18 Vasectomy Facts | Minneapolis & St Paul

  • factsA vasectomy is one of the most popular forms of contraception in the United States and worldwide. Each year, more than half million men in the US choose to get a vasectomy.
  • The No Scalpel Vasectomy procedure was developed in the early 1970s in China. About 50 million No-Scalpel Vasectomies have been performed around the world.
  • The introduction of no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy has successfully allayed many men’s fears with regard to the needle and scalpel.
  • Vasectomies are nearly 100 percent effective, the failure rate is estimated to be one out of every 2000 if 3 steps of occlusion is used during vasectomy:
    1. cuts the vas deferens
    2. destroys the lining of the tube
    3. places small titanium clips (or sutures) in the vas fascia to separate the opened ends of vas deferens.
  • They don’t reduce a man’s sexual drive, virility, or ability to have or enjoy sex.
  • Most vasectomies are done in the doctors’ offices. A No-Scalpel Vasectomy takes only about 10 minutes.
  • Most patients can go back to work in two days.
  • Non-scalpel vasectomy is very safe office procedure. The incidence of complications from a vasectomy is very low due to minimal invasive non-scalpel technique.
  • Sterilization for a man (vasectomy) is significantly less expensive than for a woman (tubal ligation), which may be up to five times more costly. A vasectomy can cost between $700 and $2,000. There may be little or no cost to you since most health care insurance programs cover vasectomies.
  • A vasectomy has very little effect on ejaculate itself. Semen consists of sperm, fluid from the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland. Sperm is the only thing missing from the ejaculate, so removing them has little or no effect on the volume (2-5 percent ),, appearance, color, or consistency.

Limitations of Vasectomy:

  • Not 100% reversible
  • Must use other forms of birth-control for three months until sperm-free.
  • Does not prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).

Advantages of Vasectomy…

  • Low one-time expense often covered by insurance companies
  • More dependable than any other form of contraception including female sterilization.
  • Eliminates risks associated with birth control pills or shots and the IUD.
  • Vasectomy reversals are less costly and more successful than tubal ligation reversals (see Vasectomy Reversal).
  • No need for inconvenient and less dependable methods, so there are…
  • no more worries!!!!

No Scapel Vasectomy Versus Other Birth Control Options | Minnesota

spermAll birth control methods work the best if used correctly and every time you have sex. Your choice of birth-control method is a personal one and depends on a number of variables, including short or long-term family planning, personal health, associated risks, failure rate and cost.

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 less than 1 per 20000 in no scalpel vasectomy with the fascia clipping technique.

Dr. Shu uses 3 steps to insure complete occlusion: he cuts the vas deferens and destroys the lining of the tube on upper end with cautery (scarring it) and places small titanium clips (or sutures) in the vas fascia to separate the opened ends of vas deferens. The lower end keeps open without cauterization (open-ended technique). The vas deferens are then placed back into the scrotum in its normal anatomic position.

Birth Control Methods Comparison

Contraception Cost Failure Rate Duration Availability Advantages Disadvantages
Condom <10 18% one time OTC prevent STIs; no hormonal side effects local reaction & breakage
Vasectomy $700 – $2000 0.2% Permanent Office procedure No effect on hormones and sex drive No protection in the first 3 months, Surgical side effects
Female Condom $2-$4 21% one time OTC prevent STIs; use during menstruation local reaction & breakage
Spermicide $5-$10 28% one time OTC Lubricate, use with other BCP forms local reaction
Sponge $3-$5 24% Up to 24h OTC Lasts 24 hours Local effects and infections
Diaphragm $50-$300 5-20% Reusable Prescription Lasts 24 hours, reusable Insert challenging,local reaction
Cervical cap $50-$75 14-30% 48-72 hours, reusable Prescription Protect 48-72 hours Abnormal Pap smear, local reaction & infection
Birth Control Pill $15-$50/month 9% A month Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Take daily, weight changes, and medical /risks/side effects*
Vaginal ring $15-80/month 9% Wear monthly Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Weight changes and medical risks/side effects*
Contraceptive Patch $15-80/month 9% A month, replace weekly Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Weight changes and medical risks/side effects*
Birth Control shot $35-75/injection 6% 3 months doctor’s visit 4 shots/year; reduces menstrual cramps and the risk of ovarian cysts/cancer and PID Take up to 8 months to return; medical risks/side effects*
Intrauterine device (IUD) $500-$1000 1% 5-12 years Doctor’s visit immediately effective Migrates, ovarian cysts, PID, and ectopic pregnancy
Hormone Implants $400-$800 1% 3 yearse Doctor’s visit reduce menstrual flow, cramping, and PID office procedure, local reaction, Medical side effects**
Tubal Ligation $1500-$6000 1% Permanent Outpatient surgery Permanent and immediate; does not impact sex drive More invasive, complicated than vasectomy, surgical side effect
Essure $1500-6000 1% Permanent Outpatient surgery Less invasive than tubal ligation 3 months to take effect; side effects:cramping,irregular menstrual cycle, GI reaction, and infection

* Medical risks and side effects: may increase risk of blood clots, stroke, breast cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety; may decrease sex drive; other side effects include weight gain, breast lumps, and hair loss or excessive growth.

**Medical risks and side effects: can cause loss of bone density and sex drive, and mood swings, weight gain, breast and abdominal pain, and allergic reaction.

References: Birth Control Guide. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health.

How Long After a Vasectomy Will the Patients Become Completely Sterile? | Minneapolis & St Paul

The patients in Minnesota offer ask how long after a vasectomy they become completely sterile and how they can get cleared faster for unprotected sex after a vasectomy. This blog will address these two questions.

Every man produces the sperms that are reabsorbed back into the body. In fact, it is estimated that up to 50% of sperms a man produces is reabsorbed. Sperm travels to the epididymis for storage and maturing. While maturing in the epididymis, some sperms die and break down and reabsorbed through the membranes of tubules by macrophages.

Sperm continues to be produced in the testicles after the procedure. The sperm continue to be stored in the epididymis and are eventually dissolved and absorbed by the body. With the increase of stagnant sperms, 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.

The life cycle of sperm is 63 days. 80% of men will be sterile after 15 ejaculations or 6 weeks after a vasectomy. By 10 weeks, 85% of men will have no sperm in the ejaculate. Therefore, a safe time period to say would be approximately 3 months (12 weeks) after vasectomy with about 20 ejaculations.

It is important to have a semen analysis after vasectomy to confirm absence of live sperm before stopping contraception. Keep in mind, there is a small chance of re-canalization even after no sperm is seen after 12 weeks.

Should the patients be ejaculating a lot in order to clean the pipes out? That’s what some doctors recommended.

The policy in our clinic is that all patients need to do semen analysis in 3 months after vasectomy with about 20 ejaculations.

How to Prepare Before the Easy VasectomyⓇ ?

The introduction of Easy VasectomyⓇ with no scalpel, no needle has successfully allayed many men’s fears with regard to the scalpel and needle. It is safer, less invasive, and has fewer complications and quick recovery. Under local anesthesia, only a tiny puncture is made at the midline of the scrotum skin. It can be done in less than 10 minutes. You don’t need to do any special preparations except simple consideration and common sense as listed below.

Instructions

Before the Easy VasectomyⓇ :

  • Review the information on vasectomy in our website. Read and Understand the “Post Vasectomy Instructions”in the website, so that you know what to expect.
  • To prevent the possibility of increased bleeding, do not take aspirin or other blood thinners for 7 days before the procedure.
  • Please shave the front wall of scrotum and underside of the penis, then take a good shower before you leave home for vasectomy. You will be asked to refrain from doing so again until 2 days after your procedure.
  • Shower and Use no powder or deodorant in the genital area on the day of your procedure.
  • Don’t bring an athletic supporter, we provide you a free athletic supporter on the day of the procedure.
  • Be prepared to sign the operative consent sheet upon your arrival in the office. Think of any questions you may want to ask your doctor.
  • You are able to drive home by yourself after the surgery although a flat tire or fender bender could lead to complications.
  • Eat before your procedure, a normal breakfast or lunch. Nervous men who do not eat beforehand are more likely to become lightheaded during or after their vasectomies.
  • If you are extremely nervous about it, please call us or come half hour early. You may need a sedative to relax, then you should arrange a driver.

Male Birth Control: The 3 most promising new methods | Minnesota

Traditionally, us guys don’t have a lot of options when it comes to contraception. There’s condoms, vasectomies, “pulling out”, and that’s about it. However, all of these methods have major setbacks. Condoms take a while to put on and can kill the mood. Vasectomies are convenient, but are not reversible without invasive surgery. And pulling out, well, is the hallmark of bad decision making.

Every now and then, there are headlines that give hope to all the men looking to avoid children in their lives. Like the Italian guy who invented a magical “switch” implant that is now on permanent hiatus. Headlines like those, which never seem to go anywhere.

Luckily, there are some new options in development for these men.

Gel contraceptive

This form of male birth control is closest to being put on the market. Called Nestorone-Testosterone, the gel contains two hormones, testosterone and progestin. The key ingredient here is the progestin, a synthetic version of the female sex hormone progesterone, which shuts down testosterone production by suppressing the gonadotropin hormones. Lower testosterone means lower sperm production, which means a lower chance of pregnancy.

Of course messing with hormones can have very negative consequences, which is why the gel contains some testosterone to ensure levels are not too low, which can cause low libido and delayed ejaculation.

A study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and human development revealed that 90% of men who used the gel had a sperm concentration lower than one million per milliliter, which is low enough to prevent pregnancy with minimal side effects.

Still, there is a long road to go. Right now trails are being performed on 420 couples around globe- if successful, the contraceptive could move onto the next stage, which involves trials on an even larger scale. It might be another ten years- but it’s a start.

Birth Control Pill

The problem with male BC pills is the short half life of sperm-suppressing hormones, meaning the drug decays very quickly, and so do its effects. However, a new study featuring an experimental male BC pill seems to show promise.

Dimethandrolone undecanoate, or DMAU, is a drug that works in a similar way to the gel contraceptive. Like the gel, it contains both testosterone and progestin. While its effectiveness and reducing sperm count is still unknown, the trials show that the drug is safe to take every day for a month, with minimal side effects.

Researchers at the UCLA and University of Washington are beginning a joint study that tests the efficacy of a DMAU injection, which could work several months at a time, which would be more convenient and more similar to injectable female birth control methods.

RISUG

RISUG, which I have written about previously, is a promising new procedure that is like an advanced form of vasectomy. The method was pioneered by biomedical engineer Sujoy Guha from the Indian Institute of Technology, and involves injecting a gel into the vas deferens (the tube that carries sperm to the semen), preventing sperm flow without affecting production or hormone levels. Unlike a vasectomy, this process is (theoretically) easily reversible, requiring only one other injection to dissolve the block. This avoids the inconvenience and possible failure of a vasectomy reversal, which is like stitching together the ends of two wet noodles. Not to mention, it’ll be a lot cheaper

It will be a considerable amount of time before this product hits the US market. The rights to the technology have been sold to the Parsemus Foundation, a nonprofit based in California, but there are unfortunately no human trials coming in the near future.

Regardless, we can expect to see many of these inventive new technologies in pop up in the next decade or two. Adoption of new birth control methods could mean a major reduction in unplanned pregnancies, especially in more developed countries as birth controls cheaper and more convenient worldwide.

Challenges of the Difficult Vasectomies | Minnesota

Easy VasectomyⓇ is a minimal invasive office procedure with no scalpel, no needle and no stitches techniques, and it takes less than 10 minuets. Dr. Shu performs about 400 vasectomies every year, some of them could be very challenging.

The common reasons of the difficult vasectomies:

1. Large scrotum with obesity
2. Tight and thick skin with small scrotum
3. Short Vas Deferens
4. Small size of Vas Deferens
5. Previous history of scrotum surgeries
6. Scrotum with hydrocele, hernia or other diseases

Dr.Shu has extensive experience of doing no scalpel vasectomy, and he loves to do the challenging vasectomies. He has never referred any vasectomy patients out. Dr.Shu has never had a chance to tell any vasectomy patients that they need general anesthesia because he always can finish it under the local anesthesia regardless how difficult it is.

Yesterday, we had a vasectomy case with the hydrocele and extensive scars inside the left scrotum. Dr.Shu successfully performed it although it did take extra 10 minutes to do it. He was telling the patients that, during his vasectomy missions trips in Haiti, some Haitian patients with huge hydroceles were much more challenging ones.

Here is the testimonial published by one of our patients with the difficult vasectomy last month.

“I highly recommend Dr. Shu and the EZ Vasectomy. It is refreshing to have a clinic that takes the patient experience into consideration. Everything from scheduling, to the follow up sample testing is done in a way that puts value on my time and makes it easy for me. Not to mention I received a consultation from a urologist before I saw Dr. Shu. They recommended general anesthesia that would have come at a $6,000+ cost to me plus the extra recovery time from the more invasive procedure. Dr. Shu was able to complete the procedure in 7 minutes with local anesthesia at 10% of the cost. For the recovery, I was able to function like normal, just took it a little easy for 2 days. I wouldn’t even call it a painful recovery. A sunburn is more painful than the recovery I experienced.”

If you are told by any urologists or family physicians that

1. You are a very difficult vasectomy case, or
2. You need a sub-specialist to do it in the operating room, or
3. You need to be done under general anesthesia in the hospital.

Please come to the Procedure Clinic and try Dr.Shu’s vasectomy skills. You will be surprised to know that how much time and money you will save, and how much pain and suffering from vasectomy can be avoided or reduced. Easy VasectomyⓇ is your choice!

General Information on Vasectomy Cost | Minnesota

Vasectomy costs are usually affordable and often covered under health insurance plans in Minnesota. Typically, vasectomy costs will be in the range of $900 to $2000 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.

Health insurance companies in Minnesota often cover vasectomy costs, but you should check it to make sure that your insurance company includes vasectomy benefits. Within the same company, some plans may cover and others may not. (Dr. Shu is a contracted provider under many plans offered by, among others, the following companies: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Medica, Preferred one, Select Care/Laborcare, United Healthcare.)

Your exact out-of-pocket cost will depend on your plan’s: , Co-payment, deductible, and coinsurance.

In addition, vasectomies are often a qualified health savings account (HSA) expense. If your insurance plan won’t pay for the procedure and you contribute to an HSA, you may be able to get reimbursed that way.

If you don’t have medical insurance or you have high deductible, One Stop Medical Center is your best choice since we charge very affordable price ($690 only) for the self-pay patients.