Vasectomy by epithelial curettage without suture or cautery: a pilot study in humans
- PMID: 20154700
- PMCID: PMC3210550
- DOI: 10.1038/aja.2009.94
Vasectomy by epithelial curettage without suture or cautery: a pilot study in humans
Abstract
Curettage of the epithelium of the vas deferens might be a safe and effective method of male sterilization. We conducted a pilot study of vasectomy by epithelial curettage with a novel microcurette called the Vas-X in 12 normal men requesting elective sterilization. Seminal fluid analysis was obtained monthly after the procedure for 6 months. Pain was assessed by questionnaire. Three months after the procedure, all men attained sperm concentrations of less than 0.2 million sperm per mL, and seven were azoospermic. Post-procedural pain was minimal. Nine men ultimately achieved and maintained azoospermia; however, 4 to 6 months after the procedure, sperm concentrations increased in three of the 12 subjects, necessitating repeat vasectomy. Microscopic examination of the vas deferens from these failures revealed re-canalization. Vasectomy by epithelial curettage can result in effective sterilization; however, 1/4 of the subjects were not effectively sterilized by the procedure due to re-canalization of the vas deferens. Epithelial curettage will require further refinement to determine if it is a viable form of vasectomy.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00663533.
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Comment in
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Vasectomy techniques--need for better occlusion methods.Asian J Androl. 2010 May;12(3):442-3. doi: 10.1038/aja.2010.10. Epub 2010 Mar 15. Asian J Androl. 2010. PMID: 20228824 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
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