POSTVASECTOMY SEMEN ANALYSIS - UNNECESSARY DELAY OR BELT AND BRACES

Post-vasectomy semen analyses from a consecutive series of 574 men wer e studied to determine whether the current regimen of sample analysis could be improved. Five hundred and ten men completed follow up (ie su bmitted two consecutive azoospermic samples); thus 11 per cent of men did not comply with follow up arrangements. 97.5 per cent of men who c omplied with follow up had at least one azoospermic sample out of the first two submitted, and all those whose first sample was azoospermic were subsequently found to have had a successful operation. Early reca nalisation was detected in three men (0.6 per cent), all of whom had s ubmitted at least one azoospermic sample. These results suggest that e arlier testing would allow more rapid and convenient confirmation of a zoospermia in the great majority of cases, but that the requirement fo r two azoospermic samples a sufficient time interval after operation i s necessary to exclude early recanalisation.