A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that makes
a man infertile and once thought to be irreversible. Half a million men a year
in the U.S. choose this option either to stop from having any more children or
to keep from having any children at all. With the right amount of skill,
however, the procedure can sometimes be reversed.
A vasectomy reversal option should only be
considered after doing extensive research. You may find the vasectomy reversal
option is a good, albeit expensive, option for any man who has had a vasectomy
and now wishes to have children. You should know, however, that the procedure
is not guaranteed, is very expensive and often contains more pain and down time
than the original procedure.
The Two Types of Vasectomy Reversal
There are two types of vasectomy reversal:
vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy. Vasovasostomy is when the surgeon sews
the cut ends of the vas deferens back together. This is the most common type of
vasectomy reversal. Vasoepididymostomy is more complicated, but is performed
when there is blockage in the epididymis. It is done by attaching the vas
deferens to the epididymis.
Length of Time
There is a correlation between the time your
vasectomy was performed, and the time you want to have a vasectomy reversal. A
vasectomy reversal is something that is done at least a year or so after the
vasectomy itself. Research shows that almost five percent of the 500,000 men
who opt for vasectomy every year later opt for the vasectomy reversal
procedure.
The longer you wait to have the vasectomy
reversal done the more your chances decrease of being able to regain your
fertility. Within three years after your vasectomy your chances are higher to
get your fertility back. After three years your chances begin decreasing slowly
the longer you wait. While there is no period of time considered too long to
perform a vasectomy reversal, the sooner you do so after your vasectomy the
better the chances are that you will be able to father a child.
Talk to Your Doctor
Before even you even think of reversing the
vasectomy, you should consider very hard the necessity of doing so, and the
benefits of it. Besides that, consult with your doctor or your personal
physician who will guide you through all the tests to determine whether you are
fit to take on another surgery.
The subsequent procedures are more
complicated, compared to the vasectomy itself. And that is why the doctor needs
to see whether you fit the requirements to undergo another surgery.
When seeking someone to perform a vasectomy
reversal it’s a good idea to seek out a vasectomy reversal specialist to
consult with. The reason for this is because you want the person performing the
procedure to be very familiar and proficient with the techniques involved. It
is critical that you choose a surgeon who is well versed in microsurgical
techniques if you want the procedure to be successful. It is also important to
ask your surgeon of choice if he/she can do a vasoepididymostomy with an
operating microscope. The surgeon also needs to have experience in checking out
the quality of the vas fluid, figuring out the best location to do the
vasoepididymostomy, as well as, assessing the signs of epididymal blockage.
What Medical Breakthrough Makes Vasectomy
Reversal Possible
The medical breakthrough which makes vasectomy
reversal possible is the relatively new development of microsurgical
techniques. Prior to the discovery of these techniques vasectomy reversal was
thought to be too complicated, as well as unlikely to help men who had a
vasectomy regain their fertility. Microsurgery or the use of an operating
microscope during surgery allows the surgeon to see the vas deferens in much
greater detail and as such to perform the vasectomy reversal with much greater
success.
Success Rate
According to recent studies after
vasovasostomy sperm is present in semen in about 85-97 percent of men. About
fifty percent successfully father a child after the procedure. In the case of
vasoepididymostomy sperm shows up in the semen in about sixty-five percent of
the men. Only about twenty percent achieve fatherhood after this procedure.
The primary mitigating factor in the vasectomy
reversal success or failure of the vasectomy reversal surgery is the amount of
time that has passed between when the vasectomy was first performed and the
date of the vasectomy reversal surgery.
In general, a vasectomy reversal surgery will
have a vasectomy reversal success rate of less than fifty percent. The further
amount of time that passes will reduce the rate of success to less than that.
So, if a significant amount of time has passed, men considering such a surgery
must realize the possibility of the procedure failing and seriously weigh their
decision to continue.
These are some of the issues you should
consider should you choose to have a vasectomy reversal. The procedure is not
guaranteed to restore your fertility, but should you decide the have the
procedure done by a reputable surgeon versed in microsurgical techniques, your
chances are good.
