No-needle, no-scalpel vasectomies are quick, almost painless

By Nick Rees

As many as 600,000 men will undergo vasectomy surgery each year, Vasectomy.com reports, with the procedure taking between 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

"Men have always been anxious about the anesthetic for the procedure, of course," Dr. Michael Blum, MD, selected as a Chicago Top Doctor by TopTierMD as a top rated urologist in Chicago, said. "We numb the skin with a high speed jet spray that feels like a rubber band snap on the skin. It's a high speed jet spray that hits the skin and penetrates right through it. It takes only a moment to anesthetize the area. The majority of my patients will say that there is no pain.

"Once the skin is numb, a hole is made and a portion of the vas deferens is removed. Then both ends are are closed and the patient walks out."

Dr. Blum said that the no-scalpel procedure produces an only three millimeter puncture hole that is so small that it heals up on its own without the needed for stitches.

The no-scalpel vasectomy method was developed in the early 1970s in China by Dr. Li Shunqiang. It has grown in popularity over the last several decades and it is estimated that as many as 15 million no-scalpel vasectomies have been performed worldwide.

Dr. Blum typically performs the procedure on Friday afternoons, telling patients to take it easy over the weekend. At the start of the new week, they can resume regular activities.

"I've been doing this no-scalpel procedure since around 1987 and added the no-needle anesthetic about four years ago," Dr. Blum said. "The procedure is almost 100 percent effective and is the most secure form of contraception we have. It carries a one in 2000 failure rate.

"There's only a very small chance of side effects. People might be a little sore after the procedure but there are, on the whole, very few complaints afterward. The procedure has really changed over the course of years to become easier on the patient and less uncomfortable."

Dr. Michael Blum, MD, was selected by TopTierMD as a Chicago Top Doctor and is considered Best in Urology in Chicago. He specializes in prostate cancer treatment, treatment of stone disease, and no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomies.