Vasectomy without metal clips

There have been many different methods that have been used to occlude the vas deferens during vasectomy to try to make it as effective as a permanent sterilization as possible.  Although there is no form of contraception that is exactly 100% for everyone forever, vasectomy techniques strive for as close to 100% effectiveness long term as possible.  At Austin Center for Vasectomy and Vasectomy Reversal, metal clips are not used during vasectomy.  Philosophically, the idea of not leaving permanent foreign bodies in the scrotum is appealing.  There have also been concerns about the risk of clipping across the divided end of the vas deferens, compromising the blood supply to the end of the vas deferens beyond the clip, which could lead to necrosis (tissue death due to no blood supply) and possibly sloughing off of the necrosed end of the vas deferens, leaving an open end to the vas deferens with a potential risk of the ends growing back together (recanalization); as described in the 10th edition of Campbell’s textbook of urology.  The technique used at Austin Center for Vasectomy and Vasectomy Reversal is sealing the inside of the vas deferens tubes with electrocautery after they are divided and placing a tissue interposition (tissue wall) between the two ends to minimize the risk of them recanalizing.