Doctor: Vasectomies Spike by 50 Percent During March Madness

Foxnews reports about how vasectomies rise in March due to, of all things, basketball on television, so that men who get this surgery can then sit motionless and recover following the surgery. Foxnews didn't cover much about long-term health effect risks of this surgery, which is really a shame. The article basically read like an endorsement of the surgery without any long-term complications referenced in the article, like are found here.

Of course, I don't read Foxnews for serious news other than sensational headlines and the occasional article that misses the mainstream media, but Fox is NOT the place to go for valid health news.

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Second Thoughts about Vasectomy

Interesting article at Catholic.org about the real facts about vasectomies -- facts not always shared in the mainstream press when I research this topic.  In describing some of the side-effects of this "simple, outpatient procedure":

"Pain, bruising, and swelling for up to two weeks are common post-surgery occurrences. Although less likely, bleeding and infection can occur. Patients can develop sperm granuloma – lumps caused by an immune response to leaking sperm – or chronic pain in and around the testes, a side effect called Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome. Some research has even linked vasectomies with an elevated risk for prostate and testicular cancer. With these side effects on the table, a vasectomy does not appear to be the easy fix so many men desire"

While theologically I'm a reformed five-sola type, I do respect the Catholic perspective when it comes to getting the word out about the health risks of sterilization surgeries and the abortifacent effects of birth control pharma.  Its just unfortunate that the Catholic argument against these things seems based not as much on the Biblical blessing of large families as it is based on obedience to Papal writ.

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Prostate Cancer and Vasectomy

 From Causes, Natural History & Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer:
"The correlation of vasectomy and prostate cancer risk remains controversial. Although some studies have suggested that men who have undergone a vasectomy are at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, many other studies have failed to show such a correlation"

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PainAfterVasectomy.org

Another informative site regarding post-vasectomy chronic pain, PainAfterVasectomy.org. Written by A. Ellis, MD, its intended for patients with post-vasectomy pain and for the physicians who treat them.

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Modern Birth Control: Blessing or Barbarism?

Modern Birth Control: Blessing or Barbarism?

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Testicular Pain Following Vasectomy: A Review of Postvasectomy Pain Syndrome

Article from the Journal of Andrology. Alarming to me is the comment from the conclusion, "Although the definitive cause for postvasectomy pain may be unclear, it is evident that traditional treatments such as antibiotics, excisional surgery, and chronic pain medication are unlikely to result in a successful outcome. "

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Vasectomy Immunologic Consequences

Another informative site with a large collection of documentation on vasectomy risks - of interest to me are the immunological consequences. Per the site:

"When this barrier is broken by vasectomy and sperm are “presented” to the immune system, new anti-sperm antibodies are formed and the previous “normal” immune response becomes abnormal in strength, specific antibody types, and perseverance of response"

And that's for the rest of the life of a man, unless the surgery is somehow reversed, and even then its chancy if the reversal will work.

I've posted a number of links on vasectomy risks/complication and pain if, for no other reason, to serve as a reference for me later, but I would hope that men would do more research prior to getting surgery like this, to know what all the risks are.

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Surgical Sterilizations: "Fixing" Something That Is Not Broken

Here's an interesting, and somewhat terrifying, article that includes a collection of references about vasectomy complications. I've been researching this, and, much like aspartame, gardasil, and other things scientists tell us are perfectly "safe", I remain skeptical.

This reference caught my attention:

"Post vasectomy pain syndrome… can turn a previously fit man into a chronic invalid. Even if the operation was painless, and not accompanied by the bruising and immediate post-operative discomfort which is quite common, weeks, months or years after the operation, nagging pain begins at the site. Sometimes tender cysts, or lumps called granulomas, can arise around the cut ends of the vas, and even if further surgery is performed to cut them out, the pain persists. This can be one of the most difficult problems in andrology to treat, especially as the precise cause is usually unknown. More research is urgently needed to prevent and treat the condition…." Dr. Malcolm Carruthers, MD, Vasectomy - The Unkindest Cut of All, [Online], http://www.goldcrossmedical.com

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Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome

I've recently been reading the content at dont fix it!, a site that addresses the issues of post-vasectomy disorders and related diseases, and I've been fascinated by the level of information presented here. This site is a wealth of information (that you cannot find at fringy and worthless sites like wikipedia and webmd.)

I'll admit that this procedure is something I've been tentatively considering as an option, but not anymore. I've only heard a few things in the past about chronic pain and potential dementia from the surgery, and this site offers a TON more information that's worth checking out and bookmarking. Considering how relatively new the surgery is (much like lasik), and even though a certain group of medical scientists and the quacks at the FDA give this their approval, this is one I opt to choose.

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