Dear Kirsten,

Contrary to what you apparently think, there IS a rupture, and it IS
called a "blow out", and there IS an open-ended vasectomy which was
developed to address this problem. Anyone who does not believe it
can look it up.

The exact PLACE of the rupture is a quibble.

The open ended vasectomy DOES NOT get you around the auto-immune
conundrum. I admit to being not an expert on auto-immune responses,
but I have heard that they are some of the most intractable problems
among diseases.

Jim

--- In malecontraceptives@yahoogroups.com, "malecontraceptives
<info@m...>" <info@m...> wrote:
>
> Hi Chris,
>
> Thanks for your message. Joe and I have chosen not to include
> vasectomy as a category on our website, primarily because of the
> difficulties with reversal. It's a reliable method of
sterilization,
> but an unreliable method of reversible contraception.
>
> And Matt, nobody's *testicles* rupture after a vasectomy. See the
> abstract below:
>
> "Following vasectomy, spermatogenesis continues, the human
epididymis
> and ductus deferens may distend and leak, and the extravasated
> spermatozoa stimulate formation of a sperm granuloma. Granulomas
may
> occur at 60% of vasectomy sites and are usually asymptomatic and
> relieve intraluminal pressure. About 3-5% of patients experience
> pain... Distension of the epididymis is common after vasectomy and
> may lead to granuloma formation there. Up to 6% of patients have
> symptoms, but many with epididymal changes have no discomfort. Most
> episodes of painful epididymitis and granulomas resolve with
> conservative treatment, but < 1% require vasectomy reversal or, if
> this is ineffective, excision of the epididymis and obstructed
ductus
> deferens." (From Clinical Anatomy 1996 9(5): 337-42)
>
> Most granulomas disappear within a year of vasectomy.
>
> Kirsten