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Reproductive Health |
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New Review Confirms Benefits of “No-Scalpel” Vasectomy |
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Two different approaches can be used to access a man's sperm-carrying ducts at the start of a vasectomy. It turns out that one of the approaches has more benefits for both surgeons and their patients, according to a recent Cochrane review from Family Health International and colleagues from the United States, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Nepal. The ducts, known as the vasa deferentia, can be accessed using either a "traditional" approach or a "no-scalpel" approach. In the traditional approach, a scalpel is used to cut the skin of the scrotum in one or two places. In the no-scalpel approach, the scrotal skin is punctured with a sharply pointed, forceps-like instrument. The new review evaluates two randomized controlled trials comparing the two approaches. The review confirms earlier findings that the no-scalpel approach takes less time to perform, that it is associated with a quicker return to sexual activity, and that it causes less bleeding, infection, and pain. Both approaches appear to be equally effective in their contraceptive effects, but the no-scalpel approach may be a more practical choice for surgeons trained in this particular method. Read more about this review, conducted with partial support from USAID and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Sources |
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