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A new anesthetic technique for vasectomy that does not involve the use of needles has been shown to be safe and effective, according to a recent study presented by Dr. Marc Goldstein of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Department of Urology. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell is the first and only site in the Northeast to offer the new technique.

Among the 1,391 patients anesthetized using the no-needle technique, the average visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score for the injection was 1.65 of a maximum 10. The average VAS score during the surgical procedure was 0.67. No adverse effects were associated with the technique, reported the study, which was authored by Dr. Ronald Weiss of the University of Ottawa School of Medicine, along with NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Philip Shihua Li.

"One straight-forward benefit of eliminating needles is that people don't like needles," says Dr. Goldstein, who performed the first no-needle case in the Northeast in October 2004. "In conjunction with no-scalpel vasectomy, developed in China and introduced by me in the U.S. in 1985, no-needle vasectomy helps reduce men's fear of the procedure and represents the next step in the evolution of minimally invasive vasectomy techniques."

Dr. Goldstein is Surgeon-in-Chief of Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and Professor of Urology and Reproductive Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Li is Assistant Research Professor of Urology and Reproductive Medicine, and Director of Microsurgical Training and Research at Weill Cornell.

No-scalpel vasectomy – unlike conventional vasectomy, which involves two scrotal incisions – involves one tiny puncture, resulting in fewer complications and quicker recovery time.

The MadaJet non-needle anesthetic, manufactured by MADA Medical Products, Inc., of Carlstadt, NJ, has been widely used in many surgical fields such as dermatology, cosmetic surgery, dentistry and podiatry, as well as for immunization. The FDA-approved device employs a high-pressure spray of anesthetic solution that is delivered through the scrotal skin and the tissue around the vas.