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Page: Safety and Effectiveness
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Early failure rates of vasectomy are below 1%, but the effectiveness of the operation and rates of complications vary with the level of experience of the surgeon performing the operation and the surgical technique used. Most men will experience minor bruising in the scrotum for three to five days following the operation. Animal and human data indicate that vasectomy does not increase atherosclerosis and that increases in circulating immune complexes after vasectomy are transient. The weight of the evidence regarding prostate and testicular cancer suggests that men with vasectomy are not at increased risk of these cancers.
Although late failure (caused by recanalization of the vasa deferentia) is very rare, it has been documented. Some sources recommend yearly prostate examinations starting at an earlier age.
Vasectomy is the most effective long-term contraceptive method, and is among the safest options for family planning. How popular sterilization is as a birth control method varies by age, with men in their mid 30's to mid 40's being most likely to have a vasectomy. The rate of vasectomies to tubal ligations worldwide is extremely variable, and the statistics are mostly based on questionnaire studies rather than actual counts of procedures performed. In the U.S. in 2005, the CDC published state by state details of birth control usage by method and age group. Overall, tubal ligation is ahead of vasectomy but not by a large factor. In Britain vasectomy is more popular than tubal ligation, though this statistic may be as a result of the data-gathering methodology. Couples who opt for tubal ligation do so for a number of reasons, including:
* Convenience of coupling the procedure with delivery at a hospital
* Fear of side effects in the man
Couples who choose vasectomy are motivated by, among other factors:
* The lower cost and simplicity of vasectomy
* Fewer complications
* The lower mortality of vasectomy
* Fear of surgery in the woman
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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