The Facts About Vasectomy Reversal Surgery

There are several reasons why a male may decide to have a vasectomy reversal after having gone through the trouble of having the vasectomy previously. The reasons may be: the desire to have a child after a child he has had died, because he has remarried and his new wife desires children, he himself has changed his mind and wants to have children, he may have not wanted to have children due to poor income prospects and now he has found himself in a position of excellent finances and would not like to have a child or he may decide to have the reversal because of testicular pain and the reversal is in hopes of reducing this pain.

Each year half a million males make the decision to have a vasectomy. Later, as many as 10,000 to 30,000 of them decide to have the vasectomy reversed.

The procedure to reverse the vasectomy reconnects the ducts that carry sperm from the testicles into the semen. The reversal gives the male the possibility to impregnate a female again, but is not guaranteed to work.

Usually a vasectomy reversal can be effective no matter how long it has been since the vasectomy surgery. However, in cases where there has been more than 15 years past since the surgery, it may lower the chances of having enough healthy sperm in your semen after the reversal to accomplish the task of fathering a child.

The vasectomy reversal surgery is more complicated than the original vasectomy and is expensive. It can range anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000 to have the procedure done. The vasectomy reversal is usually not covered by insurance. The surgery itself is a microsurgical procedure. It can be performed at a hospital or surgical clinic. Due to the delicate nature of the surgery itself it is important to be sure that the doctor performing it, has a good track record of successful reversals. You will be putting up a lot of money and you should investigate to be sure that your money is well spent.

Make sure you not only know how many reversals the doctor has done, and how many have been successful but ask about the risks and potential complications from the procedure too. Ask questions about how the procedure is done. Make sure that you are satisfied with the answers before proceeding. It is a good idea to have your sexual partner be a part of these conversations as she may have questions too.

Preparation for your vasectomy reversal:

Two weeks before and two weeks after the procedure – Do not take any aspirin, or ibuprofen because they can affect the platelets that make up your blood and can cause bleeding. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, and others) is approved to use if you need to take something for pain.

You may be asked by your doctor to clean and possibly shave your scrotum before your surgery and to bring a clean jockstrap to your reversal appointment.

The surgery will take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours to complete. You will be required to have someone present to drive you home after surgery.

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