Ligation Is Viable Option to Vasectomy

A new study reports that ligation of the vas deferens with a biocompatible clip appears to be as effective as vasectomy in achieving male sterility.

The Vasclip implant device, marketed by VMBC (White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA), is a small, hinged, biocompatible, implantable polymeric lock that stays in place after the physician applies one to each vas deferens. About the size of a grain of rice, the implant procedure can be performed under local anesthesia in an office-based setting. The Vasclip procedure averages less than 10 minutes, compared with 30 to 45 minutes for a typical vasectomy. The device has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A study by Dr. Patrick J. Parks and colleagues from Histopathometrics (Mendota Heights, MN, USA) examined 124 men who were eligible for vasectomy but selected ligation instead. On the basis of azoospermia at 10 to 14 months, the procedure was deemed successful in 116 of 119 patients. The three patients who did not achieve sterility were later found to have misaligned Vasclips, which led to a partial incision of the vas, allowing recanalization. The results were published in the April 2006 issue of Urology.

The Vasclip works by atraumatically closing the vas deferens on itself without cutting the vessel, thus stopping the flow of sperm. Because the physician does not need to cut or cauterize the vas deferens, complications such as swelling and infection are reduced. As with a vasectomy, the procedure should be considered permanent. Patients must continue to use other forms of birth control and have semen analysis tests performed until they are advised by their physician that they are infertile.



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