[Experimental vasectomy: comparison of epididymal structure with various surgical techniques].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the effects of different surgical techniques of vasectomy on the epididymal structure.


METHODS
Experimental vasectomies were performed in dogs using the conventional and open-ended techniques. The animals were orchidectomized 1 to 12 months after vasectomy and the epididymal structure was analyzed.


RESULTS
The epididymal structure of dogs submitted to the conventional technique showed marked ectasia, reinforced basement membrane, loss of stereocilia in the principal cells, and formation of spermatic granulomas in interstitial tissue. At 12 months the principal cells showed signs of degenerative changes. In the different time periods analyzed in the study, no changes were observed in the epididymal structure of dogs submitted to the open-ended technique.


CONCLUSIONS
The changes observed in the principal cells are ascribable to the increased intraluminal pressure produced by ligation of both ends of the vas deferens (conventional technique), since no changes were found in the epididymal structure of dogs submitted to the open-ended technique, at least in the different time periods analyzed in the study.
Whyte
J
J
Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas, Universidad de Zaragoza, España. jwhyte@posta.unizar.es
Sarrat
R
R
Torres
A
A
Cisneros
A
A
Whyte
A
A
Mazo
R
R
Aranda
E
E
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004822:Epididymis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000379:methods*