Lack of sterility after vasectomy

In Norway vasectomy is generally performed under local anesthesia; 1-2 cm of the vas deferens are resected and the ends are ligated. The most common complication is the development of sperm granulomata. Recanalisation occurs in 1-5% of the cases depending on the technique used. The case of a 29-year-old man whose wife became pregnant 19 months after a vasectomy is reported; the patient had a sperm count of 30 million sperm/ml 19 months after the operation. It is recommended that some type of fascial barrier be provided by the vasectomy operation. A histological study of the resected material should be done and regular postoperative sperm counts should be taken.