Is it true you can go sterile after having a spinal fusion? I had one of those 10 years ago and now I’m hearing this. I’m really past my prime and don’t have any plans to make a future “mini-me” but a guy likes to keep his options open.

Any surgery comes with complications otherwise known as potential adverse events in medical lingo. There can be infections, blood clots, delayed wound healing, and so on. In the case of spinal fusion, there is a whole set of possible additional problems specific to that procedure including sterility.

Here’s what can happen. Devices called implants or cages placed between two vertebrae replace the disc that was removed as part of the fusion procedure. These devices can shift out of position or sink into the bone putting pressure on nerve tissue. Accidental cutting of the nerve tissue during the operation can also occur. Damage to the spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots can result in bladder retention of urine and retrograde ejaculation. These complications have been reported.

Men are at risk for damage to the nerves controlling penis erection and ejaculation. With retrograde ejaculation, semen goes backwards and into the bladder instead of forward and out the penis. Not everyone recovers from this problem. In fact, only about one-third regain complete sexual function.

Retrograde ejaculation may not be life-threatening, but it is a very serious problem for those who develop this complication. Loss of sexual function and sterility (inability to have children) can adversely affect mental and emotional health as well as quality of life.

The exact rate at which this happens is not known. Studies show that urine retention after surgery is the most likely problem. Traditional bone graft spinal fusions have about a 3.6 per cent rate of urogenital problems. That is compared with a 7.9 per cent when bone substitute (called rh-BMP-2) is used. The overall breakdown as to how many of these cases are urine retention and how many are linked to retrograde ejaculation isn’t available.

If you are not having any problems urinating or getting an erection and ejaculating, you are not likely to develop any of these complications. But if you do experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor right away. There could be any number of reasons for these symptoms. Spinal fusion is just one (minor) cause.