Typically when patients choose to have a vasectomy they are interested in permanent sterility and that is the intended purpose of the procedure. However, many times circumstances and desires change and men are interested in having their vasectomy reversed. We call this procedure a bilateral vasovasostomy. The tube that carries the sperm from the testicle to the rest of the genital tract is called the vas deferens. Each testicle has its own vas deferens. The surgical procedure is essentially microsurgery that achieves the delicate reconnection of the vas deferens from each testicle. Although the initial vasectomy is a simple procedure that is completed in about fifteen minutes the reversal takes much longer (1.5-2.0 hrs) and requires much more surgical skill and experience. The surgeons at Tri Valley Urology have a great deal of experience with vasectomy reversal with high success rates.
The success of a vasectomy reversal is dependent on many factors. The shorter the time between vasectomy and reversal, the better chance of having viable sperm present and then subsequent successful pregnancy and delivery of a healthy baby. The best results are achieved within the first eight years after vasectomy. However, there are many success stories for patients that have it done after eight years. A common question is: “What is your success rate?” It depends what success is defined as, some doctors will state 98-100% success. This however is referring to the surgical success of getting the tubes back together and the presence of sperm in the ejaculate. That does not always mean pregnancy, which of course, is how patients and their partners define as success. The success rate of pregnancy is more like 60-80% and in our experience, it approaches 80%. We tell our patients to make sure and send us a picture of the baby and we are proud to have many pictures in our collection.