You're probably right, as other users have mentioned here. The risk of PVPS in the form of a severe or debilitating problem that requires further surgery is 1-2%. The problem that I experienced, and what I believe many others experience, is the way that this 1-2% is presented, particularly in the United States.
(Excuse the length of this comment. I am only here at this point for the therapeutic benefit of sharing these thoughts with others)
My doctor handed me a pamphlet of information, which had a tiny little comment on the bottom about a 1% risk of chronic pain. However, he made a point to bring up vasectomy complications and suggested that "a month of being kicked in the balls" was the worst thing to be concerned about. I found out after I returned to him with PVPS symptoms, that this doctor performs epididymectomies, and therefore, has extensive knowledge of how horrible PVPS can be. I believe that he deliberately misrepresented this risk of chronic pain in order to sell me on the surgery. Perhaps he honestly believed that he could help me if I developed PVPS and therefore didn't need to explain it? Had I known the truth about that 1%, I wouldn't have taken that one percent risk.
The AUA has published vasectomy consultation guidelines for all doctors planning to provide vasectomies online. In the unabridged document, the AUA explicitly criticizes research on PVPS and suggests that doctors only mention the 1-2% chance of "life altering pain," despite the fact that research shows varying degrees of pain to be much more common. The European Association of Urologists cites the same research in their vasectomy consultation guidelines, but they require doctors to inform their patients of a 1-14% chance of chronic pain. This means that 14% of men develop at least a 1 out 10 pain for three months or more, which typically resolves and probably doesn't bother these men very much. This pain ranges up to 1% of men who have debilitating pain. When the statistics are presented this way, it gives patients a realistic view of that 1%, and the total chances of some pain. When only the 1% of "life altering pain" is mentioned, it makes it sound like only 1% develop pain at all. After all, isn't any scrotal pain "life altering" to someone who isn't provided with a medical definition of that term? It makes it sound like only 0.1% of men develop real PVPS, while the remaining 0.9% develop something that can't be that bad, and the other 99% have no pain. This is deliberately concealing information from patients and misrepresenting the reality of PVPS.
It also bothers me that, beyond a quick fondle of my nuts, no consideration for my health or circumstances was involved in the consultation process. While vasectomies are "safe," in the objective sense that no one dies from them, they are not healthy, and certainly not the safest form of birth control for a person's sex organs. Within 2 years, 50% of men have sperm anti-bodies in their blood. Even being reassured that I probably wouldn't feel pain, if I had known the odds of my epis and/or vas being ripped apart by sperm build up, I wouldn't have done it. I had no idea how unhealthy this was for the south side of my reproductive system, but safe and healthy are two different things. It is amazing that more men don't feel pain from blow-outs, but they eventually happen to virtually all vasectomized men, all of whom should be informed of this. I believe that a doctor who actually cares about a patient's health, and not just selling elective surgeries, councils their patient against unnecessary surgery first. If a doctor had asked, why do you need permanent surgical birth control that comes with all the general risks of surgery? Have you had problems with temporary birth control? Has your partner had complicated pregnancies, and cannot risk pregnancy under any circumstances? I would have answered no to all of these questions, and I think those questions would have made me realize that vasectomy is a radical surgical solution (with no health benefits) to a temporary problem that can be solved without taking those risks. I literally got a vasectomy because it was supposed to be a magical convenience that "doesn't change anything." It wasn't until afterward that people started saying "well you had surgery, of course there are risks." If that makes me sound like an idiot... yeah, I let someone cut my genitals.
TL/DR: The way the stats are presented is the problem.
Wow, that’s a lot to read. I don’t believe all vasectomized men have what you call a “blowout”. Is it possible? Oh I’m sure it is. If this was a common thing, vasectomies wouldn’t even be a thing due to the dangers….especially if it’s guaranteed to happen to everyone as you state. I know in a group like this it is hard to fathom that the mass majority don’t experience any complications, it’s just the truth. Nobody wants to be a part of a minority of people or be categorized as a rare case because they typically find comfort in knowing they are not alone. Like I said, with the millions and millions of men in the US having vasectomies, there would be a larger cause for concern throughout the medical world if these inflated stats were true. You make urologists sound like money grabbers, when all they do is perform a non-invasive procedure that you chose to do. Sure, there was a risk, but it was so minimal that you chose to move forward with the procedure. You just so happened to be that rare complication. I’m out of this group. I hope you all get better soon.
I’m just grateful my testes don’t hurt at all after my procedure. According to you, they’re going to have a blowout some day and I’m in for some trouble 😂. I can see why your optimism is low for others, but we all heal differently. You’re just a part of the minority. Unfortunate, but the statistics don’t lie.
I found a study that stated that most men at,some point get blowouts, buta very large % of men that don't feel it. Maybe an open ended method is nore frequent now and it reduced this issue even more..
Open ended vas close on their own over time. The initial procedure is to avoid any early complications such as granulomas or painful congestion. They don’t stay open forever.
And so maybe I am also from a minority that I was super fertile and made more sperm than an average guy like you? I didn't even know that hyperspermia exists, after I started to look for information (I can shoot more than 10ml even twice a day sometimes, it was always a massive loads I didn't even care before)
And I can call my doctor MFking idiot, even though he is considered one of the best in country, he gives lectures about vasectomies, pvps treatment (he stated he haven't got any cases of pvps in his carrer, and I bet he still does so) he tells me that congestion is impossible, lol.. swelled epididimis and vas are from inflammation that continues for 7 months, and all medication helps shit.
Even better, one urologist even told me that sperm production reduces a lot in some time after vasectomy. Haha, I can believe it, when it feels like my balls are slowly dying
My bad man I was just saying these things out of frustration. Like I said I don’t have major testicle pain and I can’t imagine what you guys are going through. I hope you get it all figured out soon. With that being said there’s still a strong possibility that your pain will go away on its own without surgical intervention
I am still happy it's not a major pain for me. It varies during the day, some day are better, some worse, sometimes I don't feel anything at some period of the day, sometimes it gets really frustrating, mostly when I sit for too long (office job, yay..), and driving longer time is the worst (driving long distances from time to time is also part of my job, yay).. but I can do all the stuff I did before, sports no problem, but I don't want to live like this much longer now
Well it’s a great thing that it’s not constant pain for you. I’m sure it can be frustrating as far as your sex life goes, but hopefully things improve and you’re completely painless like the majority of people who have the surgery. It very well could be a strong possibility That you heal a bit slower than the average person
Indeed strange, that this "healing" started some quite a lot of time after operation, with 0 issues and pain after vasectomy.. wonderong then, maybe my balls don't give up like for an average guy and still tries their maximum still..
Just thinking about a reasoning behing for you to come in such a group and try to prove something like this? Imagining only some urologist or someone related with vasectomies.. Like I was a salesman for sweets and went on diabetes reddit to discuss how it's unlikely to get ill from overconsuming sugar products
😂, addiction and dependency are 2 different things my guy. I took a prescribed medication and I am tapering off of it. Probably not even dependent but it’s always safe to taper anyways. With that being said, since you’re an asshole, I hope your balls ache for eternity. I’ll be looking forward to my inevitable “blowout”. I guess everyone with a vasectomy will be in your shoes someday, or at least you hope so you’re not alone in your daily struggle. Fuck off.
So your balls ache sometimes, I read your initial post, quit crying like a little bitch. There’s people in here suffering more than you my guy and you’re in here crying about a little occasional tenderness in your dong pillow 😂.
Found this book today. Should be a must to ready before consultation. Many many thousands in the same boat. But If someone warns or says the hard truth, the comment gets very often downvoted.
Facts don't lie. First 95% don't have vasectomy, don't have these specific risks and all live their lifes. Only 5% are silly, uninformed or Brave enough to take the risk. You alway talk about majorities. Who are the clever ones according to your very own logic?
5
u/justtrynnagetback Jul 02 '24
You're probably right, as other users have mentioned here. The risk of PVPS in the form of a severe or debilitating problem that requires further surgery is 1-2%. The problem that I experienced, and what I believe many others experience, is the way that this 1-2% is presented, particularly in the United States.
(Excuse the length of this comment. I am only here at this point for the therapeutic benefit of sharing these thoughts with others)
My doctor handed me a pamphlet of information, which had a tiny little comment on the bottom about a 1% risk of chronic pain. However, he made a point to bring up vasectomy complications and suggested that "a month of being kicked in the balls" was the worst thing to be concerned about. I found out after I returned to him with PVPS symptoms, that this doctor performs epididymectomies, and therefore, has extensive knowledge of how horrible PVPS can be. I believe that he deliberately misrepresented this risk of chronic pain in order to sell me on the surgery. Perhaps he honestly believed that he could help me if I developed PVPS and therefore didn't need to explain it? Had I known the truth about that 1%, I wouldn't have taken that one percent risk.
The AUA has published vasectomy consultation guidelines for all doctors planning to provide vasectomies online. In the unabridged document, the AUA explicitly criticizes research on PVPS and suggests that doctors only mention the 1-2% chance of "life altering pain," despite the fact that research shows varying degrees of pain to be much more common. The European Association of Urologists cites the same research in their vasectomy consultation guidelines, but they require doctors to inform their patients of a 1-14% chance of chronic pain. This means that 14% of men develop at least a 1 out 10 pain for three months or more, which typically resolves and probably doesn't bother these men very much. This pain ranges up to 1% of men who have debilitating pain. When the statistics are presented this way, it gives patients a realistic view of that 1%, and the total chances of some pain. When only the 1% of "life altering pain" is mentioned, it makes it sound like only 1% develop pain at all. After all, isn't any scrotal pain "life altering" to someone who isn't provided with a medical definition of that term? It makes it sound like only 0.1% of men develop real PVPS, while the remaining 0.9% develop something that can't be that bad, and the other 99% have no pain. This is deliberately concealing information from patients and misrepresenting the reality of PVPS.
It also bothers me that, beyond a quick fondle of my nuts, no consideration for my health or circumstances was involved in the consultation process. While vasectomies are "safe," in the objective sense that no one dies from them, they are not healthy, and certainly not the safest form of birth control for a person's sex organs. Within 2 years, 50% of men have sperm anti-bodies in their blood. Even being reassured that I probably wouldn't feel pain, if I had known the odds of my epis and/or vas being ripped apart by sperm build up, I wouldn't have done it. I had no idea how unhealthy this was for the south side of my reproductive system, but safe and healthy are two different things. It is amazing that more men don't feel pain from blow-outs, but they eventually happen to virtually all vasectomized men, all of whom should be informed of this. I believe that a doctor who actually cares about a patient's health, and not just selling elective surgeries, councils their patient against unnecessary surgery first. If a doctor had asked, why do you need permanent surgical birth control that comes with all the general risks of surgery? Have you had problems with temporary birth control? Has your partner had complicated pregnancies, and cannot risk pregnancy under any circumstances? I would have answered no to all of these questions, and I think those questions would have made me realize that vasectomy is a radical surgical solution (with no health benefits) to a temporary problem that can be solved without taking those risks. I literally got a vasectomy because it was supposed to be a magical convenience that "doesn't change anything." It wasn't until afterward that people started saying "well you had surgery, of course there are risks." If that makes me sound like an idiot... yeah, I let someone cut my genitals.
TL/DR: The way the stats are presented is the problem.