Editing Vasectomy (section)

==Complications and concerns==

Short-term possible complications include [[infection]], [[bruising]] and [[bleeding]] into the scrotum resulting in a collection of blood known as a [[hematoma]].<ref>{{Cite journal|display-authors=3 |last1=Yang |first1=Fang |last2=Li |first2=Junjun |last3=Dong |first3=Liang |last4=Tan |first4=Kun |last5=Huang |first5=Xiaopeng |last6=Zhang |first6=Peihai |last7=Liu |first7=Xiaozhang |last8=Chang |first8=Degui |last9=Yu |first9=Xujun |date=2021 |title=Review of Vasectomy Complications and Safety Concerns |journal=The World Journal of Men's Health |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=406–418 |doi=10.5534/wjmh.200073 |issn=2287-4208 |pmc=8255399 |pmid=32777870}}</ref> A 2012 study demonstrated an infection rate of 2.5% postvasectomy.<ref name="bji.sagepub.com"/> The [[surgical suture|stitches]] on the small incisions required are prone to irritation, though this can be minimized by covering them with gauze or small [[adhesive bandage]]s. The primary long-term complications are chronic pain conditions or syndromes that can affect any of the scrotal, pelvic or lower-abdominal regions, collectively known as [[post-vasectomy pain syndrome]].{{medcn|date=February 2025}} 

Complications not withstanding, many men express concerns regarding potential adverse effects of vasectomy.  The risk of testicular cancer is not affected by vasectomy.<ref name=schwingl/> In 2014, the [[American Urological Association]] reaffirmed that vasectomy is not a risk factor for prostate cancer and that it is not necessary for physicians to routinely discuss prostate cancer in their preoperative counseling of men undergoing vasectomy.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=AUA Responds to Study Linking Vasectomy with Prostate Cancer|url=https://www.auanet.org/press-media/vasectomy-with-prostate-cancer.cfm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331161227/https://www.auanet.org/press-media/vasectomy-with-prostate-cancer.cfm|archive-date=2016-03-31|access-date=2016-03-19|publisher=American Urological Association}}</ref> A 2017 meta-analysis found no statistically significant increase in risk of [[prostate cancer]].<ref name=":3">{{cite journal|last1=Bhindi|first1=Bimal|last2=Wallis|first2=Christopher J. D.|last3=Nayan|first3=Madhur|last4=Farrell|first4=Ann M.|last5=Trost|first5=Landon W.|last6=Hamilton|first6=Robert J.|last7=Kulkarni|first7=Girish S.|last8=Finelli|first8=Antonio|last9=Fleshner|first9=Neil E.|last10=Boorjian|first10=Stephen A.|last11=Karnes|first11=R. Jeffrey|display-authors=3|date=17 July 2017|title=The Association Between Vasectomy and Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis|journal=JAMA Internal Medicine|volume=177|issue=9|pages=1273–1286|doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.2791|pmc=5710573|pmid=28715534}}</ref> A 2019 study of 2.1 million Danish males found that vasectomy increased their incidence of prostate cancer by 15%.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Husby|first1=Anders|last2=Wohlfahrt|first2=Jan|last3=Melbye|first3=Mads|date=1 January 2020|title=Vasectomy and Prostate Cancer Risk: A 38-Year Nationwide Cohort Study|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31119294/|journal=Journal of the National Cancer Institute|volume=112|issue=1|pages=71–77|doi=10.1093/jnci/djz099|issn=1460-2105|pmid=31119294}}</ref> A 2020 meta-analysis found that vasectomy increased the incidence by 9%.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cheng|first1=Sheng|last2=Yang|first2=Bo|last3=Xu|first3=Liwei|last4=Zheng|first4=Qiming|last5=Ding|first5=Guoqing|last6=Li|first6=Gonghui|date=2020-08-09|title=Vasectomy and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis of prospective studies|journal=Carcinogenesis|volume=42|issue=1|pages=31–37|doi=10.1093/carcin/bgaa086|issn=1460-2180|pmid=32772072|doi-access=free}}</ref> Other studies agree on the 15% increase in risk of developing prostate cancer, but found that people who get a vasectomy are not more likely to die from prostate cancer than those without a vasectomy.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Seikkula|first1=Heikki|last2=Kaipia|first2=Antti|last3=Hirvonen|first3=Elli|last4=Rantanen|first4=Matti|last5=Pitkäniemi|first5=Janne|last6=Malila|first6=Nea|last7=Boström|first7=Peter J.|display-authors=3|date=February 2020|title=Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer in a Finnish nationwide population-based cohort|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31760357/|journal=Cancer Epidemiology|volume=64|pages=101631|doi=10.1016/j.canep.2019.101631|issn=1877-783X|pmid=31760357|s2cid=208276171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Xu|first1=Yawei|last2=Li|first2=Lei|last3=Yang|first3=Wuping|last4=Zhang|first4=Kenan|last5=Ma|first5=Kaifang|last6=Xie|first6=Haibiao|last7=Zhou|first7=Jingcheng|last8=Cai|first8=Lin|last9=Gong|first9=Yanqing|last10=Zhang|first10=Zheng|last11=Gong|first11=Kan|display-authors=3|date=2021-04-29|title=Association between vasectomy and risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33927357/|journal=Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases|volume=24|issue=4|pages=962–975|doi=10.1038/s41391-021-00368-7|issn=1476-5608|pmid=33927357|s2cid=233458537}}</ref> 

===Postvasectomy pain===
{{Main|Post-vasectomy pain syndrome}}

Post-vasectomy pain syndrome is a chronic and sometimes debilitating condition that may develop immediately or several years after vasectomy.<ref name=nangia/> The most robust study of post-vasectomy pain, according to the American Urology Association's Vasectomy Guidelines of 2012 (amended 2015)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.auanet.org/guidelines/guidelines/vasectomy-guideline|title=Vasectomy Guideline - American Urological Association|website=www.auanet.org}}</ref> surveyed people just before their vasectomy and again seven months later. Of those that responded and who said they did not have any scrotal pain prior to vasectomy, 7% had scrotal pain seven months later which they described as "Mild, a bit of a nuisance", 1.6% had pain that was "Moderate, require painkillers" and 0.9% had pain that was "quite severe and noticeably affecting their quality of life".<ref name=leslie>{{Cite journal|title = The incidence of chronic scrotal pain after vasectomy: a prospective audit|author1=Leslie TA |author2=Illing RO |author3=Cranston DW |s2cid=23328539 |display-authors=etal |date = 2007|journal = BJU Int |volume=100 |issue=6|pages=1330–3|doi = 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.07128.x|pmid =17850378|doi-access=free }}</ref> Post-vasectomy pain can be constant [[orchialgia]] or epididymal pain ([[epididymitis]]), or it can be pain that occurs only at particular times such as with sexual intercourse, ejaculation, or physical exertion.<ref name=christiansen/>

===Psychological effects===
A 1990 study indicated that some 90% of men are generally reported in reviews as being satisfied with having had a vasectomy,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Thonneau|first=P|author2=D'isle, B|title=Does vasectomy have long-term effects on somatic and psychological health status?|journal=International Journal of Andrology|year=1990|volume=13|issue=6|pages=419–432|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2605.1990.tb01050.x|pmid=2096110|doi-access=free}}</ref> while 7–10% of people regret their decision.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Labrecque|first=Michel|author2=Paunescu, Cristina |author3=Plesu, Ioana |author4=Stacey, Dawn |author5= Légaré, France|display-authors=3 |title=Evaluation of the effect of a patient decision aid about vasectomy on the decision-making process: a randomized trial|journal=Contraception|year=2010|volume=82|issue=6|pages=556–562|doi=10.1016/j.contraception.2010.05.003|pmid=21074020}}</ref>

Younger people who receive a vasectomy are significantly more likely to regret and seek a reversal of their vasectomy, with one study showing people in their twenties being 12.5 times more likely to undergo a vasectomy reversal later in life (and including some who chose sterilization at a young age). Pre-vasectomy counseling is often emphasised for younger patients.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Potts|first=J.M.|author2=Pasqualotto, F.F.|author3=Nelson, D.|author4=Thomas, A.J.|author5=Agarwal, A.|journal=The Journal of Urology|date=June 1999|volume=161|issue=6|pages=1835–1839|doi=10.1016/S0022-5347(05)68819-2|url=http://www.ccf.org/ReproductiveResearchCenter/docs/agradoc64.pdf|pmid=10332448|title=Patient Characteristics Associated with Vasectomy Reversal|access-date=28 January 2014|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303145116/http://www.ccf.org/ReproductiveResearchCenter/docs/agradoc64.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Dohle 159–163">{{Cite journal |last1=Dohle |first1=Gert R. |last2=Diemer |first2=Thorsten |last3=Kopa |first3=Zsolt |last4=Krausz |first4=Csilla |last5=Giwercman |first5=Aleksander |last6=Jungwirth |first6=Andreas |last7=European Association of Urology Working Group on Male Infertility|display-authors=3 |date=January 2012 |title=European Association of Urology guidelines on vasectomy |journal=European Urology |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=159–163 |doi=10.1016/j.eururo.2011.10.001 |issn=1873-7560 |pmid=22033172}}</ref>