Vasectomy Specialist
Robert J Cornell, MD, PA
Urologist located in Houston, TX
Except for abstinence, a vasectomy is the most efficient method of birth control. In fact, every single year, more than 500,000 men in the United States choose to get a vasectomy for birth control. If you’re thinking about getting a vasectomy, Dr. Robert J. Cornell in downtown Houston has years of experience performing vasectomies, including the no-scalpel vasectomy. To learn more about the procedure, call our office or schedule a consultation online.
Vasectomy Q & A
What is a vasectomy?
A vasectomy is a minor surgery that blocks your sperm from reaching your semen. After a vasectomy, your semen still exists, but it has no sperm in it. Dr. Cornell offers a no-scalpel procedure that’s 99.8% effective at preventing pregnancy. The no-scalpel vasectomy is quick, easy, and nearly pain-free.
Completed in the office under local anesthesia, the no-scalpel procedure allows Dr. Cornell access to each vas deferens — the tubes carrying sperm from your testes to your urethra — through a single surgical puncture in the scrotum. He confirms sterility with a semen analysis at six and 12 weeks, at which time no sperm should be found in your ejaculate.
Is a vasectomy painful?
Dr. Cornell's no-scalpel procedure minimizes discomfort significantly. Before the procedure, you receive local anesthetic in the area, and rather than cutting into the scrotum, Dr. Cornell only makes a tiny hole.
When he blocks the vas deferens, you may feel a slight tug. After the procedure, soreness subsides within a few days, and patients can go back to work. At the end of a week, most men can return to normal sexual activity. Also, with the development of the no-scalpel method, the procedure's already low complication rate has been reduced even further.
Can my partner tell if I’ve had a vasectomy?
Your partner may be able to feel the vasectomy site, especially if a granuloma, or an inflammation of the tissue, has formed.
Aside from that, sperm adds very little to the overall volume of your semen, so you and your partner shouldn't notice any changes in your ejaculate after a vasectomy. Plus, ejaculation and orgasm usually aren’t affected by a vasectomy.
Is a vasectomy right for me?
A vasectomy is for men who are certain that they're no longer interested in having children. Although it can be reversible, a vasectomy is only for men that have made the decision that they do not want additional pregnancies in their lives. Most of Dr. Cornell’s patients are married men who already have a family and the number of children they want.
To discuss whether a vasectomy is right for you, call Dr. Cornell’s office or book an appointment with him online.