Tying the testicles (vas ligation) – what is it about?
Vas ligation (vasoligation), sometimes incorrectly called tying the testicles, is one of the methods of male sterilisation. In Poland the name vasectomy has caught on, which literally means excision of the vas deferens. Some of the most modern vasectomy methods completely dispense with excising a fragment of the vas, with a possible future microsurgical reconnection of the vas in mind. After excising a fragment, the vas may be too short. Sterilisation is a permanent method of male contraception, which in the case of vasectomy is reversible.
Vas ligation is intended to block the “tubes” carrying sperm out of the testicle, so that sperm produced in the testicles and stored during the first stage of maturation in the epididymides cannot reach the ejaculate. The end result is the inability to impregnate a woman during intercourse.
Vas ligation (tying the testicles) is an older and less effective way of occluding the vas deferens. With “testicle tying”, recanalisation of the vas occurs quite often and sperm reappear in the ejaculate. As a result, in as many as 13% of vasectomies using vas ligation, the procedure has to be repeated.
Vas ligation (tying the testicles) – what is the problem?
The problem with vas ligation is that after a vasectomy using “testicle tying”, the man continues to produce sperm. Blocking (obstructing) the vas deferens, through which sperm normally exit, means they have nowhere to go, and this can (fortunately not always) lead to various complications.
Recanalisation
One possible complication is so-called recanalisation, i.e. the reopening of the previously tied (externally clamped) vas deferens. The result can be the appearance of sperm in the ejaculate, making the vasectomy ineffective. A repeat vasectomy is then usually necessary. All over the world, the doctor performing the correction usually does not charge an additional fee, and since the procedure is minimally invasive, patients who experienced it during the first procedure are usually not stressed by it