Vasectomy Information and Consent

I. Purpose of the operation
The intent of this operation, known as bilateral partial vasectomy, is to render you sterile (i.e. unable to cause a pregnancy in a female partner). You should also understand that there is only a remote possibility of reversing the state of infertility once achieved.

II. Nature of the operation
The vas deferens are the tubes which conduct sperm from the testicles, and there is ordinarily one tube from each testicle. Bilateral partial vasectomy means dividing and closing each of these tubes and separating the severed ends. A segment may be removed. The skin incisions in your scrotum may be closed with a dissolving suture.

III. Anesthesia for the operation
The operation will be performed under local anesthesia. The skin of the scrotum and the nerves to the tube to be severed will be numbed by injection of the anesthetic and you will be fully conscious. At least one injection will be given on each side of the scrotum. Sometimes discomfort is experienced in the area of the groin and testicles.

IV. After the operation
You may expect some minor postoperative problems and occasionally some complications. The minor discomforts which frequently occur include: (1) black and blue marks on the scrotum; (2) swelling beneath the incisions; (3) tenderness around the incision sites and testicles; or (4) a discharge from the edges of the skin incisions.

Some of the postoperative complications which can occur include:

1. Epididymitis: painful swelling of the tissues along side the testicles, which might include swelling of the testicles (epididymo-orchitis). The resolution of this inflammatory process, if it occurs, may take several week or longer.
2. Sperm Granuloma: persistent tender swelling beneath the skin incision above the testicle. This is commonly due to leakage of sperm from the severed ends of the tubes into the tissues causing an inflammatory reaction.
3. Hematoma: hemorrhage due to undetected bleeding into the scrotal sac. In this instance, the scrotum may become swollen and discolored, and may require a second incision to drain the accumulated blood.
4. Abscess: pus may form within the scrotum and require a second incision so that it may be drained.
5. Recanalization: the ends of the vas may rejoin themselves. If sperm are present in the the semen later on, the operation would have to be redone.

V. Failure of bilateral partial vasectomy
You should understand that until you have had two consecutive negative sperm checks, you should continue to use other methods of contraception. Generally a total of 20 ejaculates will be necessary to evacuate all sperm in your system. We expect you to take an average of 10 weeks to accomplish that number of ejaculates (roughly 2 ejaculates/week).  The vasectomy will sometimes fail to produce sterility although this is exceedingly rare. Regrettably, a negative semen check is not an absolute guarantee against future pregnancies due to the remote possibility of recanalization. Such an event usually occurs very early after the vasectomy. So rechecking a semen analysis later in the first year is the only added precaution that can be recommended.

VI. Cancellation Policy

LATE CANCELLATION POLICY WILL BE A $100 CHARGE FOR CANCELLATIONS THAT OCCUR 48 HRS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED VASECTOMY.

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Date: _______________

Vasectomy Packet -7 Pages