Use of EMLA cream with vasectomy.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether the application of a eutectic mixture of anesthetic cream (EMLA cream) can decrease the pain of lidocaine injection during vasectomy.

METHODS

A double-blind, prospective study was performed in which each patient acted as his own control. One hour before a double-incision vasectomy, EMLA cream was applied to one side of the scrotum and a white lanolin hand cream to the other side. A double-incision vasectomy was performed, and each patient was asked to rate the pain associated with each side of the procedure.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine patients agreed to the study; 61 patients thought the EMLA cream decreased the pain of the vasectomy, 16 preferred the lanolin hand cream, and 3 said there was no difference. These results were significant at the 0.0001 level using the Student t test.

CONCLUSIONS

EMLA cream significantly decreases the pain associated with lidocaine injections given as local anesthesia for vasectomy.