Vasectomy – types of anaesthesia

Vasectomy – needle-free anaesthesia

Comparison of anaesthesia with a needle and with a high-pressure jet (no needle)

Traditional anaesthesia for vasectomy (in the figure: with needle) involves inserting a needle into the skin of the scrotum and injecting about 2 cm3 of anaesthetic around each vas deferens before the vasectomy. This makes the anaesthesia procedure itself quite painful. The new approach to anaesthetising sensitive areas of the body (shown in the figure: no needle) uses a patented system developed in the United States, which allows the doctor to inject the anaesthetic as a powerful jet without using a needle. The needle-free method provides effective anaesthesia using a much smaller amount of anaesthetic – about 0.2-0.4 cm3 per side.

Fig. The traditional method of anaesthesia for vasectomy using a needle. The anaesthetic is delivered around the vas deferens by injection, which in some patients may cause brief discomfort from the needle prick.

Anaesthesia – local, without a needle (no needle).

A special device is used that generates a powerful, extremely thin jet of local anaesthetic. As the jet travels through the tissue, it anaesthetises everything along its path – which is why it hardly hurts at all. The patient feels only something like a light flick. This is the key difference from needle anaesthesia: a needle must first pierce unanaesthetised tissue, and only at the end, after passing through (tearing) several centimetres of sensitive tissue, is the anaesthetic delivered. Description of the vasectomy procedure – at ZdrOva in Warsaw and Katowice, vasectomy is performed without a scalpel.

The second figure shows a modern anaesthesia solution – the so-called needle-free jet injector. This device delivers the anaesthetic without piercing the skin with a needle – instead, the drug is introduced as a thin stream under high pressure. The anaesthesia takes effect instantly, and patients most often compare the sensation to the snap of a rubber band against the skin. This method greatly increases the comfort of the procedure and is readily chosen by men who fear needles or pain.

The rest of the vasectomy procedure

The anaesthetised scrotal skin is spread apart with a special instrument, creating a single small opening (about 4 mm in diameter). Through this opening, the left and right vas deferens are brought out in turn; each is cauterised (coagulated), cut and secured with a special titanium clip. Each vas is then returned to the scrotum, and the spread opening contracts by itself, leaving no trace. How long does a vasectomy take? A vasectomy takes about 10 minutes. It is a fairly simple outpatient procedure performed under local anaesthesia without a needle, without a scalpel and without the need to suture tissue with surgical thread. Will it hurt? The anaesthesia prevents pain during the procedure, but you can expect mild pain sensations for a few days after the vasectomy. You should therefore take the painkillers prescribed by your doctor – which is entirely sufficient in the vast majority of cases. Apart from the prescribed medication, do not take aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory or pain medication without consulting your doctor.