No Scalpel Vasectomy GP Tuggeranong ACT – Greenway Medical Centre
Vasectomy is offered by Dr Senthil Kumaar at Greenway Medical Centre as a safe, quick and straight forward procedure.
Used as a permanent form of male birth control, a vasectomy procedure is relatively common, with 30,000 performed annually and about 25% of Australian men having the operation by the time they are 40 years of age.
The procedure involves the cutting and sealing off of the vas deferens, which carry the sperm from the testes. Following this procedure sperm will still be produced but as it cannot escape will be reabsorbed by the body. Other than the release of sperm, all other sexual functions and related sensations remain the same.
What is ‘no scalpel’ vasectomy?
Conventional surgery for a vasectomy will have an incision made on either side of the scrotum to reach the vas deferens. With a ‘no scalpel’ vasectomy, a small hole is made and a clamp is used to hold the vas deferens outside the scrotum.
While just as effective as a conventional vasectomy, a ‘no scalpel’ procedure has the benefit of reducing the potential for infection and other complications. This procedure also takes less time, requires no sutures, can help reduce pain and make for a faster recovery.
How effective is a vasectomy?
The success rate of a vasectomy procedure is very high, but there are no guarantees. Technology and methods have been refined since the procedure gained popularity in the middle of the last century. Currently, the failure rate is less than 0.15% but it is worth noting that many of those occur during the first couple of months after the procedure. That’s because a vasectomy is not effective immediately as it generally takes about three months for a sperm count to reach zero. So to improve the current 99.85% success rate, birth control must be used until a zero sperm count has been confirmed by your doctor.
Although vasectomy is low-risk no medical practitioner can provide a guarantee regarding the outcome of any procedure. Further to this, the practice has an obligation to inform you of the known risks of a vasectomy regardless of how unlikely they are. Discussion of these possible minor complications will form part of a discussion with your doctor.
How much does a vasectomy cost?
A vasectomy procedure has a total cost of $700 with a Medicare rebate of $206.60 and a gap fee (out-of-pocket fee) of $493.40
How do I arrange a vasectomy?
The first thing to organise with a vasectomy is a consultation with your doctor. During your appointment, any queries you have regarding the procedure can be clarified. Your doctor will also provide a list of instructions for the days leading up to and after the vasectomy.
It’s also an opportunity to discuss the procedure regarding your current health and personal requirements. For example, any medication you are taking or arrangements that need to be made, especially as immediately after the procedure you will not be able to drive.
As to whether you will require time off work, this can be discussed in the consultation with your doctor. If you have a desk job, that requires no physical exertion, then more than likely time off is not required. Even so, please note that outside of work you will be advised to avoid lifting or pushing heavy objects and with no strenuous activity for two weeks post-procedure.
What is involved in a vasectomy procedure?
Greenway Medical Centre offers minimally invasive keyhole surgery performed by our doctors within the practice.
Local anaesthetic is injected into the area before the procedure to block the pain, although the patient will still feel touch and handling.
A special instrument is used to split the skin, and through this keyhole, the tubes (vas deferens) are hooked and a section is removed. Electrocautery is used to seal the ends of the vas deferens with a hot needle to prevent rejoining. One end of the tube is also buried in a different layer to prevent rejoining after the ends have healthy tissue placed between the divided ends.
This method (intraluminal cautery of the vas deferens combined with fascial interposition) is considered to be the most effective vasectomy occlusion technique.
The practice does offer open-ended vasectomy which leaves the lower end of the vas deferens open. This has been claimed to maintain decompression yet no clear evidence for this exists. Although procedures at Greenway Medical Centre are generally not open-ended, they can be performed at a patients request.
There are online resources that can offer general information to further explain the information provided above, such as the government-funded Health Direct website or Andrology Australia’s vasectomy page.
For general information such as current costs for a vasectomy procedure please call our friendly reception staff on 02 6100 9956.