In the United States, about 6.8% of men have ever had a vasectomy. A vasectomy is considered to be a permanent sterilization procedure, in which your urologist severs and cauterizes the vas deferens tubes that carry sperm from your testes to the outside world.
Once you have a vasectomy and your urologist gives you the OK, you have an almost (but not quite) zero chance of impregnating a woman. Because sperm can persist, even in inhospitable conditions, very rarely a man may impregnate someone up to a year after a vasectomy.
And while a no-scalpel vasectomy is a fairly simple procedure that only takes about 15 minutes, you shouldn’t take it lightly. It’s meant to be permanent. Reversing a vasectomy is a more involved operation that takes more skill, more time (at least 2-4 hours), and more recovery time. Plus, you still might not be able to conceive a child.
Our expert urologist, Alex Lesani, MD, wants you to be 100% sure that you’re ready to be 100% sterile before he books a vasectomy. However, if you’ve had changes in your life that have made you second-guess your decision, he performs vasectomy reversals at our Las Vegas, Nevada, office.
What should you know about a vasectomy reversal? The following are some important points.
A vasectomy is an in-office procedure that Dr. Lesani performs using a local anesthetic alone. While you may undergo a reversal as an outpatient procedure, too, in some instances, you may need general anesthesia in a hospital setting.
It’s easy to snip away a portion of your vas deferens tubes and cauterize the ends. Re-cutting and reattaching these delicate tubes, however, is not such an easy task.
Think about the difference between snipping a strand of cooked spaghetti and trying to sew snipped spaghetti together again. That’s the difference between a vasectomy and a vasectomy reversal.
Depending on how much time has passed since your vasectomy, as well as the skill of your original surgeon, your case may be complicated. Dr. Lesani takes images and a complete history when you come in for a vasectomy reversal consultation. He then recommends either local or general anesthesia.
During your surgery, Dr. Lesani determines whether you can have a simple vasovasostomy or if you need a more complex operation called a vasoepididymostomy:
Dr. Lesani cuts the cauterized ends of your severed vas deferens tubes and sews them back together with thread that’s finer than a hair. If, for some reason, that operation can’t be performed or won’t work, then you must have a vasoepididymostomy.
Instead of reconnecting your severed vas deferens, Dr. Lesani must attach the vas deferens to your epididymis, which is a small organ located at the back of each testicle. The epididymis holds your sperm until it’s ready for ejaculation.
Dr. Lesani can’t determine in advance which procedure is best for you. It’s only once he’s started the reversal and can examine the fluid in your vas deferens tubes that he decides which to perform.
If no sperm are present, he must perform a vasoepididymostomy. He may also perform a different procedure on each of your vas deferens tubes.
In most cases, you can’t use your insurance to pay for a vasectomy reversal. Because of the operation’s increased complexity, it’s more expensive than a vasectomy.
A reversal can cost you up to $15,000 out of pocket. There may also be other fees, as well as lost income due to recovery time.
When you go to “snip city” for a vasectomy, the recovery is relatively pain-free. You have to treat your boys well for a couple of weeks and stay out of the gym, hot showers, baths, or spas. But usually, some ice and over-the-counter painkillers are enough to keep you comfortable.
Because a vasectomy reversal is more involved and takes longer, recovery can be more difficult, too. You may be able to return to a desk job within a few days, but anything more active or that involves manual labor could require more time off.
A vasectomy almost always guarantees that you can’t get a woman pregnant, once your ejaculate is sperm-free. However, there are no guarantees with vasectomy reversal.
Even if Dr. Lesani successfully reattaches your vas deferens, you may not conceive a child. Pregnancy rates vary from 30-90%, depending on the type of operation you received.
If you want the best odds of pregnancy after vasectomy reversal, you must choose an expert surgeon with extensive experience performing successful reversals, such as Dr. Lesani. If you’re ready to restore your fertility, phone us at 702-470-2579 or book your appointment online today.
