Michael Taylor, author of the book “A New Conversation with Men,” has a few things to tell men about vasectomies.

No. 1: Having a vasectomy does not diminish masculinity and sexual prowess.

No. 2: The minimally-invasive procedure, which is a reliable form of permanent contraception, is not painful. Really, it’s not.

He would know. In November, Taylor was Dr. Grant Fowler’s first patient to undergo a needle-free vasectomy.

Fowler, professor and vice chairman of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, told Taylor he would use a new air gun to numb the area. Taylor would feel a few puffs of air near the scrotum, and then should feel almost nothing as the vasectomy was completed.

“I thought, ‘A puff of air? Come on. There’s no way that can work,’” Taylor recalls.

Fowler’s response: “Trust me.”

Taylor and his wife had previously discussed their options for preventing pregnancy and decided together that a vasectomy for him would be a safer, more effective choice than a more invasive tubal ligation for her.

“I love her,” Taylor says, “and this seemed like the smartest thing to do.” So he put his trust in Fowler, allowing him to proceed.

Taylor heard a sound like a quick release of air from a bike tire. Then Fowler punctured the skin in one location, gently lifted out the vas deferens—the tube through which the spermatazoa pass—removed about a 1-inch section from both sides and placed a sliver of tissue between the cut ends. The tubes and this tissue were then clipped and closed with tiny tantalum (similar to titanium) clips.

“There was never any pain,” the 48-year-old Taylor says.

His doctor’s office visit took less than 45 minutes, and the single incision Fowler made to sever the vas deferens didn’t even require stitches.

The minimally-invasive vasectomy, which is sometimes referred to as a “scalpel-less” vasectomy, is not a new procedure, but the air gun that is now used to numb the area is a recent improvement.

“I’m quite impressed with the improvement in anesthesia,” Fowler says. “Before, we used local anesthesia in the form of novocaine, also known as lidocaine, and this required the use of tiny needles. A lot of patients hated the needles more than the procedure itself. And while the needles let you inject the licodaine, it didn’t always diffuse throughout the area. 

“Now we use an air gun injector for the lidocaine. It requires much less anesthetic and yet appears to be much more effective,” he says. “Instead of counting on the needle to get the right spot with the lidocaine, this just very lightly blows lidocaine all around the vas deferens and numbs it very well.”

Fowler recommends that his patients take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pill, such as ibuprofen, an hour or so before the procedure. This even minimizes the sensation associated with the puff of air.

Fowler also advises that his patients take it easy and not lift anything weighing more than 15 pounds the first few days after the procedure.

Taylor says that particular instruction was a bit of a challenge. “There was no pain, so I would go to lift something, and I would have to keep reminding myself that I shouldn’t do that,” he says.

Fowler recommends the procedure to anyone who wants permanent contraception. “It’s scalpel-less, needle-free and virtually pain-free,” Fowler says. “If you don’t want an unplanned pregnancy, this is a reliable, permanent form of contraception that has a success rate of over 99 percent.”

 

 

Last Updated: 1-21-2009

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