Vasectomy Reversal: A Look at the Procedure
More and more men are seeking what some might call “permanent birth control” to avoid surprise pregnancies in our depressed economy. However, thanks to a vasectomy reversal, the procedure is really not permanent at all. If you’ve had it done but are at a different point in your life now, here are the things you need to know about going back.
Recent studies have shown that more men than ever are seeking what some might call “permanent birth control” in times of a depressed economy. Of course,
the mere fact that vasectomy reversal exists means that the procedure is really not permanent at all. While “getting snipped” is a highly effective way to make sure you don’t have any more kids, there is a way back to virility in many circumstances. Here are the things you need to know about undoing your decision.
During a vasectomy reversal, the doctor will be focused on putting the blocked tubes of your vas deferens back together so that sperm can flow freely once again. It is a misconception that the original procedure is designed to stop sperm production. It is only designed to ensure that they are not ejaculated.
With the reversal surgery, the goal is to remove that blockage and allow things to return to the natural state. Even amongst medical experts, it is regarded as one of the most challenging surgeries to perform. This may account for the success rate which, while good, is not perfect by any means.
Under normal circumstances, a vasectomy reversal will be performed with the patient put under general anesthesia, if only because the surgery is so precise that there can be no risk of the patient moving around during the procedure. Once awakened and checked out, the patient will usually be allowed to go home the same day. Recovery should not take long at all -- usually in the order of a few weeks before everything is completely back to normal. However, the patient should be able to return to light activity within only a few days.
There are a number of factors that play into how successful a vasectomy reversal is. One such factor is the length of time between the original surgery and the correction. If it has been less than ten years and there are no other aggravating circumstances (such as an epididymal blow out), the patient can expect to deal with a 95% success rate. As the time interval increases, however, the rate goes down. Assuming there are no extraordinary factors at play (such as incidental sterility for other reasons), the success rate should never drop much lower than 75%.
If you’re interested in the procedure, make an appointment with a good surgeon in your area to discuss your thoughts and learn all you can about the procedure.
