Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a form of permanent birth control for men. Roughly equivalent in cost to a 2-year supply of birth control pills, vasectomy is extremely cost-effective. By way of comparison, tubal ligation for women is twice as costly.
Prior to vasectomy, a consultation visit is required. Vasectomy is an appropriate option for those men who desire a permanent method of birth control; those men who do not want additional action at the time of intercourse; and those couples who have decided not to have any more children.
Primarily an office-based procedure, most vasectomies take no more than 1 hour to complete. A local anesthetic is injected under the skin and in the area around the vas deferens (the tube carrying sperm from the testicles to the penis). One or two small openings are then made in the skin, through which each vas deferens is delivered. A small segment of each vas deferens is removed, and the cut ends are singed with heat and tied off. The patient is then free to return home following the procedure.
Success rates of vasectomy are very high (greater than 99%). Despite this, post-vasectomy sperm checks are required at 6 and 12 weeks following the procedure to detect any failures. Therefore, a secondary method of birth control is necessary before vasectomy success is confirmed.
| Service Name | Appointment |
|---|---|
| Urology - Adult | |
| General Urology | A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Brighton Health Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Livonia Center for Specialty Care | 734-936-7030 |
| Ypsilanti Health Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Male Infertility Program and Sexual Dysfunction | |
| A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center | 734-936-7030 |
| Briarwood Building 1 | 734-936-7030 |
