Vasectomy Health Dictionary

The absence of sperm from semen, causing infertility in males. Azoospermia may be caused by a disorder present at birth or that develops later in life or after vasectomy.

Congenital azoospermia may be due to a chromosomal abnormality such as Klinefelter’s syndrome; failure of the testes to descend into the scrotum; absence of the vasa deferentia (ducts that carry sperm from the testes to the seminal vesicles); or cystic fibrosis.

In some males, azoospermia may be the result of hormonal disorders affecting the onset of puberty. Another cause is blockage of the vasa deferentia, which may follow a sexually transmitted infection, tuberculosis, or surgery on the groin. Azoospermia can also be the result of damage to the testes. This can follow radiotherapy, treatment with certain drugs, and prolonged exposure to heat, or the effects of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals.

If the cause is treatable, sperm production may restart. However, in some cases, the testes will have been permanently damaged.... azoospermia

The complete destruction or removal of living organisms, usually to prevent spread of infection; any procedure that renders a person infertile (see sterilization, female; vasectomy).... sterilization

The conduct of very intricate surgical operations using specially re?ned operating microscopes (see MICROSCOPE) and miniaturised precision instruments – for example, forceps, scalpels, scissors, etc. Microsurgery is used in previously inaccessible areas of the brain, eye, inner ear and spinal cord, as well as in the suturing of severed nerves and small blood vessels following traumatic injuries to the limbs or ?ngers. The technique is also used to reverse VASECTOMY.... microsurgery

Sterilisation means either (1) the process of rendering various objects – such as those which come in contact with wounds, and various foods – free from microbes, or (2) the process of rendering a person incapable of producing children.

The manner of sterilising bedding, furniture, and the like, after contact with a case of infectious disease, is given under DISINFECTION; whilst the sterilisation of instruments, dressings, and skin surfaces, necessary before surgical procedures, is mentioned in the same article and also under ANTISEPTICS, ASEPSIS, and WOUNDS. For general purposes, one of the cheapest and most e?ective agents is boiling water or steam.

Bacteriological sterilisation may be e?ected in many ways, and di?erent methods are used in di?erent cases.

Reproductive sterilisation In women, this is performed by ligating (cutting) and then tying the FALLOPIAN TUBES – the tubes that carry the OVUM from the ovary (see OVARIES) to the UTERUS. Alternatively, the tubes may be sealed-o? by means of plastic and silicone clips or rings. The technique is usually performed (by LAPAROSCOPY) through a small incision, or cut, in the lower abdominal wall. It has no e?ect on sexual or menstrual function, and, unlike the comparable operation in men, it is immediately e?ective. The sterilisation is usually permanent (around 0·05 pregnancies occur for every 100 women years of use), but occasionally the two cut ends of the Fallopian tubes reunite, and pregnancy is then again possible. Removal of the uterus and/or the ovaries also sterilises a woman but such procedures are only used when there is some special reason, such as the presence of a tumour.

The operation for sterilising men is known as VASECTOMY.... sterilisation

Very thin, shell-like, transparent discs fitted on the cornea of the eye to correct defective vision. Generally, contact lenses are used to correct myopia (shortsightedness) and hypermetropia (longsightedness). There are several types.

Hard plastic lenses give good vision, are long-lasting and durable, inexpensive, and easy to maintain. However, they are sometimes difficult to tolerate and may fall out. Hard gas-permeable lenses are more comfortable because they allow oxygen to pass through to the eye, but are less durable. Soft lenses are the most comfortable because of their high water content. Disposable soft lenses are for single-use only; extended wear lenses are worn for up to a month.

Other types of lenses include rigid, scleral lenses that cover the whole of the front of the eye and are used to disguise disfigurement due to injury or disease; bifocal contact lenses; and interruptus; hormonal methods, including the use of oral contraceptives, implants, and injections (see contraceptives, injectable); intrauterine devices (see IUDs); postcoital methods (see contraception, emergency); or sterilization of the male (see vasectomy) or female (see sterilization, female).

contraception, barrier methods of

The use of a device and/or a chemical to stop sperm reaching an ovum, preventing fertilization and pregnancy. Barrier methods also help prevent the sexual transmission of diseases such as AIDS, genital herpes (see herpes, genital), and viral hepatitis (see hepatitis, viral).

toric contact lenses with an uneven sur- face curvature to correct astigmatism.

Hard plastic contact lenses may cause abrasion of the cornea if they are worn for too long. Soft lens wearers sometimes develop sensitivity of the eyes and lids. Other problems that may occur with any type of contact lens include infections and redness of the eye.... contact lenses

Analysis of sperm concentration, shape, and motility (ability to move).

It is used to investigate male infertility and is also done some weeks after vasectomy to ensure that the semen no longer contains sperm.... seminal fluid analysis

See vasectomy. ... sterilization, male

n. the operation of connecting the vas deferens to the epididymis to bypass obstruction of the latter in an attempt to cure *azoospermia caused by this blockage. It is also performed to reverse vasectomy as an alternative to *vasovasostomy.... epididymovasostomy

(microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) the removal of spermatozoa from the epididymis by needle *aspiration. This procedure, performed under anaesthetic, may be undertaken to assist conception in cases where the normal passage of sperm from the testis is obstructed, for example by blockage (through infection) of the ducts or by vasectomy. The extracted sperm are subjected to special treatment to select the strongest and most motile; these are then chemically treated to activate them and used for in vitro fertilization (see ICSI).... mesa

n. the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, which can be achieved by various means. Hormonal contraceptives (combined oestrogen and progestogen or progestogen only) act by preventing ovulation. They are usually taken in regular oral doses (see oral contraceptive), but may also be administered through the skin, by means of an adhesive patch impregnated with the hormones, or by three- or two-monthly injections of a long-acting progestogen. More recently developed methods for continuous administration of the hormones include subcutaneous implants of progestogen (Nexplanon) and hormonal intrauterine devices (see IUS). Methods that aim to prevent fertilization of the ovum include *coitus interruptus, the *condom, the *diaphragm, and surgical intervention (tubal occlusion and vasectomy: see sterilization). Methods that aim to prevent implantation of a fertilized ovum in the uterus include the intrauterine contraceptive device (see IUCD); these methods can be used after intercourse but before implantation (see postcoital contraception). Couples whose religious beliefs forbid the use of mechanical or hormonal contraceptives may use the *rhythm method, in which intercourse is limited to those days in the menstrual cycle when conception is least likely.... contraception

n. the surgical operation of reanastomosing the vas deferens after previous vasectomy: the reversal of vasectomy, undertaken to restore fertility. It is ideally performed using microsurgical techniques. The success rates vary depending on the time between the vasectomy and its reversal.... vasovasostomy