Vasectomy...should he?

Question

I know most men hate the thought, but how bad is the experience? My husband and I are considering it. In the end it is his call but I would like to know what he will go through.

Answer 1

Testicular Cancer



Testicular cancer is much less common than prostate cancer, accounting for approximately 1 percent of all cancers in American men. This type of cancer is most often found in men ages 15 to 35. A few studies have suggested a link between vasectomy and an increased risk of testicular cancer, but the evidence is inconsistent and the association in some studies may be due to factors other than vasectomy. It is also possible that the vasectomy procedure increases the rate at which an existing, but undetected, testicular cancer will progress. At this time, it is believed that there is either no association or a weak association between vasectomy and testicular cancer, although more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be reached.



Men concerned about prostate cancer or testicular cancer should talk to their doctor about the symptoms to watch for and an appropriate schedule for checkups.



References



Brawley OW, Knopf K, Thompson I. The epidemiology of prostate cancer part II: The risk factors. Seminars in Urologic Oncology 1998; 16(4):193–201.



Cox B, Sneyd MJ, Paul C, Delahunt B, Skegg DC. Vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002; 287(23):3110–3115.



Dennis LK, Dawson DV, Resnick MI. Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer: A meta-analysis examining vasectomy status, age at vasectomy, and time since vasectomy. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 2002; 5(3):193–203.



Lesko SM, Louik C, Vezina R, Rosenberg L, Shapiro S. Vasectomy and prostate cancer. Journal of Urology 1999; 161(6):1848–1852.



Lightfoot N, Kreigr N, Sass-Kortsak A, Purdham J, Buchan G. Prostate cancer risk. Medical history, sexual, and hormonal factors. Annals of Epidemiology 2000; 10(7):470.



Lynge E. Prostate cancer is not increased in men with vasectomy in Denmark. Journal of Urology 2002; 168(2):488–490.



National Cancer Institute. Defeating Prostate Cancer: Crucial Directions for Research: Report of the Prostate Cancer Progress Review Group. August 1998.



Schwingl PJ, Guess HA. Safety and effectiveness of vasectomy. Fertility and Sterility 2000; 73(5):923–936.



Stanford JL, Wicklund KG, McKnight B, Daling JR, Brawer MK. Vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 1999; 8(10):881–886.



NOT too sure where your answerers are finding their ANSWERS, but they obviously are NOT looking into it at ALL.... now, as far as who goes through the most pain----A vasectomy is often performed right in the doctor's office, the guy is given a shot to numb the penis and then an incission is made and the tube inside is "cut and tied"... so that sperm cannot be released any more----the man will be SORE for a day or two which can be aided by the use of ICE PACKS---but in two days, he is back to normal usually. The WOMAN to have HER TUBES TIED has to be put into the hospital, given General anesthetic or a saddle block and then an incision is made through the belly and the flalobiean tubes are then cut and tied... the woman experiences GREAT pain do to stomach gases, and this pain from the surgery can last several days... there are greater RISKS in this surgery then there are in the vacectomy----first because of the anesthesia administered --there is a risk of DEATH to the woman...also infections seem to occur MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY in a woman having her tubes tied then in vasectomy surgery....although NEITHER surgical procedure has to be permanent any more---there is a MUCH GREATER RISK to a woman who goes in to reconnect her tubes then the risk for a man having his vasectomy reversed.

Answer 2

It is a piece of cake. It takes only 15 min, and then he can go home. He will recover in 2 to 5 days. He will be fully recovered in about a week.



There is no scar, and no side effects.



I went to a non-profit clinic, in the phone book. I told them I wanted a vasectomy. They give the counseling session. I watched a movie, and slide show, and set the appointment. They never asked if my wife (at the time) agreed. They asked if I had kids. I told them I did, even though I did not.



I had the surgery on a Friday (after work). I drove myself to BlockBuster video, and Walgreens on the way home. I slept, and watched movies most of the weekend. I went back to work, on Monday. I was having sex again by the following Friday.



I know quite a few men that have vasectomies. They all have one thing in common; They are damn thankful that they got them.



If your man has ever had a tattoo, or had a wisdom tooth pulled, then he has experienced a much more risky and traumatic event than a vasectomy.



Vasectomies get a lot of negative press because the religious groups lie. They don’t want their members not producing little new members. They have a habit for making up stories about prostate cancer, and lots of other fake statistics.

Answer 3

He will go through a day or two at the most of discomfort and that is it. He will have to limit heavy lifting I think for about a week. My husband of course wasn't excited but I know now he is glad he did it and that we don't have to worry about condoms or pills or anything else. It is so much easier for men to have it done than us. If we get it done it is just like having a c-section pretty much; the restrictions and all. They are like 6 weeks or something like that. When my husbands was done it was right in the office and I don't even think it took a whole 10 minutes and I was in there too watching some and turning my head some too. It really is not that bad though, my husband didn't even have any stitches either, none on the outside anyway.

Answer 4

It's not bad at all. The doctor explained everything to me in an interview session about three weeks before, to make sure this was what I really wanted and to explain what happens.

During the vasectomy itself, he shot me up with a local anesthetic and I felt nothing else at all down there for the rest of the procedure. He took out about an inch of vas deferens on each side and burned the cut-off ends closed, stitched the small (half-inch) incision closed and that was it. (Some doctors use different methods of cutting or closing the vas or stitching, ask him what methods he uses.)

I had to ice my scrotum off and on for a couple of days and get plenty of bed rest for two days and no strenuous activity at all. If he works a desk job he should be ready to go back to work in two or three days. If he's blue collar like me he might be on light duty for four or five days after the two days of zero activity.

About a month or so later you'll go back to the doctor and he'll ask for a semen sample to make sure it worked (about one vasectomy in two thousand fails and has to be redone.) Once the semen sample comes back sperm free it's considered a success.

Oh, and there is NO known connection between vasectomies and testicular or any other cancer.

Answer 5

When doing a vasectomy,the scrotum is numbed with Xylocaine.

An incision is made and the tube that carries the sperm out through the penis is snipped and tied.

The tiny incision that was made in the scrotum is sewn up and husband goes home to lay around and relax with an ice pack on his scrotum.

He will be advised to not do any heavy lifting for a few days and can probably return to work in a few days.



On the other hand a woman who choses to have her tubes tied has to check into out patient surgery,is put to sleep for the procedure,has incisions to get to the tubes that they also snip and tie.

Then the incisions that were made will be sewn up and she will be sent home after she wakes up and is able to motivate.

She will have to take it easy for a few days and slowly return to her normal routine.



It would seem that a few years later after a woman has her tubes tied ends up requiring a hysterectomy whereas there doesn't seem to be any effects on the man after having a vasectomy.



Altogether it seems less expensive and less traumatic for the man to have a vasectomy than it is for a woman to have her tubes tied.

Answer 6

The pain is alot more for males in vasectomy. If you just don't want kids it's a lot safer and less painful for the female to go through it.

Answer 7

Do not do it, all operations can go wrong, vasectomies are in this category, when every time you sit down and have that awful cut off pain you will realise.The freedom to decide to have another child is one to never give away.

Answer 8

The instance of testicular cancer goes way up with a vasectomy. Just thought you should add that to the equation.

Answer 9

He will go through a lot less than you will.