THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO UROLOGISTS AND SPECIALLY TRAINED TEAMS OF TECHNICIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD A SINGLE, RELIABLE, LOW- COST MACROSURGICAL VASOVASOSTOMY SYSTEM.

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO UROLOGISTS AND SPECIALLY TRAINED TEAMS OF TECHNICIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD A SINGLE, RELIABLE, LOW- COST MACROSURGICAL VASOVASOSTOMY SYSTEM. OFFERED IN A RESTOCKABLE KIT FORMAT, THE ARMANENTARIUM WOULD INCLUDE A VAS LUMEN SIZING GAUGE, A SELECTION OF FLOW-THRU ABSORBABLE VAS STENTS, MICRO SUTURES, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED VAS STABILIZING CLAMP, AND AN INTRALUMENAL NEEDLE GUIDE SUTURINGAID. USE OF THE KIT WOULD REDUCE TISSUE TRAUMA DURING SURGERY AND SIMPLFY THIS TECHNICALLY DEMANDING PROCEDURE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT COULD BE PERFORMED QUICKLY AND RELIABLY WITHOUT A SURGICAL MICROSCOPE BY PERSONNEL OTHER THAN EXPERIENCED MICROSURGEONS. POPULARIZATION OF THE VASECTOMY AS A HIGHLY RELIABLE BIRTH CONTROL METHOD WITH EXCELLENT CHANCES OF REVERSIBILITY AND A MARKED DECREASE IN COSTS WOULD BE A DIRECT RESULT. POPULATION CONTROL IN AREAS OF THE WORLD WHERE VASECTOMY IS CULTURALLY UNPOPULAR WOULD ALSOBENEFIT BY A SIMPLE, RELIABLE, LOW-COST METHOD OF VASECTOMY REVERSAL. ANIMAL STUDIES CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY, INVOLVING THE PERFORMANCEAND SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS OF STENT AND NONSTENT VASOVASOS- TOMIES IN RATS AND DOGS, WILL ESTABLISH THE EFFECTIVENESS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OFFERED BY THIS SYSTEM.