Picture this: Your family planning is over. You're done having children, and you no longer want the anxiety of pregnancy hanging over you or your partner. You turned to Google and began researching vasectomies, only to discover this thing called a no-scalpel vasectomy.
So, what is a no-scalpel vasectomy? And is it better than a "traditional" vasectomy? Below, we tackle those questions.
Like all content on our site, the following is meant to be educational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about what's right for you.
A vasectomy is a surgical procedure performed on men that involves cutting or tying the vas deferens, which is the tube that transports sperm from the testicles. The goal of a vasectomy is to provide permanent contraception. More than half a million men have vasectomies every year in the U.S.
There are two types of vasectomies. There's the "traditional" vasectomy, which involves making two small incisions in the scrotum in order to access the vas deferens.
There's also the "no-scalpel" vasectomy, which doesn't involve any cutting. Instead, a special instrument is used to make one tiny hole in the skin of the scrotum above the vas deferens.
The no-scalpel vasectomy is a relatively simple procedure performed in your urologist's office under local anesthesia. The urologist uses a special instrument to make a three-millimeter nick in the front part of the scrotal skin. The procedure doesn't require stitches, glue, or bandages and takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
A no-scalpel vasectomy has fewer complications, less pain, and less recovery time than a traditional vasectomy.
Currently, the American Urological Association guidelines recommend minimally invasive techniques instead of conventional vasectomies. Here's the full statement: "Isolation of the vas should be performed using a minimally-invasive vasectomy (MIV) technique such as the no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) technique or other MIV technique."
After the procedure, most patients leave the office with little to no pain. Because only local anesthesia is used, patients can also drive themselves home. In general, recovery takes about one to two days.
Patients can take it easy (hang out on the couch!) and use ice or the famous bag of frozen peas for any discomfort.
The following applies to both types of vasectomy: no-scalpel and traditional.
If you're in the Greater Boston area, make an appointment with one of our world-class urologists to discuss your options.