[Evaluation of guidelines for the assessment of success after vasectomy and needed improvements]

The evaluation of a recently established guidelines about the assessment of semen samples after vasectomy in the laboratory of the Hospital General of Albacete and to modify them to optimize the number of semen samples provided per patient but keeping in concordande with the international recommendations.

The records of seminal analysis results from vasectomies performed from January 2002 to December 2004 were reviewed. Our vasectomy guidelines are based upon those of the British Andrology Society (BAS) and those of the World Health Organization for seminal assessment.

During the 3 years 984 patients underwent vasectomy. At follow up, 67% of them returned postvasectomy semen samples, but just 55.,5% of them get the clearance criteria; the other patient abandoned before getting them. A mean of 2 samples per patient were received, but 39.6% of them provided one and more than 23% brought more than 3 semen samples. We had 43 technical failures, 4 early recanalization (0.5%) and one late recanalization (0.1%), and 13 patients underwent revasectomy (1,7%).

A high percentage of our patients failed to fulfill the clearance criteria recommended by the BAS and almost a quarter of them had to deliver more than 3 semen samples. So we find convenient to modify our guides and propose that our patients should receive 2 request forms from the practitioner for semen analysis in the 6th and the 7th month postoperatively and should return to global evaluation of both reports. In that moment most patients will be able to meet the applied criteria for success with just 2 semen samples. Those who fail to become sterile because of either technical failure or early recanalizatione may be advised to go to the urologist with just 2 semen analysis without unnecessary delay.