Vasectomy Reversal - 5 Things You Need To Know
By Daniel Morris, Thu Dec 8th

1.What is a Vasectomy Reversal?

Vasectomy reversal is a microsurgical procedure which restoresthe flow of sperm through the vas deferens. During the originalvasectomy the vas deferens – the tube which carries sperm fromthe epididymis to the prostate – is cut and clamped. Thisresults in no sperm being present in the semen which is expelledfrom the penis during ejaculation. A vasectomy reversal involvesremoving the clamps and stitching the vas deferens togetheragain, (or in a minority of cases actually attaching the vasdeferens to the epididymis – a procedure known as avasoepididymostomy) thereby allowing the flow of sperm once more.

2. How much does a Vasectomy Reversal Cost?

This varies from country to country. In the USA, the price of avasectomy reversal is anything from between $4000 and $20000. Insome cases it may be possible to undergo the procedure underlocal anaesthetic at the surgeon’s offices rather than having toincur hospital fees. This will reduce the cost to as low as$2500 but is not possible in all cases – ask your surgeon ifthis is a possibility.

3. What Are the Chances of Success?

This depends on how long ago the original vasectomy wasperformed. The longer the time lapse the greater the chance ofblockage or damage to the vas deferens. However the currentlevel of technological advances in microsurgery means that asmany as 97% of men who undergo a straightforward vasectomyreversal experience a return to normal sperm counts and 50% ofcases resulted in pregnancy. However, if the original vasectomyoccurred 15 or more years ago this figures drop to 71% and 30%respectively.

4. What Things Should I Consider When Choosing A Surgeon?

Make sure you are well informed when deciding on a surgeon foryour vasectomy reversal. The relative skill and experience ofyour surgeon will have a huge bearing on whether or not youroperation is successful. Ask the surgeon if he is able toperform a vasoepididymostomy using an operating microscope. Thisis a crucial question since it is usually only possible to tellwhether this more involved surgery will be necessary once youroperation is underway.

5. How Long Will It Take After The Vasectomy Reversal To Have AChance Of Making My Partner Pregnant?

It will be at least 12 months after your procedure that yourpartner has a chance of becoming pregnant, althoughstatistically most pregnancies occur 2 years after the vasectomyreversal. The best advice therefore would be not to delay theprocedure and additionally the longer the time lapse betweenvasectomy and reversal the less chance of success.

About the author:© Daniel Morris 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Daniel Morris is a writer and webmaster of numeroushealth-related web sites including Vasectomy-Reversal-Info.com