Although men can undergo vasectomies when they're young, most who have them do so at an age where they don't want any more children. A vasectomy is not considered major surgery, and very rarely does the patient develop any major side effects. Even the rarest and "worst" side effects from a vasectomy are nothing more than mild pain or discomfort.
Doctor performing a vasectomy
Identification
A vasectomy prevents a man from impregnating a woman. The procedure disconnects and seals off two tubes, the vas deferens, from the testicles that feed sperm into semen, according to FamilyDoctor. A vasectomy takes about 30 minutes to complete. FamilyDoctor reports that the surgery is usually performed while the patient is awake but anesthetized.
Painful Effects
A vasectomy sometimes results in a swelling called a hematoma, reports VasectomyMedical.com. About 0.25 percent of who have vasectomies experience a mild hematoma that persists for a few days, and 0.1 percent experience a major hematoma that takes months to heal. The site of the incision can become infected in roughly 1 percent of men after a vasectomy, according to VasectomyMedical.
Discomfort
Some men feel aches in the scrotum that usually persist from a few hours to a few days, reports VasectomyMedical. A sperm granuloma, an inflamed bead of sperm, can form at the blockage site of the vas deferens in 0.2 percent of cases. Epididymitis, a swelling of the tube connecting the vas deferens and the testes, occurs in 1 percent.
Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome
Post-vasectomy pain syndrome is an uncommon, chronic pain in the scrotum that is difficult to treat. VasectomyMedical says this pain often increases during intercourse. PVPS can flare up immediately after the vasectomy, or months later. Counting all intensities of discomfort, VasectomyMedical says, the incidence can be as much as 33 percent.
Considerations
VasectomyMedical lists major reasons why men choose vasectomies. The partners want to enjoy intercourse without the possibilities of more children. The "female vasectomy," tubal ligation, poses more dangers and a higher failure rate. Certain health problems can make pregnancy too risky, or the couple might have health problems that they don't want to risk passing on to children.
Tags: after vasectomy, health problems, hematoma that, more children, reports VasectomyMedical