- Is your family just the right size?
- Do you want to enjoy sex without worrying about pregnancy?
- Does your partner has health problems that make pregnancy difficult?
- Do you want to avoid the risk passing on a hereditary disease or disability?
- Are you tired of using condoms or other less reliable means of contraception?
- Do you want to save your partner the more extensive surgery involved in tubal ligation, as well as the extra expense?
Then a no-scalpel vasectomy may be right for you.
Find out about this safe, simple in-office procedure that is covered by most insurance plans. Dr. Schlesinger has successfully performed hundreds of no-scalpel vasectomies in the comfort of his office avoiding expensive hospital and anesthesia charges. For more information call for an appointment to find out if no-scalpel vasectomy is right for you.
Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure for permanent male fertility control, in which the tube leading from each testicle is cut and sealed in order to stop sperm from reaching the prostate, where it mixes with the semen. This tube is called the vas deferens, hence “vasectomy.” Without sperm in the semen, a man cannot make his partner pregnant.
A vasectomy leaves the patient unchanged except for the fact that the sperm cord (vas) is blocked. The testes still produce sperm, but they die and are absorbed by the body. The level of male hormone remains the same and all sexual characteristics remain the same. Ability to have an erection is also entirely unchanged.
Over 500,000 vasectomy procedures are performed each year in the United States. The procedure is usually done in an office setting with the use of a local anesthetic such as Xylocaine and takes approximately 20 minutes, depending on the surgeon, his technique, and the patient’s specific anatomy. A vasectomy is far safer and far less expensive than female tubal ligation. Furthermore, the effectiveness of a vasectomy can be verified after the surgery with a semen analysis; the only way a woman could know her tubal ligation was ineffective would be if she became pregnant or had expensive X-ray tests.
As with any surgical procedure, the primary risks are infection and bleeding. These risks are generally low for vasectomy. While vasectomy can be reversed surgically at times, its successful reversal cannot be guaranteed, and vasectomy is done with the intent of being permanent. Conversely, the vas deferens can rarely grow back together on its own and cause a pregnancy. This is called recanalization and occurs substantially less than one percent of the time.
Over the years, many questions have been raised regarding possible long-term effects of vasectomy. Issues as to whether vasectomy causes arthritis or atherosclerosis or heart disease have long been put to rest. Most recently, some studies have suggested that vasectomy may cause a slight increase in the risk of getting prostate cancer. By and large, these studies have also been refuted by other urologic data. Studies including tens of thousands of vasectomy patients have showen no clear trends regarding an association between vasectomy and heart disease, arthritis, atherosclerosis, or cancer.
Dr. Schlesinger uses the “No-Scalpel” vasectomy technique. In a conventional vasectomy, the physician may make one or two small incisions with a scalpel, and then use sutures or stitches to close them at the end of the procedure. In the “No-Scalpel” method, rather than making an incision, Dr. Schles9inger makes only one tiny puncture into the skin with a special instrument. This instrument is used to gently stretch the skin opening so that the tubes can be reached easily.
The tubes are then cut and sealed using the same method as a conventional vasectomy, but because no incision was made, there is very little bleeding and no stitches are needed to close the tiny opening. The opening will heal quickly with little or no scarring.
The technique of the No-Scalpel vasectomy was developed in 1974 by a Chinese physician, Dr. Li Shunqiang, and has been performed on over 8 million men in China. No-Scalpel vasectomy was introduced to the United States in 1988 and is now used by many doctors in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Compared to the traditional incisional technique, the “No-Scalpel” vasectomy usually takes less time, causes less discomfort, and may have lower rates of bleeding and infection. Recovery following the “No-Scalpel” procedure is usually complete in three to five days.
The vasectomy only divides the vas and has no effect on sperm that are already beyond that point. It is important not to have unprotected intercourse until the absence of sperm from the ejaculate has been confirmed.
Overall, vasectomy is a simple and safe form of birth control which is often preferable to birth control pills, a tubal ligation, diaphragms, or spermicides. Some men say that without the worry of accidental pregnancy and the bother of other birth control methods, sex is more relaxed and enjoyable than before.
A vasectomy may not be right for you if:
- You are very young.
- You are having a vasectomy just to please your partner and you do not really want it.
- You are under a lot of stress.
- You are counting on being able to reverse the procedure in the future.
After approximately 10 minutes, the urologist completes the first freeze cycle and then administers another treatment to help ensure that all cancer cells are killed. To keep the urethra from freezing along with the prostate, a catheter is placed inside the urethra and filled with warming solution. Thermal sensors track temperatures in and around the prostate to avoid damaging the bladder and rectum.
The first thing to realize is that you are not alone. The American Cancer Society has estimated that there will be more than 239,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed this year. This makes prostate cancer the most common cancer other than skin cancer diagnosed in American Men. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men after lung cancer. Almost 34,000 men will die from this disease this year.