Risks And Benefits Of Your Vasectomy Reversal

Any surgical procedure has both risks and benefits. Choosing to have a reversal of your vasectomy procedure should be carefully thought out before proceeding.

The obvious benefit of having a vasectomy reversal is that you have the possibility of returning to being able to father your own biological child. The benefit is not guaranteed however, as the risk for failure is less than 20% and may be associated with other factors, such as a low sperm count.

Known risk factors that you should know about before agreeing to have a vasectomy reversal are:

When cutting and manipulating tissues of the skin on any body part you run the risk of bleeding and bruising.

A common side effect of surgery in general is pain and swelling and this is true for your reversal.

Infection at the site of surgery is also another common risk for any kind of surgery. This risk is easily handled should it occur by the use of antibiotics.

A risk that is specific to vasectomy reversal is a “sperm granuloma”. This is a small lump that can form in the teste as a response to sperm leakage during the reversal procedure. If this happens, there is no necessary treatment unless you experience pain with it and then commonly used pain relievers are taken.

As with any use of anesthesia you do run the risk of being allergic to the type of anesthesia used during your reversal procedure. Always inform your doctor if you have ever experienced an allergic reaction to any anesthesia used in the past before you go in for your procedure and also inform the anesthesiologist who usually speaks with you before the procedure that you have had an allergic reaction previously. If you do have an allergic reaction during or after the procedure to the anesthesia used you will be treated with anti-histamines. If this happens you will need to add the anesthesia used during the operation to your list of known allergies for any future surgeries that you may have.

You may experience a decline in your sperm count as a result of scarring or blood flow interruption.

Another risk associated with vasectomy reversal is long-term testicular pain. This risk is rare and can be treated if it occurs.

Testicular atrophy is another rare complication that can happen as a result of interruption of blood flow to the testes.

Emotional complications associated with vasectomy reversals can occur as a result of stress and can be addressed through therapy sessions.

You should always discuss all risks and benefits of any surgical procedure before undergoing one. You can discuss the risks and benefits of a vasectomy reversal with your fertility specialist, physician or urologist prior to having the procedure.

Make sure that you are physically, and emotionally prepared to have the procedure before you have it done to minimize your risks and increase your benefits.

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