No needle approach offers patients new, less-invasive option for vasectomy A new surgical approach called “no needle vasectomy” is now offering men a new, less-invasive treatment option for permanent male birth control. The no needle jet anesthetic technique, originally pioneered in North America, was introduced to the U.S. urological market at the 100th annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in San Antonio May 21-26, 2005. In a traditional vasectomy, an anesthetic is delivered via a needle into the scrotum to numb the area before the surgical procedure. With this new procedure, the anesthetic is delivered into the target area with a no needle jet injection – decreasing the fear of needles and removing needle injection pain.

Existing technique vs. no needle approach The traditional method of vasectomy involves inserting a needle into the scrotum to anesthetize the area around each vas deferens prior to surgery - a key reason why the procedure can be painful. With the new, no needle approach to vasectomy, the physician can anesthetize the surgical area with a jet anesthetic device, which delivers the numbing agent without use of a needle.

Key Benefits of No Needle Vasectomy According to physician experts in this field, the three key benefits of the no needle approach to vasectomy are that it: Simplifies the surgical technique, Lowers patient fears, and Reduces pain in men undergoing the procedure. Clinicians:  Procedure is ‘Remarkably Effective’ Information about the new no needle vasectomy technique was presented in a study published in the May 2005 edition of the Journal of Urology by Ronald S. Weiss, M.D.*, and Philip S. Li, M.D.* They presented their findings at the AUA meeting in San Antonio. In a study of 465 patients, Drs. Weiss and Li reported the no needle jet injection anesthetic technique to be "remarkably effective," and to be a “simple and safe approach with high patient satisfaction.” Low pain, and anesthesia without a needle, were welcomed by many men. “My patients have responded exceptionally well to the no needle approach for vasectomy,” said Dr. Marc Goldstein, an international medical authority in vasectomy at Cornell University. Similar no needle techniques have been commonly used for anesthesia in dentistry and other areas of medicine. In 2001, Charles "Chic" L. Wilson, M.D., of Seattle, Wash., initially described this technique for vasectomy. “No needle vasectomy represents a significant technological advance for physicians in providing our patients with a virtually painless form of vasectomy,” said Dr. Ted Benderev, a urologist in Laguna Hills, California. “Most of my patients, who typically are concerned about needles, report no pain. As more couples learn about this new form of permanent birth control, I expect that more men will step up to the plate in place of their wives.”   * RONALD S. WEISS, M.D. - Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.   * PHILIP S. LI, M.D. - Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery, Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical Center of Cornell University, The New York Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (PSL), New York, New York.