Men Report Few Qualms About Vasectomy
March 12 -- For men considering a vasectomy, it's the pain they're worried about, not the permanence, according to a new study published today.
The report by a team of researchers in Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma found 27 percent of those reporting concerns about the procedure were worried about pain. Just 5 percent were worried about the finality of getting a vasectomy.
Other concerns mentioned by a minority of patients included fear of the surgery itself, fear of complications, and fear of being "cut on." When asked if they were sure they were making the right decision, however, 85 percent put their certainty at eight or higher, on a 10-point scale.
Two-thirds of those surveyed reported not even moderate anxiety levels.
Smarter And Better Self-Esteem, Too?
The new research, published in the March issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility, actually found vasectomy patients scored higher on self-esteem measures and problem-solving tests than the general population.
The surgery, generally performed under local anesthetic, cuts or blocks the tube called the vas deferens in the testicles.
Under the conventional technique, the surgeon makes one or two small incisions and cuts and then sews up the tube. With an alternative "no-scalpel" procedure, the doctor makes only a small puncture, which later heals quickly without stitches. The no-scalpel technique produces less discomfort, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Pain Is ‘No. 1 Concern’
The study's conclusions match the personal experience of Dr. Boris Klopukh, an Atlanta urologist who performs about four vasectomies a week.
"I do a lot of vasectomies and the No. 1 concern is fear of pain," he says. "It's that anticipation and that nervousness."
Though the procedure is generally reversible, the men who choose to undergo it have thought it through thoroughly and see it as final, he says. The decision to have even minor surgery on a sensitive region is seldom taken lightly, notes Klopukh.
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