Vasectomy: indications, technic, and reversibility.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the criteria used by surgeons in a district general hospital to confirm success following vasectomy, to establish the proportion of men undergoing vasectomy in whom the procedure was unsuccessful according to those criteria, and to evaluate their subsequent management. METHODS: All 15 surgeons performing vasectomy indicated that they required two consecutive azoospermic postvasectomy semen specimens before they advised couples that the vasectomy was successful. Results of postvasectomy semen analysis (PVSA) for all 240 primary vasectomies performed over a 12-month interval were analysed. Minimum follow-up was 30 (range 30-42; median 37) months. RESULTS: At follow-up 72 men (30 per cent) had not returned postvasectomy samples that fulfilled the criteria, including 18 who were azoospermic on the first PVSA 3 months after vasectomy but who failed to produce a second specimen. In 24 men (10 per cent) who failed to comply with the PVSA protocol, there was no documentation of any further action being taken. No pregnancies were reported in the partners of the study group during this interval and only one patient underwent repeat vasectomy. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the strict requirement of two consecutive azoospermic postvasectomy semen specimens may be unjustified, leads to a high level of non-compliance and causes unnecessary delay in confirming success of the procedure.
The effects of bilateral vasectomy on hormone serum levels as well as Leydig cell and associated macrophage structure were analysed in parallel in rats 36 weeks following the operation. Serum testosterone was decreased in vasectomized rats (1.96 +/- 0.11 ng/ml) compared with control animals (3.44 +/- 0.22 ng/ml, p less than 0.05). Vasectomy also resulted in an increase in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) to 0.299 +/- 0.02 ng/ml compared to the control group (0.175 +/- 0.01 ng/ml, p less than 0.05). Also serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was increased following vasectomy (350.88 +/- 15.5 ng/ml) compared to 132.0 +/- 4.8 ng/ml in control animals (p less than 0.01). Morphometric analysis of Leydig cells showed hypertrophy with a 19% increase of total cell area, p less than 0.01 (cytoplasm 28%, nucleus 8% increase). On the ultrastructural level, leydig cells demonstrated massively dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum characteristic for stimulated cells. There was also a significant hypertrophy of the Leydig cell-associated macrophages. The macrophage cell area was enlarged by 22%, p less than 0.01 (cytoplasm 25%, nucleus 18%). Vasectomy also led to remarkable ultrastructural changes of macrophages with a marked dilated and extended rough endoplasmic reticulum. Macrophages were found in apposition to Leydig cells with close cellular contact zones, and they frequently formed cell extensions on Leydig cells. Our data obtained following vasectomy indicate that, by their close contacts to Leydig cells, as well as the known influence on Leydig-cell steroidogenesis, macrophages may form the basis of a local immunoendocrine regulation of the pituitary-gonadal axis.
The presence of prion protein in sperm and fluids collected from different parts of the ram genital tract was investigated by immunoblotting with monoclonal antibodies. A slightly immunoreactive 25- to 30-kDa protein was recognized on Western blots of testicular and epididymal sperm extracts. Immunoreactivity increased on ejaculated sperm extracts and 2 other bands at 35 and 43 kDa also reacted. Seminal plasma showed several immunoreactive bands, the main bands being detected at 43 and 35 kDa, whereas less reactive bands were observed at 30, 25, 20, and <14 kDa. All these bands strongly decreased in the seminal plasma after vasectomy, indicating a testicular or an epididymal origin. Testicular fluid showed almost no reactivity, whereas caudal epididymal fluid contained the 2 strong immunoreactive bands at 43 and 35 kDa and in some cases a faint 30-kDa band. The 43-kDa band was also found in the fluid from the proximal caput, whereas the 35-kDa band appeared in the distal caput. Immunoprecipitation of (35)S-labeled proteins secreted in the epididymal fluid indicated that the 43-kDa form was synthesized in caput and caudal regions and the 35-kDa form in the distal caput to the distal corpus. Treatment of caudal fluid and seminal plasma by N-glycosidase resulted in the formation of 3 bands: 1 highly reactive at about 25 kDa, a second less reactive at about 28 kDa, and a third at approximately 20 kDa. The pattern of prion protein distribution in epididymal fluids was found to be similar in scrapie-infected rams to that of healthy rams. Cauda epididymal fluid and seminal plasma from infected animals could not be treated directly with proteinase K, because of the presence of protease inhibitors. However, the prion protein immunoprecipitated from these fluids was completely cleaved by proteinase K, whereas in the same conditions this from an infected sheep brain gave the usual resistant band pattern.
Although models of high-quality family planning services for men exist in Latin America, few if any have been organized within the complex and resource-constrained national public health systems. This study provides evidence from the Santa Barbara project in southern Brazil showing how vasectomy was introduced into the municipal health system. It demonstrates that once the necessary operational and quality-of-care improvements were in place, and sufficient political and technical support existed to proceed, it was possible to establish low-cost, well-used, and sustainable vasectomy services free of charge. The findings show that careful attention to the development of strong technical competence and an informed choice process resulted in high user satisfaction. Focus-group discussions with men who underwent vasectomy indicate that they had no objection to being served in the context of a women's health center and that they act as opinion leaders who draw an increasing clientele to the service.
A descriptive study on the attitude of rural men towards vasectomy as means of contraception was conducted in southwestern Ethiopia. A total of 200 men who came to a rural health centre either for treatment or to accompany a patient were included for interview. The mean age of the interviewees was 30.9 and the main occupation was farming (67.5%). The mean number of offspring born to the respondents was 3.5 with 70% of the respondents wanting more children. Fifty-five per cent had heard about contraception before and in this group 31% of the wives used or were using one of the common methods. None of the respondents was against the use of contraceptives and none of them had heard previously of vasectomy as means of contraception. The acceptance of vasectomy as means of contraception was 79%. Twenty-one per cent opposed vasectomy because of the problem of possible loss of children due to death or divorce. The high acceptance rate of vasectomy indicates an unmet need for surgical contraception and the training of health personnel on the 'no scalpel vasectomy' technique. Making this service available, starting at health centre level, is recommended.
The sex accessory gland functions were studied in 1-12 months vasectomized langur monkeys. Seminal plasma fructose did not change. Semen volume, magnesium, and citric acid decreased transitionally up to 6 months. A significant decrease in LDH and transaminases (GOT, GPT) following vasectomy indicated an altered secretory activity of the accessory sex organs.
Sera from vasectomized men were tested for the presence of antibodies directed against sperm antigens. A high percentage (about 55%) of the vasectomized men developed agglutinating antibodies. A lower percentage (22%) also developed low titres of antibodies to human protamine, as detected in the indirect IFT on swollen sperm heads and 22% developed cytotoxic antibodies. A correlation was found between the presence of anti-protamine antibodies and the presence of agglutinating and of cytotoxic antibodies. This correlation, and also the fact that they developed after vasectomy, indicates that the formation of antibodies against human protamine is a result of an autoimmune response to spermatozoa. The indirect IFT was also performed on 'normal' unswollen spermatozoa. All the sera were positive at least on one of the sperm antigens located in the acrosome, equator, or post-nuclear region, but no increase nor decrease in titre was found after vasectomy.
Ejaculates of bilaterally vasectomized dogs contained spermatozoa as long as 21 days after vasectomy, indicating that spermatozoa in the canine ejaculate originated from both the epididymides and the vasa deferentia, not from the epididymides alone.
N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) and its isoenzymes were measured in the urine and seminal plasma of healthy volunteers. Urinary NAG level was 2.62 +/- 1.30 U/L (mean +/- standard deviation), 1.99 +/- 0.77 U/g creatinine and seminal NAG level was 2370 +/- 1007 U/l. Urinary NAG level was 2.59 +/- 1.44 U/l, 1.93 +/- 0.80 U/g creatinine in males and 2.67 +/- 1.15 U/l, 2.08 +/- 0.78 U/g creatinine in females, and there was no significant sex difference. NAG isoenzymes in the urine and seminal plasma were divided into two major peaks, A and B. The A:B ratio was 78.0 +/- 6.5: 21.9 +/- 6.5 in the urine and 24.7 +/- 3.2: 75.2 +/- 3.2 in the seminal plasma, and was significantly different. Urinary NAG isoenzyme was 80.3 +/- 6.7: 19.6 +/- 6.7 in males and 74.1 +/- 4.3: 25.9 +/- 4.3 in females, and there was no significant difference between the sexes. These results indicated that urinary and seminal NAG can be differentiated by measuring the isoenzymes. Furthermore, the comparison of seminal NAG isoenzymes before and after vasectomy indicated that seminal NAG may be affected not only by the sperm but also by the prostatic fluid.
Multivariate analyses of data from 248 married women scheduled for tubal sterilization and 165 wives of men scheduled for vasectomy indicated that male and female sterilization methods were selected for different reasons and under different circumstances. More specifically, the woman who underwent tubal sterilization was more likely to have perceived that she had greater influence than her husband over the sterilization decision, to have had cesarean section or vaginal delivery in association with sterilization, to have chosen tubal ligation because her spouse refused to undergo the alternative procedure or because it was convenient to combine it with delivery or other surgery, and to have had a spouse who was unwilling to be sterilized because of possible side effects associated with vasectomy. The woman whose husband underwent vasectomy was more likely to have been very fearful of surgery in general or especially fearful of reproductive surgery, to have known many men who already had had a vasectomy, to have perceived that her husband was more strongly motivated than herself to terminate childbearing, to have had a spouse who participated in birth control, and to have chosen vasectomy because it was easier or less expensive or because her physician advised against tubal sterilization.
Ejaculates of surgically vasectomized cats had spermatozoa as long as 49 days after vasectomy, indicating that spermatozoa in the ejaculate from intact cats originated from the epididymides and vasa deferentia. Intraepididymal injections of an aqueous solution of 4.5% chlorhexidine digluconate into the caudae of the epididymides induced a lasting oligospermia or azoospermia in 7 of 8 cats. Of these 7 cats, 4 were azoospermic and 1 cat had no intact spermatozoa in his ejaculates 140 days after treatment. The method of chemical vasectomy by intraepididymal injection of sclerosing agents appears to be safe and may be suitable for large-scale sterilization programs for controlling the growth of the feline population.
Naturally occurring human antisperm antibodies (ASA) detectable by immunofluorescence, were found to have a peak indicence of 90% in both sexes before puberty. Thereafter, the incidence declined to about 60% and persisted through life. This age-related incidence resembled that for foreign and not self antigens. The natural incidence of the six antibodies under investigation varied: the most frequent were antibodies to acrosomal antigen Acl and equatorial antigen; the least frequent were antibodies to acrosomal antigen Ac2 and sperm nuclear protamine; and between these were antibodies to the mainpiece of tail and post-acrosomal region. Irrespective of their natural incidence, these antibodies increased at a comparable rate in men following vasectomy indicating these six sperm antigens have comparable immunogenicity. These results provide evidence for the lack of immunologic tolerance in man toward many sperm antigens. The variation in the natural incidence of individual ASA is explanable by differences in prevalence of crossreaction between each sperm antigen with exogenous antigens. Thus, antibodies to acrosomal antigen Acl and equatorial antigen, which occurred most frequently, appeared to crossreact with ubiquitous microorganisms.
Vasectomy service providers at the Clínica del Hombre (Men's Clinic) in Bogotá, Colombia, construct their representations concerning male sterilization on the basis of biomedical discourse, their interaction with clinic users, and their own life experiences. During provision of such services, the counselors are the health professionals who have the closest contact with these clients of the clinic. Counselors are in charge of exploring their motivations in requesting the service, in addition to providing information allowing them to take a calm, sound decision. They also directly filter demand based on their experience, knowledge, and skills, in permanent negotiation between institutional criteria (number of children and gap between them, client's age, steadiness of couple's relationship, and conviction concerning the decision), and their perception and assessment of the client. An analysis of the counselors' representations of decision-making as pertaining to vasectomy indicates that it is a relatively simple and harmless procedure as well as a liberating option in terms of family planning.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.