10-minute surgery may be an alternative to vasectomyNovember 15th, 2007 - 2:02 pm ICT by admin
New Delhi, November 15 (ANI): Chinese doctors have developed a new birth control surgery that may provide men with an alternative to vasectomy.
During the procedure, a surgeon makes a small incision along the testicles, and then places a tiny tube into the opening. The tube can be removed anytime in future, without putting any adverse impact on a man’s sexual health.
Wu Weixiong, the director of Guangzhou Family Planning Technology Center, has revealed that the tube functions as a filter that blocks sperm.
He says that it just takes 10 minutes to complete the operation.
The doctors have already patented the surgical procedure, and the health department will start promoting it as soon as it gets the approval of the National Food and Drug Administration.
Zhu Jiaming, the vice-president of the Guangzhou Sexology Association, said that the new method was expected to be approved by next year.
“The success rate for this form of birth control is 97 percent,” the China Daily quoted him as saying.
Wu concedes that the operation is very difficult, and requires highly skilled doctors.
He, however, says that local doctors will soon be provided necessary training to carry out the procedure.
He believes that there will be sufficient availability of doctors with the know-how of such operations by the time the procedure is officially approved.
The research into the operation, which started four years ago in Beijing, was led by science and technology institute of the National Population and Family Planning Commission and Guangzhou family planning science and technology institute.
The technique was developed through more than 1,600 clinical trials all over the country. Over 500 men in Qingyuan, a city in Guangdong Province, have already undergone the surgery.
None of the persons operated has experienced any side effects to date.
Zhu Jiaming has revealed that most people in China can afford the operations cost.
“When the technique is available, couples will have one more option for birth control, and married women do not have to install an intrauterine device (IUD) anymore,” Zhu said.
A survey by the Guangzhou-based New Express Daily has shown that about 60 percent of local residents are in favour of the surgerys promotion. (ANI)