title: Prospective comparison of ligation and bipolar cautery technique in non-scalpel vasectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is no trial comparing bipolar cautery and ligation for occlusion of vas in non-scalpel vasectomy. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of these vasectomy occlusion techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2002-June 2009, patients were allocated in alternate order. We recruited 100 cases in cautery group and 100 cases in ligation group. Non-scalpel approach was performed during vasectomy and fascial interposition was performed in all cases. First semen analysis was done 3 months after vasectomy. Vasectomy success was defined as azoospermia or non-motile sperm lower than 100.000/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients from the cautery group were switched to the ligation group due to technical problem of cautery device. Thus, data of 96 patients as cautery group and 104 patients as ligation group were evaluated. After vasectomy, semen analyses were obtained from 59 of 96 (61.5%) patients in cautery group and to 66 of 104 (63.5%) patients in ligation group. There was no statistical significant difference between the two groups in terms of the success of vasectomy (p=0.863).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although bipolar cautery technique is safe, effective and feasible in non-scalpel vasectomy, it has no superiority to ligation. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the success and complications between the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Suleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Medicine, Isparta, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muammer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altok
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Şifa University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Feyzullah
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Şahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Şifa University, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rauf Taner
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Divrik
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Gazi Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, M.H. Tepecik Research and Education Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferruh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zorlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002425:Cautery / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055101:Semen Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000379:methods*