I went in for a vasectomy and they couldn't perform due to a narrow vas cord.

It happens that sometimes the vas deferens is difficult to find. It can be that the vas is smaller than usual making it harder to palpate and hence do the procedure. More commonly there is a combination of factors that preclude isolating the vas. Some men have a small scrotum with thick scrotal skin, some men are squirmish and if you combine this with a small scrotum it complicates the procedure, the vas is one of several structures leading to the testicle and sometimes it gets "lost" in all the other vessels and tissues making it difficult to find. Rarely there is no vas tube and this is common in men with no kidney on that side. What is usually done in the scenario is to do the procedure with anesthesia and maybe a larger incision and this helps eliminate the issues alluded to. The saying goes, "a vasectomy is an easy procedure to perform...after you've done five hundred."

Published on Jul 11, 2012

I have never heard of that condition of a narrow vas cord. I have on occasion been unable to perform a vasectomy because of a thick spermatic cord and it has difficult to identify the vas because of the spermatic cord's thickness. I hope this answer helps. Dr. Neil Baum, Professor of Clinical Urology at Tulane Medical school

Published on Jul 11, 2012

Some men's vas deferens are very small and harder to palpate than most. An experienced vasectomist should be able to palpate the vasa and complete your procedure.

Published on Jul 11, 2012

No, it is not. It may be that the operator had difficulty identifying the vas deferens - the tube that carries the sperm. In some patients, the tube (or "cord") is more hidden.
If you can find a very experienced vasectomist (usually a urologist who has been doing a lot of vasectomies for a long time), he or she will usually be able to find the vas. Otherwise, your doctor may have to take you to the operating room under anesthesia to complete your vasectomy.
In rare cases, the vas may be missing on one or even both sides. Just another reason that experience counts with a vasectomy.

Published on Jul 11, 2012