Vasectomy complications are not common.
Vasectomy is the safest of all the permanent birth control methods, including tubal ligation. Even though vasectomy is safe, there are rare vasectomy complications associated with vasectomy.
With any procedure there are risks of bleeding, infection and, with vasectomy, you can have a failure. These are the risk most doctors will share with you but there are rare complications you don’t want to have after your vasectomy procedure.
The following are serious but rare vasectomy complications. These do not happen that often and we promise you dont want them to happen to you.
- Losing a testicle
- Profound emotional reaction/guilt/regret
- Problems with sexual satisfaction
- Anaphylaxis
These are rare vasectomy complications but you should be aware of these potential problems when considering a vasectomy.
Rare vasectomy complications: Losing a testicle, No cap!
Although extremely rare, it is possible to have a vasectomy and end up losing a testicle. I wish we were joking but we are not.
No one wants to go in for a routine vasectomy procedure and have this happen.
Before we get too deep into this we want to state for the record we have never had a patient lose a testicle as a result of having a His Choice No Cut Vasectomy but we do want to acknowledge this is a rare vasectomy complication.
Losing a testicle is possible if you suffered a serious vasectomy complication that you could end up with decreased blood supply to one or, less commonly both, testicles. This could result in testicular atrophy (shrinkage) of the affected testicle.
To lose a testicle as a result of vasectomy, you would need to have one or a combination of the following:
- Really bad luck
- Really bad complication (ie large hematoma)
- Really bad previous scrotal surgery damaging blood vessels
- Really bad medical conditions causing impairing blood supply
If the blood supply was severely compromised or you had a severe complication then you could end up with a second procedure to remove the testicle.
History of scrotal surgery
Patients with a history of scrotal surgery could have impaired blood supply to their testicles as a result of the previous surgery.
The previous surgery could have insulted or compromised the testicular blood supply. This may not be noticeable after the first surgery but become more obvious after a vasectomy. Especially if you have a vasectomy complication.
Scrotal surgeries that can damage testicular blood flow:
- Hernia surgery in the groin
- Surgery for undescended testicle
- Hydrocele/spermatocele corrective surgery
- Surgery to correct a twisted testicle
- Varicocele surgery
- History of vasectomy and vasectomy reversal surgery
The prior scrotal surgery may not have caused any noticeable problems; however, a vasectomy after a prior surgery listed above could ‘tip the scale’ and cause a problem with the blood supply of the testicle(s). The chance is probably greatly increased in the vasectomy results in a severe complication (ie large hematoma).
Medical problems that can impair circulation
Medical problems which impair the circulatory system are:
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Atherosclerosis
- Auto-immune illnesses like, Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Blood clotting disorders that increased the risk of blood clot formation inside the vessels
- Platelets disorders causing elevated platelet levels
- Heavy cigarette smoking
Poorly controlled diabetes, atherosclerosis, and heavy cigarette smoking are probably the most common conditions that damage the circulatory system.
Although many of the above conditions are common, we want patients to realize it usually takes a combination of the above conditions to cause enough damage to the circulatory system to result in testicular loss after vasectomy.
In our first 10,000 vasectomy procedures, we have not had a patient lose a testicle as a result of having a vasectomy. To date, we have never had a patient lose a testicle as a complication of having vasectomy.
Losing a testicle is an extremely rare but possible complication of vasectomy.
Emotional reactions after vasectomy
Emotional reactions after vasectomy are possible. Although these reactions are directly the result of the vasectomy, these reactions are usually observed in certain personality types.
Emotional reactions after vasectomy are more likely to be associated with certain personal characteristics or personality types.
These are the same people we think of as anxious, obsessive compulsive, and over thinkers. These are the same people who have trouble with making decisions.
Once they make a decision they can’t stop thinking about it. They are constantly looking in the rear view mirror obsessing about what they are leaving behind.
Vasectomy is not a treatment for depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive behavior, or trouble with making important life’s decisions. Vasectomy can sometimes be a trigger for those conditions to get worse.
Vasectomy and sexual pleasure
You may be surprised but having a vasectomy may make your sex life and your sexual satisfaction increase dramatically.
Many research studies examining the effect of vasectomy upon patients demonstrate that many report increase sexual satisfaction after vasectomy.
It makes sense right? If you are not worried about getting pregnant then you are released from the inhibition that this fear can cause.
For more information: Sexual satisfaction in couples after vasectomy
These same studies also show that your partner will also experience an increase in sexual satisfaction and this is also because they are not as afraid of pregnancy. Happy wife…happy life, right?
Can vasectomy cause sexual problems?
Although most people report improvement in sexual pleasure after vasectomy, some patients will report a decrease in sexual pleasure after their vasectomy procedure. Some patients will report sexual problems after vasectomy.
Vasectomy could cause problems with sexual function if you have pain after vasectomy.
Usually episodes of pain after vasectomy resolve within the first 3 months. Some patients can have pain that comes and goes the first 12 months after vasectomy. If you have pain in your scrotum then, naturally, you are going to have reservations about engaging in sexual activity.
Some patients may report sexual dysfunction not because of pain but because of the fear of causing pain with sex or ‘messing something up’. If you have anxiety about possible adverse effects then anxiety can manifest itself as sexual dysfunction.
The same personality types that have emotional reactions after their vasectomy are also at risk for perceiving decreased sexual function after vasectomy.
We like to reinforce the concept that vasectomy only prevents pregnancy. Vasectomy does not treat depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsion, or fear of future outcomes whether real or imagined.
We keep very detailed statistics on what our patients experience after a His Choice Vasectomy. We have discovered that most of our patients report not change in their sexual satisfaction after vasectomy.
For more information: Sexual satisfaction 12 months after His Choice Vasectomy
Most studies report improvement in sexual satisfaction. Some patients will report sexual dysfunction after vasectomy. Often these patients have other contributing factors that influence how they perceive effects from their vasectomy.
Allergy or adverse reaction to an anesthetic or medication
During a His Choice Vasectomy, we only use four substances: two antiseptic agents to prevent infection and two local anesthetic for pain control.
Combination antiseptic. We use an antiseptic that is a combination of alcohol and chlorhexidine. These two substances when used together are superior to other antiseptics for reducing the risk of bacterial infection after surgical procedures.
Alcohol. It is rare to be allergic to alcohol; however, alcohol use on the skin can cause drying of the skin and increased skin hypersensitivity. Some patients may report irritation or dryness of the scrotal skin after their vasectomy procedure.
Chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic agent with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. It is commonly used in healthcare settings and consumer products. This agent is fantastic at killing bacteria on the skin.
The most common reactions to chlorhexidine are dry, red, itchy skin. This can occur within hours to days of administration. Rare but serious side effects, including fatal anaphylaxis (life threatening allergy), from exposure to chlorhexidine are possible. The symptoms of severe allergy to chlorhexidine would be:
- Itching
- Hives (urticaria)
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Wheezing
- Tightness in the chest
- Non-productive cough
- Dyspnea
It is difficult to estimate the percentage of people in the population who are allergic to chlorhexidine. Allergy to this commonly used antiseptic is one of the possible but rare vasectomy complications.
It is estimated that about 5 patients each year in the United States have a severe allergy to Chlorhexdine.
We have performed over 10,000 vasectomy procedures. Other than minor scrotal skin redness, itching, and dryness, we have never had a patient with anaphylaxis to chlorhexidine.
Lidocaine and bupivacaine
Lidocaine (Xylocaine) is a local anesthetic that starts working quickly but only last for 1 to 2 hours. Bupivacaine (Marcaine) is a local anesthetic that takes longer to start working but last for 3 to 5 hours.
Allergic reactions to these medications are commonly reported but, in fact, are very rare.
More commonly patients report resistance to local anesthetics. We have had a good experience with this combination anesthetic. This combination of local anesthetic is especially helpful in patients who report resistance to local anesthetics.
Using the two medications together provides better pain control and a longer duration of pain relief.
Looking for a safe vasectomy?
Vasectomy is so very important. Although there are rare vasectomy complications, you should not let your fear of this rare outcomes influence your decision.
If you are looking for a safe and effective minimally invasive vasectomy then a His Choice Vasectomy is the procedure for you.
To get started scheduling a single visit His Choice Vasectomy in Raleigh NC visit: Scheduling Single Visit Vasectomy
When you have vasectomy with our office, you can be reassured that your vasectomy will be easy and safe.
You can schedule a single visit vasectomy and easily get on with your life after your procedure. You will be in the best of hands with our office!
