10 year (A)

1 year (B)

Sent out

460

460

Responded

182

220

Response rate

39.6%

47.8%

Excluded (scrotal pain prior to vasectomy)

2

6

Valid sample

180

214

Valid sample %

39.1%

46.5%

Results

10 year (A)

%

1 year (B)

%

Increase or decrease

Hematoma

5

2.8%

2

0.9%

-67.9%

Wound infection

24

13.3%

17

7.9%

-40.6%

New onset scrotal pain

25

13.9%

36

16.8%

17.3%

Pain scoring >5

8

4.4%

13

6.1%

27.9%

Regret due to pain

3

1.7%

6

2.8%

39.3%

Regret as percentage of new onset pain group

12%

16.7%

28.1%

1

Note the poor response rate

2

Group A had their vasectomy in 1991-92, group B in 2000-2001.

3

Pain severity was graded using a visual analogue score (VAS).

4

Patients were also asked if they regretted having a vasectomy because of pain.

5

Note the sharp decrease in incidence of Hematoma and wound infection in the later group.

6

The authors state that "The incidence of scrotal pain was not significantly different between the groups". However, the difference actually equates to an increase of over 17% in the 1 year group.

7

The authors put the rate of chronic scrotal pain at 1 in 7 (14%). This relates to ALL scrotal pain. The scrotal pain that scored over 5 in the authors ratings equates to 12 men out of a total of 394 - 5.3%. This equates to one in 20 men had pain rated at >5 on the author's scoring system.

8

The pain differences between men who had a vasectomy 10 years before compared to the 1 year group are significant.