in his nurse and his wife who works with him as the practice manager.  The doctor, who admittedly was a little nervous, gave himself a local anesthetic. His main concern was making sure that the area was numb before he started his procedure.   His nurse and wife were standing by to help and everything went smoothly.  He had his wife stepping on the foot pedal of the apparatus as needed for the DYI surgery. The procedure he performed on himself only took 20 minutes. Then he went home, relaxed and read a book. The next day he was back to work and just a couple days later was out riding his bike around town. Here is proof that a vasectomy is relatively pain free and nothing to be afraid of.

    Chronic Pain After a Vasectomy in Minnesota

    Vasectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done safely in the office. The complications of vasectomy in Minnesota are very rare. The bleeding and hematoma formation is the most common immediate complication after vasectomy. The most significant long term side effect in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas is chronic pain after a vasectomy. About 1 in 1,000 men experience pain afterward, and we haven’t had any reports on the chronic pain from our vasectomy patients yet. After a vasectomy, men continue to produce sperm at about the same rate as before, and those sperm have to go somewhere. They typically build up in the epididymis, which is a 16-foot-long tightly coiled tube behind each testicle. Some men become sensitive to the buildup of pressure in the duct and begin to experience pain.

    What can be done to relieve the pain? In many cases, taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, wearing a supporter and sitting in a warm tub to increase blood flow is enough to treat the problem. Eventually the pain goes away.

    If it doesn’t, there are several options. We can redo the vasectomy, leaving the testicle end open, allowing the sperm to leak out, which relieves pressure in the epididymis. The downside is that this increases the chance that sperm will find a new channel into the ejaculate, so we have to monitor men by doing periodic sperm counts. Another option is to remove the epididymis, which is a much more complicated procedure than the original vasectomy. Or some patients may consider reverse the vasectomy, which always relieves the pain. The drawback, of course, is that the man is fertile again.

    Indications of Vasectomy in Minnensota

    Vasectomy is a permanent sterilization surgical procedure. No scalpel vasectomy in Minnesota is a minimally invasive office procedure that makes a man sterile (unable to get a woman pregnant). Vasectomy may be recommended for men who are 100% sure they do not want to get a woman pregnant in the future.

    A vasectomy is not recommended as a short-term form of birth control.  A vasectomy reverse procedure is a much more complicated operation and very costly. So if the men in Minnesota are not sure about vasectomy, they should not do it.

    Vasectomy is indicated for men in Minnesota who:

    • Are in a stable relationship, and both partners agree that they do not want any more children. They do not want to use, or cannot use, other forms of birth control.
    • Are in a stable relationship, and their partner has health problems that would make pregnancy unsafe for her.
    • Are in a stable relationship, and one or both partners have genetic disorders that they do not want to risk passing on to their children.

    Vasectomy may not be a good choice for the men in Minneapolis and St Paul areas who:

    • Are in a relationship with someone who does not know whether or not they want children in the future.
    •  Are in a unstable or stressful relationship.
    • Are thinking about having the operation just to please their partner.
    • Want to have children later by storing their sperm or by reversing their vasectomy.
    • Are young and still have many life changes ahead.
    • Are single when they want to have a vasectomy. This includes men who are divorced, widowed, or separated.
    • Do not want, or his partner does not want, to be bothered by having to use other forms of birth control during sexual activity.

    Vasectomy Cost in Minnesota

    Vasectomy costsare usually affordable and often covered under health insurance plans in Minnesota. Typically, vasectomy costs will be in the range of $700 to $1,000 in Minneapolis and St Paul areas, the suggested price range of a vasectomy includes your initial consultation, vasectomy procedure, and post semen analyses. The price can fluctuate based on where you live in Minnesota, the method of procedure, and other variables. Some clinics will include all of these in one price, while many may charge for each individually, so make sure to inquire about the price of consultation and post-op analysis when looking for potential doctors. In most cases, the cost is the same for the no-scalpel vasectomy or a conventional vasectomy.

    Vasectomy costs may differ depending on where the procedure takes place. Getting one at a doctor’s office under local anesthesia is usually the cheapest, as hospitals or surgical centers, while still a valid option, may cost more due to anesthesia or facility fees. Vasectomy in men is significantly less expensive than tubal ligation in women, which may be as much as five times more costly. Generally, this is because tubal ligation is a more complex surgery, performed in a hospital or surgery center and requiring a general anesthesia. A vasectomy is simpler, safer office procedure.

    Most health insurance companies in Minnesota will cover vasectomy costs, but you should check it to make sure that your insurance company includes vasectomy benefits. If you do not have a health insurance plan, you may ask if the clinic may offer you a discount on your vasectomy cost. Our clinic usually offers a 20% discount for patients who pay in cash.

    Vasectomy Consultation in Minnesota

    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 vasectomy consultation will be more effective.

    The minimum and necessary concepts that should be discussed in a preoperative vasectomy consultation include the following: (based on American Urological Association Guideline)

    • Vasectomy is intended to be a permanent form of contraception.
    • Vasectomy does not produce immediate sterility.
    • Following vasectomy, another form of contraception is required until vas occlusion is confirmed by post-vasectomy semen analysis.
    • Even after vas occlusion is confirmed, vasectomy is not 100% reliable in preventing pregnancy.The risk of pregnancy after vasectomy is approximately 1 in 2,000.
    • Repeat vasectomy is necessary in ≤1% of vasectomies, provided that a technique for vas occlusion known to have a low occlusive failure rate has been used.
    • Patients should refrain from ejaculation for approximately one week after vasectomy.
    • Options for fertility after vasectomy include vasectomy reversal and sperm retrieval with in vitro fertilization. These options are not always successful, and they may be expensive.
    • The rates of surgical complications such as symptomatic hematoma and infection are 1-2%. These rates vary with the surgeon’s experience and the criteria used to diagnose these conditions.
    • Chronic scrotal pain associated with negative impact on quality of life occurs after vasectomy in about 1-2% of men. Few of these men require additional surgery.
    • Other permanent and non-permanent alternatives to vasectomy are available.

    Birth Control Methods And Failure Rates Minnesota

    All birth control methods work the best if used correctly and every time you have sex. The vasectomy is one of the lowest failure rates among the birth control methods. The study showed the traditional vasectomy failure rate is 1-3 per 1000 cases; the failure rate would be even lower in no scalpel vasectomy with the fascia clipping technique.

    Here is a list of some birth control methods with their failure rates.

    Birth control methods and failure rates
    (the number of pregnancies expected per 100 women)

    Sterilization surgery for women: Less than 1 pregnancy
    Sterilization implant for women: Less than 1 pregnancy
    Sterilization surgery for men (vasectomy): Less than 1 pregnancy
    Implantable rod: Less than 1 pregnancy
    Intrauterine device: Less than 1 pregnancy
    Shot/injection (Depo-Provera): Less than 1 pregnancy
    Oral contraceptives: 5 pregnancies
    Skin patch: 5 pregnancies
    Vaginal ring: 5 pregnancies
    Male condom 11-16 pregnancies
    Diaphragm with spermicide 15 pregnancies
    Sponge with spermicide 16-32 pregnancies
    Cervical cap with spermicide 17-23 pregnancies
    Female condom: 20 pregnancies
    Natural family planning (rhythm method): 25 pregnancies
    Spermicide alone: 30 pregnancies
    Emergency contraception: 1 pregnancy

     

    No Scalpel Vasectomy | Minnesota

    More than half million vasectomy procedures are performed in the United States every year. Vasectomy is a minimally invasive sterilization procedure for male patients in Minnesota, in which the vas deferens tube leading from each testicle is cut and sealed, preventing sperm from becoming part of the seminal fluid that leaves the body at sexual climax. Without sperm in the semen after the vasectomy is done, a man can not impregnate his female partner.

    No scalpel vasectomy procedure is usually done in an office setting under the local anesthesia, and the procedure takes about 20 minutes. The semen analysis will confirm the effectiveness of a vasectomy in 3 months.

    The immediate risksof vasectomy are bleeding and infection, but these risks are generally very low for vasectomies. The risks are even lower in our no scalpel vasectomy.  We have performed almost 200 no scalpel vasectomies in Minneapolis/St Paul area in the past years, and there have been no cases of infection or large hematoma (bleeding).

    It is important to follow the post vasectomy instructions.

    • Discomfort should be mild, may take Tylenol or Ibuprofen as needed, normally strong pain relievers are not necessary. Get plenty of rest and stay off your feet. Don’t need to use ice packs.
    • You should wear a new scrotal support immediately after the vasectomy and for a few days afterward.
    • Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe swelling or a growing mass related to bleeding, any sudden fever, chills, increasing pain, swelling or drainage, and lasting pain.
    • You should be able to take showers after a day or two. Do not take baths or submerge your body in water for a few days after surgery.
    • You should be able to return to work after three 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. Keep in mind that until your doctor confirms that you are sterile, use an alternate form of birth control.

    Important Question to Ask Before Vasectomy | Minnesota

    The practice of vasectomy was pioneered in 1950, but for many years the vasectomy procedure was used sparingly; many men were uncomfortable with the idea of elective surgery on their sexual organs. But today, vasectomy is becoming more frequent among men in Minnesota, and men are more comfortable with the procedure as education about vasectomy becomes more widely available online. Men realize that the idea that vasectomy will lower sex drive or libido is a myth; The two vas deferens are cut in the vasectomy, preventing any sperm from exiting the body through the penis. All other functions of the testes are still intact. Even sperm is still produced, but it is absorbed by the body.

    The most popular vasectomy technique – no stitch, no scalpel vasectomy – requires work off for less than 3 days compared that of 1-2 weeks with traditional vasectomy, and it is also much less invasive than tubal litigation on women.

    No scalpel vasectomy is a affordable, reliable form of birth control that is more practical than other permanent alternatives in Minnesota. But men must know that sterilization is not immediate after vasectomy. Even after the vas deferensare cut, there is still sperm lingering in your system that can be present in semen. It will take several months before sterility is complete. You should use birth control until your physician determines you are completely sterile.

    Still, vasectomies are permanent, so it is important to be informed before you decide to get one. There is the most important question one must consider:

      • Do I want any more children in the future?

    Vasectomies are more or less permanent. Once the procedure is done, it’s done. It is possible to have vasectomies reversed, but to do so is prohibitively expensive, unreliable, not to mention that sperm production will never be the same as it was before. Do not getting vasectomies if you are not absolutely sure that you want it, and do not assume you can reverse it.

    Biological Implications After Vasectomy | Minneapolis

    The patients who had the no scalpel vasectomy in Minnesota often ask where the sperms go after no scalpel vasectomy. Here is the explanation for biological implication.

    After a vasectomy, the tube running from testes to the penis is no longer connected. The testes are still very much alive and functioning; Leydig cells continue to produce testosterone and hormones, which continue to be absorbed into blood. The only difference is that the path that sperm travels is interrupted. Sperm that is produced is broken down by the body. The epididymis’s membranes absorb the liquid created, while solids substances are broken down by macrophages and absorbed into the bloodstream. With the increase of stagnant sperm, the membranes of the epididymis increase in size to absorb more liquid. The immune system increases the amount of macrophages to handle an increase of solid waste.

    No scalpel vasectomies are, for all intents and purposes, permanent. Reversals are costly, have a considerably lower success rate, and often does not restore the sperm count and/or motility to pre-vasectomy levels.

    Confirmed, properly performed no scalpel vasectomies ensure life-long sterility with almost no chance of making a woman pregnant . It does not, however, prevent the transmission of STDs.

    No Scalpel Vasectomy | Minneapolis

    With so many options available in terms of birth control for women,  many men inquire regarding the availability of other options for male birth control excluding the usual abstinence, condoms, withdrawal before ejaculation, and vasectomy.  I would predict that with the fast development of modern medical science in 21th century,  just as women do, men will soon be able to simply take a pill to control the release of their sperm.

    There are actually much medical research being done in this field; such a market has a high demand. A number of research groups across the globe have tried different alternatives to male birth control. These include injected plugs, heat methods, pharmaceuticals, hormonal therapy, and obstruction of the vas deferens. Despite promising developments, these treatments are experimental , and not approved by FDA , and not worth any potential risks.

    Many people are still misinformed about vasectomy; it is not as painful and inconveniencing as one may believe. Modern developments in vasectomy have reached a point where a no scalpel vasectomy can be done in a doctor’s office in less than 20 minutes, using only local anesthesia. The procedure is incredibly simple and pain free- it involves making a small incision in the scrotum, where the vas deferens are severed and prevented from joining back together. Discomfort afterwards is minimal and patients can quickly return to their everyday lives. The patient  who gets a “no-scalpel” no scalpel vasectomy typically feel no change in libido, as vasectomies cause no physical change in sensation, testosterone levels, blood flow to the penis, amount of semen, or satisfaction of an orgasm. The only difference is that the semen has no sperm in it.

    Simply put, office no scalpel vasectomy is a safe, simple, and convenient method of birth control with few drawbacks.

    March Madness brings Vasectomy Madness | Minneapolis & St Paul

    NCAA Basketball tournament time seems to be a very popular time for vasectomies. Some clinics in the nation report a 50% increase in vasectomies at that time. Men can do two things at once; recover from their vasectomy and catch some great basketball action. The recovery time is usually a day or two of rest and using ice packs. What a great way to watch some guilt free basketball knowing that the “to do” list will need to wait.  If March is the month you are looking at getting your procedure done, you may want to set up your appointment early.

    It just may become a trend.  Pick your favorite sport and time your procedure with the games you want to watch. It may be the World Series, The Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup playoffs that you want to watch with your wife’s approval during your recovery time.  Dr. Steven Shu, of One Stop Medical Center in Edina, MN said that so far he has not noticed a trend with vasectomies in Minnesota the NCAA Basketball tournament.  Maybe that is something that he will use for advertising down the road for his vasectomy procedures .

    Anti-Vasectomy Bill Is Introduced | Minneapolis & St Paul

    Georgia Democrats propose limitations on vasectomies for men.

    In a ploy to get people to take a serious look at the right for a woman to make decisions about her own body, an anti-vasectomy bill was introduced by state representative Yasmin Neal this year. She is quoted as saying, “If we legislate women’s bodies, it’s only fair that we legislate men’s,” said Neal, who said she wanted to Write a bill that would generate emotion and conversation the way anti-abortion bills do. “There are too many problems in the state. Why are you under the skirts of women? I’m sure there are other places to be."

    The bill, HB 1116 reads: "It is patently unfair that men avoid the rewards of unwanted fatherhood by presuming that their judgment over such matters is more valid than the judgment of the General Assembly. … It is the purpose of the General Assembly to assert an invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men in this state and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men."

    This bill was written in response to a new anti-abortion bill that was introduced in Georgia that contained a prison sentence of 1-10 years for abortions done after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is currently illegal for abortions to be performed after 20 weeks unless the life or health of the mother will be in jeopardy.

    Many people feel that this bill is making light of a very serious topic and are disappointed in the approach of using an anti-vasectomy bill to make a political statement. Even Representative Neal admits that she has no problems with men getting vasectomies. She made her point and it is definitely getting the attention that she wanted. Other states are also following suit with the same tactic. It is not likely however that this bill will get any serious debate.

    Vasectomy and Sexual Health | Minneapolis

    Many men worry about how a vasectomy will affect their sex drive. Will I be able to have an erection, or ejaculate? How will it affect being able to have an orgasm? Will I still have a sex drive? The good news is that there is no relationship between a vasectomy and sex drive because there are no physiological changes that take place during a vasectomy, and the testicles and adrenal glands continue to manufacture testosterone hormone.  Testosterone also controls masculinity that is why the sex drive and masculinity are not affected by the surgery, either. It will not interfere with the blood vessels or the nerves that are responsible for having an erection and ejaculation.  Men will still have the same ability to maintain an erection and reach the orgasm.  The color and consistency of the semen after vasectomy are not changed since the semen mainly comes from the prostrate and seminal vesicles which are not affected by the vasectomy.

    It takes a few months of testing to determine that there are no more sperm present in the semen. Once that is established couples do not have to worry about using another method of birth control. It has been reported by both men and women that their sex life improved after a vasectomy. There is no more anxiety over an unplanned pregnancy and the sex drive has not decreased.

    Besides the initial mild swelling and aching right after no scalpel vasectomy, most men recover very quickly and return to work in a few days. Very few men may experience occasional mild aching in their testicles during sexual intercourse within a few months of vasectomy.

    What a vasectomy does is prevent the sperm from being able to fertilize an egg. A man will no longer be able to father a child. Since a vasectomy is more of a permanent form of sterilization, it should be seriously and thoroughly discussed between husband and wife and medical professionals in the initial counseling, and all concerns such as; lowered sex drive, any pain related to the surgery, and reversibility, should be addressed.

    Vasectomy Techniques | Minneapolis & St Paul

    There are quite a few vasectomy techniques to choose from –  traditional vasectomy, no-scalpel vasectomy, laser vasectomy and clip vasectomy. Below is a rundown of how each method is performed.

    Traditional Vasectomy
    The traditional vasectomy is a small surgical procedure performed in a surgical center or doctor’s office that typically takes about 30 minutes to complete. Using a scalpel, your doctor makes 1-2 small incisions in the skin of the scrotum to access each testicle’s vas deferens tubes. The tubes are then lifted, cut, and tied or cauterized. The cut tubes are placed back into the scrotal sac before each incision is stitched up, and the sutures are removed in a week. Patients who undergo a traditional vasectomy typically experience more pain and swelling and longer recovery time due to more trauma, bleeding and sutures. Fewer surgeons learn the traditional vasectomy technique nowadays.

    Laser Vasectomy
    Most of the steps involved for a laser vasectomy are the same as those of a traditional vasectomy. Incisions must first be made in the scrotal skin so that your doctor can access the vas deferens tubes. After the tubes are lifted, a laser is usually used to cut the tubes or stop any bleeding, or a smaller laser wire is used to coagulate the lining of the vas tubes. However, because a laser is not actually needed, there is no significant advantage to using one for a vasectomy. The name “laser vasectomy” is used more for marketing purposes than for actual procedure benefits. Most vasectomies are usually performed with a battery-operated disposable eye cautery.

    Clip Vasectomy
    The vas clip idea is not new. The use of clips, or permanent staple-like devices, was expected to shorten a vasectomy’s overall procedure time without actually cutting the tubes. These clips cost the patients extra money, typically a few hundred dollars for titanium clips. Studies have also reported that the Vasclip is less effective than the no-scalpel vasectomy for reducing sperm count. To date, there is insufficient evidence showing that the Vasclip is better than a standard vasectomy or offers any known advantages compared to no-scalpel vasectomy techniques. Some insurance companies consider this procedure to be investigational and will not pay for it.

    No-Scalpel Vasectomy
    Developed in China in the 1970s, the no-scalpel technique is a minimally invasive procedure that does not require a large skin cut or sutures. In the past few decades, it has become increasingly popular around the world, as it is considered a more gentle vasectomy technique that minimizes bruising and discomfort. Other advantages include less noticeable scars and quicker recovery time.

    While a scalpel is not used for this method, an opening must still be made in order to access the vas deferens tubes. Under local anesthesia, your doctor uses a specially designed sharp hemostat to penetrate the skin. After he locates and holds the tubes using a small ring clamp, he uses same hemostat to separate the tissue layers and pull the tubes out; the tubes are cut and cauterized a battery-operated disposable eye cautery, and a tiny metal clip is applied to each vas fascia to separate the ends and improve the effectiveness. After placing the tubes back into the scrotal sac, your doctor usually allows the openings to close on their own since the incisions are significantly smaller than those of a traditional vasectomy procedure.

    History of Vasectomy – Part IV | Minneapolis & St Paul

    This is the final part of the long and interesting history of the vasectomy. The first non-scalpel vasectomy was not performed until 1985 in the United States by Dr. Mark Goldstein at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell Medical Center. He was a member of the international team, sponsored by the Association of Voluntary Surgical Contraception that went to China to learn the procedure. The procedure was then introduced to other countries by the other team members.

    In 1999 the no-needle vasectomy is introduced after 6 years of preparation. A spray jet injector was used for the local anesthesia. This technique was developed by Dr. Charles L. Wilson of Seattle, WA in consultation with the late Dr. Ralph Adam who was the inventor of the MadaJet device used in this technique. The local anesthesia given with 30 gauge needle is almost painless in the good hands, mild pain while given anesthesia is actually caused by the acidic lidocaine, but the application of Madajet does reduce the anxiety in the needle phobia patients.

    A Study is published in China in 2003 about the long term effects of vasectomy on benign enlargement of the prostrate. (BPH) The study concludes that vasectomy reduces the incidence rate of BPH significantly.

    Robotic vasectomy reversal is first performed on rats in 2004. A study was done using a new microsurgical robot that had FDA approval in 2000. It was used to perform two types of reversal procedures on rats. The robot does not have the shaking hands that humans do. The initial results were that the robotic group had less obstruction or blockage than the group where humans performed the procedure. The incidence of granulomas was also much lower in the robotic groups.

    A 2005 publication of research into the “no needle” technique of using a high pressure injector to administer anesthetic shows results of less discomfort to patients and is much faster acting than needle administered anesthetic.

    The Vasclip which was FDA approved in 2003, has its first independent study into the effectiveness and short term complications of the device published in2006. In 2007 the Vasclip website went dead. It was found that it was not easier to reverse this procedure than a regular vasectomy. Many men got the Vasclip thinking that it would be easier to reverse when they wanted to have children again. In many cases it did more damage to the vas deferens.

    Dr. Shu has performed no scalpel vasectomy for 15 years. He invented two-finger technique in facilitating the local anesthesia and holding the vas during the surgery. In 2008, Dr. Steven Shu opened his own clinic, One Stop Medical Center in Edina and Shoreview, MN which is focused on in-office procedures including no-scalpel vasectomy. In 2009 Dr. Steven Shu also adds the “no needle” vasectomy. The clinic has been doing many more vasectomies every year after the procedure-oriented clinic gained more reputation and became the number one vasectomy clinic in Minnesota. Dr. Shu was an assistant professor in the University of Minnesota medical school from 2007-2012, teaching no scalpel vasectomy and other office procedures in the Smiley’s Clinic. You can read more about it at vasectomy.

    History of Vasectomy – Part III | Minneapolis & St Paul

    In 1918 the first vasectomy on humans is performed for rejuvenation. This was done based on experiments of old senile rats that were transformed after obstructing the outflow from the testes. Two notable people, Sigmund Freud and WB Yeats had vasectomy performed for rejuvenation.

    Twyman and Nelson reported a successful case of a vasectomy anastomosis known as a reversal in1938. The patient had a reversal 4 years after having an elective vasectomy. The procedure was recommended due to depression caused by the desire to father children. After the procedure the patient’s emotional condition improved and he was able to father children.

    By 1948 the list of indications for vasectomy were: prevention of the insane, criminal or perverse producing offspring, the wife having precarious health and is unable or refuses to undergo tubal ligation, an agreement between the husband and wife to prevent pregnancy, to prevent epididymitis following prostrate surgery, male rejuvenation, and mass sterilization for the purpose of racial limitation/extermination.

    In the 1950’s a case is reported of a vassoraphy or repair performed 10 years after the original vasectomy with complete function. The patient’s wife was able to become pregnant 6 months after the procedure. Vasectomy is becoming favorable for use for sterilization. By 1953, vasectomy procedures had been watched for a period of 30 years and were found to have no adverse side effects. Any complications were reported were a result of technical surgical errors. In 1955 Jhaver introduces the single incision, single stitch approach. The advantage being that a bilateral vasectomy was possible using one incision with less surgical trauma and post-operative care. He publishes his technique in 1958.

    New techniques continue to appear for vasectomy. In 1967 a new technique is introduced in India by Kothari and Pardanani. They demonstrated that it’s possible to produce a sub fertile sperm count by using a synthetic thread to temporarily obstruct the vas deferens. Removing it would restore fertility. Based on two cases the thread was left in for 20 weeks and 6 weeks later fertility had returned to previous levels. No-scalpel vasectomy was developed in China in 1974 by Dr. Li Shungiang of Chongqing Family Planning Research Institute, Sichuan province. Tubal ligation was the most commonly used method of voluntary sterilization. Vasectomy was not popular with Chinese men. The new technique was minimally invasive with a much lower complication than the conventional method.

    History of Vasectomy – Part II | Minneapolis & St Paul

    In 1890 vasectomy is suggested as an alternative to castration by Ewing Mears for the treatment of severe symptoms of enlarged prostate glands. Then in 1899 Ochsner (future professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois) publishes his paper “Surgical treatment of habitual criminals”, which kick-starts the Eugenics movement. The Eugenics movement uses science to reform and control nature and human society. It stems from the idea of survival of the fittest.

    In 1900, Harrison publishes a paper based on over 100 cases where vasectomy was the primary procedure for the removal of bladder stones. Claims of rapid and substantial improvement with minimal morbidity led to the treatment being fashionable for a short time for management of enlarged prostate. Wood publishes a case study of 193 patients undergoing vasectomy as treatment for enlarged prostate. 15% had improved urination, but 67% manifested some “General improvement”.

    In 1902, Bilateral vasectomy was first established to be effective in reducing the incidence of epididymitis after prostatectomy. The medical profession had sought hard to find an alternative to the existing practice of castration for enlarged prostate, and it was established by White that vasectomy was an effective treatment. One of the reasons an alternative was sought is because of the reputed case whereby a disgruntled patient murdered a surgeon! vasectomy remained in common use as a cure for post-prostate surgery until antibiotics were common place.

    In 1907, Parlovechoi first attempted to reverse an accidental vasectomy that occurred in a hernia operation. Later authors describe the technique under the names of Vasorraphy or vasovasal anastomis.

    During 1907-1910 vasectomy is recommended to be used to sterilize “the undesirables” of the world. Belfield publishes his paper “Race suicide for social parasites”. He was one of the proponents of enforced vasectomy for criminals. This is where the Eugenics movement comes into play. In 1910 Russia sent a delegate to the United States to observe a male prisoner being sterilized.

    History of Vasectomy – Part I | Minneapolis & St Paul

    It is difficult to find another surgical procedure as simple as vasectomy that has sparked so much medical and social controversies for more than a century. The history of this procedure is a combination of finding the the most ideal technique and the best results but also filled with misconceptions, false beliefs and incorrect indications. Vasectomy has a long and interesting history. The term vasectomy means an excision of the vas deferens. In Latin, vas means vessel and deferre means to carry down. As a medical term, vasectomy is somewhat misapplied because only part of the vas deferens is excised during the procedure. Vas deferens as an anatomic structure was not a subject of significant clinical and research interest until the nineteenth century.

    Most people believe that the practice of vasectomy started in 1950 but the concept of male birth control dates as far back as the 1640’s when the first known condoms were used. The first condoms were made from fish and animal intestines. It was believed they were used to stop sexually transmitted disease.

    In 1830, Sir Ashley Cooper’s “Observations on the Structure and Diseases of the Testis” was published in London. Cooper found that when the blood vessels of a dog’s testicle were tied, no issues followed coitus. This experiment on the dog, is what seeded the development of a surgical procedure for birth control in men called vasectomy. The dog, however, retained the ability to produce sperm even after 6 years of the surgery. In 1847, Gosselin found while dissecting human corpses with the vas deferens entirely blocked. He started studying the effects of removing part of the vas deferens and tying it together using dogs for his experiments.

    In 1844, the first rubber condoms were being used for male birth control. Goodyear and Hancock began to mass produce condoms made out of vulcanized rubber. Vulcanization is a process which turns crude rubber into a strong elastic material. In 1861, the first advertisement for condoms was published in the New York Times. The printed ad was for Dr. Power’s French Preventatives. Unfortunately the Comstock Law, named after Anthony Comstock, was passed in 1873 making it illegal to advertise any sort of birth control. The law also allowed the postal service to confiscate condoms sold through the mail. We have come a long way since then.

    More on this interesting piece of history coming up in part 2.

    No-Scalpel Vasectomy | Minneapolis & St Paul

    What is a Vasectomy?

    A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that closes off the vas deferens in the scrotum, effectively sealing off the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles out. Known casually as ‘tube tying,’ a vasectomy is intended to render a man sterile.

    What’s a Non-Scalpel Vasectomy?

    A no scalpel vasectomy, is a type of vasectomy procedure where there is virtually no intensive surgery involved. Under local anesthesia, a small punch was made scrotal skin, the vas deferens are pulled through that hole and all surgical interaction takes place outside of the scrotum. No scalpel is necessary. The process is reversible, but with no guarantee. While the vasectomy itself is typically nearly 100% effective, the reversal process is only 60%.

    Benefits of a No-Scalpel Vasectomy

    no scalpel vasectomies are simple procedures. Because it requires no scalpel and only a small puncture, the wound will heal quickly and naturally. No incision is made, and there is no unsightly scarring. There is a much lower chance of infection. Additionally, the procedure heals easily, meaning a patient can get back to work within a few days and can resume sexual activity after one to two weeks. The entire process will usually take half an hour, including paperwork. The vasectomy will not affect a patient’s sexual enjoyment negatively. There is virtually no risk of complications or cancer as a result of the procedure.

    Potential Risks

    While complications are rare, some may occur. Possible complications include bleeding that appears like bruising, infection, chronic ache or temporary acute pain, psychological sexual difficulties, or sperm granulomas. All of these can be treated in some form or another should they occur.

    Psychological issues can be addressed before and after the procedure. Men have an understandable fear of genital surgery. Doctors are capable of answering any question the patient may have. The procedure is nearly 100% effective with virtually no risk of complications, and within a month the man will be back to peak performance in every way. After three months testing is required to ensure sterility.