The percutaneous electrocoagulation vasectomy technique--a comparative trial with the standard incision technique at Marie Stopes House, London.

One-hundred-and-one men requesting vasectomy in 1985 for the purpose of limiting family size were admitted to a study of standard incision and monopolar diathermy, and a new percutaneous electrocoagulation vasectomy procedure. Semen specimens were tested at 10 and 12 weeks after surgery. Men were telephoned at 2, 12 and 24 weeks post-surgery to elicit complications and complaints. Half of the men having the standard incision procedure and about one-third of the men undergoing the percutaneous procedure complained of discomfort during the surgery. At the two-week telephone contact, 23% of those having the standard incision and 66% of those having the percutaneous procedure reported complications. There were few complications or complaints reported at the long-term follow-up contacts with either method; although twice as many men in the percutaneous group were not declared sterile by the end of the study period. Failure rates were 2.0% for the standard incision procedure and 7.8% for the percutaneous approach.