喵咪社区

A 喵咪社区 expert explains how easy, effective and painless a vasectomy really is.

Whether or not you鈥檙e in a committed relationship, birth control is an important concern. Each method has its pros and cons. A vasectomy can provide a quick, permanent solution. In addition to being highly effective, vasectomies are relatively painless and are often covered by insurance.

Information about vasectomies can be sparse, which makes a lot of people hesitate to consider the procedure. Kian Asanad, MD, director of the 喵咪社区 Fertility and Men鈥檚 Sexual Health Center, part of 喵咪社区 Urology and 喵咪社区, debunks five of the most common myths about the vasectomy.

Myth 1: It鈥檚 really painful.

Understandably, the idea of a doctor performing a procedure on such a sensitive area may concern men. However, many patients are surprised by how quick and painless a vasectomy really is.

Dr. Asanad performs roughly 99% of vasectomies in his office, with patients under local anesthetic. The procedure only takes about 10 or 15 minutes to complete.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 use a needle or a scalpel, which makes the procedure much more comfortable,鈥� Dr. Asanad says. 鈥淚f anything, I鈥檒l prescribe an anti-anxiety medicine for patients to take an hour before the vasectomy.鈥�

He typically performs these procedures on a Friday so that patients can take the next day or two to recover over the weekend.

Myth 2: The effects are immediate.

Vasectomies work really well, but they take a little while to be fully effective.

鈥淪perm can remain in the vas deferens (the tube that carries sperm and is cut during a vasectomy) for up to about 25 ejaculations, or roughly 10 weeks after the procedure,鈥� Dr. Asanad says. 鈥淥nce this time has passed, I instruct patients to perform a semen test to confirm that they are sterile. Sometimes, there are some lingering sperm at that point. The clock resets for another 25 ejaculations, or 10 weeks. So, it can be a process for some men.鈥�

When no sperm are present in the semen, the patient can have sex without worrying about the risk of pregnancy.

Myth 3: It can affect sexual function.

With a vasectomy, only the tubes carrying the sperm are affected; everything else remains in working order. Sperm are still produced by the testicles, but because they reach a 鈥渞oadblock,鈥� they are reabsorbed by the body instead.

鈥淪ome men are worried about erectile dysfunction, but that has more to do with hormone levels,鈥� Dr. Asanad says. 鈥淭he vas deferens has no role in the ability to get or sustain an erection.鈥�

Research has shown that vasectomies don鈥檛 impact a man鈥檚 interest in sex or the quality of his orgasms, either.

鈥淚 would say some men actually have higher sex drives after a vasectomy because they have no fear of causing an accidental pregnancy,鈥� Dr. Asanad says.

Myth 4: It’s permanent.

While a vasectomy is designed to be permanent, an experienced microsurgeon can effectively reverse it. Dr. Asanad says that only a few microsurgeons in Southern California, including himself, offer this service.

As Dr. Asanad explains, 鈥淭he vasectomy reversal process is not as simple as the original vasectomy procedure. It鈥檚 not typically done in the office but in a hospital, under general anesthesia. And instead of taking 10-15 minutes, a reversal can take two to three hours.鈥�

While the success rate for vasectomy reversal is very high 鈥� generally more than 95% 鈥� achieving a pregnancy is not guaranteed, he adds. 鈥淔emale factors must also be considered when it comes to conception,鈥� Dr. Asanad states.

Dr. Asanad notes that if a patient decides they do want children but don鈥檛 want to undergo the reversal procedure to achieve a natural pregnancy, extracting sperm directly from the testicle for in vitro fertilization (IVF) is an alternative approach. 鈥淭his is also highly successful,鈥� he adds.

Myth 5: It can increase the risk of prostate cancer.

鈥淔or a time, scientists were concerned about a correlation between higher rates of prostate cancer diagnosis and medical histories that included a vasectomy,鈥� Dr. Asanad says. 鈥淭hey soon realized, however, that this was simply a matter of vasectomy patients having more frequent men鈥檚 health visits and screenings. It had nothing to do with the procedure itself.鈥�

Since then, studies have shown that having a vasectomy has no impact on a patient鈥檚 risk of someday developing prostate cancer.

If anyone with male sex organs has decided that they don鈥檛 want children 鈥� or more children 鈥� vasectomies are one of the safest options available. Talking with a doctor is the best way to determine whether a vasectomy is the best choice for you.

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