How Successful is a Vasectomy Reversal?

Birth control is available in many different forms. The various methods that can be used vary from withdrawal and the use of condoms to taking birth control drugs and a vasectomy.

Condoms seem to be one of the most suggested forms of birth control, but married couples who do not want to have kids often seek methods that would allow them to enjoy sex without condoms. While birth control pills, or contraception, is a popular form of birth control, numerous side-effects may be experienced when a women take these pills.

Medical News Today report that birth control pills may often lead to side-effects such as inter menstrual spotting, nausea, breast tenderness, headaches, changes in mood, weight gain due to fluid retention and a decrease in libido. For this reason, a vasectomy is often a more preferred method.

Prevalence of Vasectomies

A recent study by the Department of Urology in California analyzed data from various databases in order to determine the prevalence of vasectomies. They explain that, while the prevalence of sterilization procedures among women can easily be determined, it becomes more difficult to determine the prevalence of vasectomies among men due to the different settings these procedures are performed under. A total of 4,928 male participants were involved in the study. The results provided the following findings:

• Out of the 4,928 male participants, 141 men had vasectomies, which accounts for 6% of all male participants.
• Data provided concluded that as much as 354,000 vasectomies had been performed annually during 1998 to 2002.

How successful is a Vasectomy Reversal?

When a couple (or a man) decides they want to have children after having a vasectomy, they have two options. They can either choose to have the vasectomy reversed, or reproduce through in vitro fertilization. While in vitro fertilization is quite popular, the recommended procedure is a vasectomy reversal, mostly due to the fact that this reversal allows a man to produce sperm once again and allows them to be fertile once again – while in vitro fertilization only extracts sperm from the man’s testicles.

When it comes to having a vasectomy reversal procedure, there are a few things to consider. There are benefits to the procedure, but also risk factors that needs to be considered.

First of all, Cleveland Clinic reports that the procedure is quick and simple. They explain that during the procedure, the surgeon will reconnect the vas deferens, which is the tube that is cut during the initial vasectomy process. They also report that the procedure is not very invasive and the passageway can be restored rather quickly.

It is also important to remember that during a vasectomy, only the pathway sperm uses to exit the body is cut off. This does not affect the body’s ability to produce sperm, which means even after having a vasectomy, your body will still continue to produce sperm. When a vasectomy reversal is performed, the pathway is restored, which create a way for sperm to exit the body once again.

What is the recovery time after a vasectomy reversal?

A vasectomy reversal procedure can be done at any time after a vasectomy has been performed, but it is important to note that the success rate may be higher when the reversal is done within three years following the initial vasectomy. WebMD reports that a vasectomy reversal performed during the first 10 years following the initial procedure has a 50% chance of leading to pregnancy. They also report that the success rate drops to around 30% when the procedure is done 10 years (or more) after the initial procedure.

Risk Factors

As with any type of procedure that involves surgery, a vasectomy reversal also holds several risk factors that should be considered before going under the knife. First of all, the procedure is performed in a sensitive area that is prone to infections after surgery. For this reason, it is vital to make use of a doctor that has experience with this kind of procedure.

Consumer Health Digest reports that bleeding may also occur in the scrotum following the procedure, which may also lead to swelling. Apart from these risks, in very rare cases, persistent, chronic pain may also be experienced after the procedure.

How much does it cost to have a vasectomy reversal?

It is important to realize that the vasectomy removal procedure is elective and usually not covered by a medical insurance plan. The Urology Team in Texas reports that the procedure might cost anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 when conducted by a professional surgeon with a lot of experience in the field. As you can see, the procedure can cost quite a lot, so you need to be ready to cover these costs, especially if your medical insurance plan does not cover it.

Conclusion

When a man decides he wants to have children after going through a vasectomy, he will need to have the tubes that were disconnected during the procedure reconnected.

The vasectomy reversal procedure is usually considered to be safe and quite effective, but there are factors that needs to be considered before undergoing the procedure. The risk factors involved following the procedure is usually the main concern, although the high cost involved in getting this procedure done can also be disappointing to men that do not have cash readily available.