Vasectomy for voluntary male sterilisation.

Vasectomy was performed in 90 men in Department of Surgery II of the University Central Hospital of Helsinki during the period January 1st, 1972 to December 31st, 1973. Operation was performed on an ambulatory basis under local anesthesia. After resection and ligation of vas deferens the cut ends were placed in different fascial planes in order to avoid recanalisation. The patients were mainly in the age group 31-40 years. Seven patients had postoperative complications, scrotal hematoma being the most common. Recanalisation was found in one patient, in whom a new operation was performed. The author stresses the importance of a correct vasectomy method, histological verification of the divided vasa and most of all the postoperative sperm analysis. Two negative sperm analyses with an interval of at least 1 month must be recorded before sterility can be confirmed.