Post vasectomy syndrome

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The term post-vasectomy syndrome or, more correctly, post-vasectomy pain syndrome refers to various chronic pain phenomena and / or pressure sensations after a vasectomy in the man's abdominal area. This includes men with only occasional pulling discomfort in the area of ​​the testicles, as well as extremely severe pain. While it is the doctor's duty in Germany and Austria to draw attention to this syndrome before a vasectomy, this has not yet been prescribed in Switzerland.

Symptoms

Symptoms of post-vasectomy pain syndrome can appear immediately after the vasectomy or years later. They range from mild complaints that are barely noticed to severe painful conditions that can significantly reduce the quality of life.

Symptoms can be:

  • Persistent pain in the testicles and / or abdominal area
  • Pain in the groin with physical exertion
  • Pain during erection, penetration and / or ejaculation
  • Erectile dysfunction

Only one of these symptoms or several or all of these symptoms can occur in an operated man.

Diagnosis

The definition of post-vasectomy pain syndrome, which does not exist otherwise, is in reality to be regarded as relatively fuzzy and imprecise, since a dedicated and systematic pain assessment is carried out in the rarest of cases. Ultimately, this group includes men with only occasional pulling complaints in the area of ​​the testicles, as well as extremely severe pain. That is probably why the number of cases affected vary between one percent and a good fourteen percent.

The phenomenon has not been adequately researched and there is disagreement about what exactly could be responsible for it. Different causes can exist depending on the case. Sperm backlog problems in the epididymis are mentioned as a possibility or an injury to the nerves in the area.

therapy

In some cases, the pain subsides on its own or with conservative therapy after months to years; in some cases, follow-up surgery such as refertilization, removal of the epididymis or denervation helps. In extreme cases, removal of the testicles is also an option. In some cases in the lower percentage range, the pain lasts for years to a lifetime and can significantly reduce the quality of life.

Epidemiology

The most solid study by Leslie et al., Which surveyed almost 600 men before and half a year after a vasectomy, names 14.7 percent of vasectomized men who report new pain in the affected area after the procedure. The vasectomy experts in Germany name one to five percent. In general, the question of the incidence of the phenomenon gives much cause for discussion. Nowadays, however, it is undisputed that one percent of the men operated on are affected by it - which is specified in the European Urology Guidelines.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chronic pain syndrome or PVS - Interview with Priv.-Doz. Dr. Leißner. In: vasektomie.de. Retrieved November 27, 2017 .
  2. ↑ a b c Vasectomy - Not always as harmless as promised. In: srf.ch. Retrieved December 3, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Vasectomy: The Sterilization of Men. Federal Center for Health Education, accessed on November 26, 2017 .
  4. ↑ www.blitz.net: Urologist portal: Sterilization of the man. Retrieved November 27, 2017 .
  5. ^ A b Thomas A. Leslie, Rowland O. Illing, David W. Cranston, John Guillebaud: The incidence of chronic scrotal pain after vasectomy: a prospective audit . In: BJU International . tape 100 , no. 6 , December 1, 2007, ISSN  1464-410X , p. 1330-1333 , doi : 10.1111 / j.1464-410X.2007.07128.x ( wiley.com [accessed November 26, 2017]).
  6. ↑ Information on the sterilization procedure for men - OP and procedure. In: vasektomie-experten.de. Retrieved December 4, 2017 .