Yes. All contraceptive methods carry some risks as well as benefits. Vasectomy is a very low risk procedure, but complications are possible.

• Bleeding (hematoma) and infections are the most common (although rare) complications of vasectomy. These occur in 3.1% of men undergoing a conventional vasectomy and less than 0.4% of men undergoing a No-Scalpel Vasectomy. The no-scalpel method we describe is associated with a much lower rate of hematoma because the skin and vas sheath are punctured and the opening is then dilated, so blood vessels are more likely to be pushed aside rather than cut. The risk of a severe complication occurring, one that would require admission to the hospital is less than one in a thousand (0.01%).
  
  
• Failure of the procedure. Vasectomy is not guaranteed to be 100% effective. Even when the procedure is performed perfectly, recanalization, sperm finding their way across the blocked ends of the vas deferens, can occur. Although this is very rare (less than 0.2% of the time), it can occur months or even years later. This demonstrates the necessity of performing semen analyses some 6-8 weeks post-vasectomy to verify that the patient's semen contains no sperm. Recanalization usually occurs in the first 2-3 months after vasectomy (incidence 1/500), but has been known, in extremely rare cases, to occur even years later (incidence 1/4500).
  
  
• Sperm granuloma, a hard, sometimes painful lump, about the size of a pea, may form as a result of sperm leaking from the cut vas deferens. The lump is not dangerous and is almost always resolved by the body in time. Scrotal support and mild pain relievers are usually all that are required to alleviate the symptoms, although the doctor may suggest other treatments.
  
  
• Congestion, a sense of fullness or pressure caused by sperm in the testes, epididymis, and lower vas deferens, may cause discomfort some 2 to 12 weeks after vasectomy. Like granuloma, congestion is not serious and usually resolves itself in time.