There are two types of vasectomy reversal: vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy. Vasovasostomy is when the surgeon sews the cut ends of the vas deferens back together. This is the most common type of vasectomy reversal. Vasoepididymostomy is more complicated, but is performed when there is blockage in the epididymis. It is done by attaching the vas deferens to the epididymis, hence its name.
Length of Time
There is a correlation between the time your vasectomy was performed, and the time you want to have a vasectomy reversal. The longer you wait to have the vasectomy reversal done the more your chances decrease of being able to regain your fertility. Up to three years after your vasectomy your chances are higher to get your fertility back. After three years your chances begin decreasing slowly the longer you wait. While there is no period of time considered too long to perform a vasectomy reversal, the sooner you do so after your vasectomy the better the chances are that you will be able to father a child.
What Medical Breakthrough Makes Vasectomy Reversal Possible
The medical breakthrough which makes vasectomy reversal possible is the relatively new development of microsurgical techniques. Prior to the discovery of these techniques vasectomy reversal was thought to be too complicated, as well as unlikely to help men who had a vasectomy regain their fertility. Microsurgery or the use of an operating microscope during surgery allows the surgeon to see the vas deferens in much greater detail and as such to perform the vasectomy reversal with much greater success.
Success Rate
According to recent studies after vasovasostomy sperm is present in semen in about 85-97 percent of men. About fifty percent successfully father a child after the procedure. In the case of vasoepididymostomy sperm shows up in the semen in about sixty-five percent of the men. Only about twenty percent achieve fatherhood after this procedure.
Choosing a Surgeon
Choosing the surgeon to perform your vasectomy reversal is one of the most important tasks in this process. It is critical that you choose a surgeon who is well versed in microsurgical techniques if you want the procedure to be successful. It is also important to ask your surgeon of choice if he/she can do a vasoepididymostomy with an operating microscope. The surgeon also needs to have experience in checking out the quality of the vas fluid, figuring out the best location to do the vasoepididymostomy, as well as, assessing the signs of epididymal blockage.
These are the issues you should consider should you choose to have a vasectomy reversal. The procedure is not guaranteed to restore your fertility, but should you decide the have the procedure done by a reputable surgeon versed in microsurgical techniques, your chances are good.
Financing a Vasectomy Reversal: Low Cost or More Expensive?
Having a vasectomy is a big decision. The choice not to have children was once thought of to be a permanent one. However, today there is a new option available to men who have had a vasectomy who now want to have children. For them, a vasectomy reversal seems to be a viable choice. However, vasectomy reversals can be very expensive and insurance often doesn't cover the procedure. For many men, financing a vasectomy reversal should be considered.
Vasectomy reversals can take a large chunk out of any family's budget. A reversal procedure can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000. For many families, financing a vasectomy reversal seems more of a realistic option.
Why does the procedure cost so much? Vasectomy reversals carry such a hefty price tag due to the complexity of the reversal process.
Intricate Surgeries Involved
Vasectomy reversals require more intricate surgeries than the original vasectomy procedure. For this reason, vasectomy reversals require specialized surgeon fees, which range from $1,000 to sometimes $3,000. Then there are the anesthetic fees which can cost as much as $5,000, not to mention the medication required or the possible hospital stay and lab testing. At the end of the reversal procedure you could be looking at a very expensive medical bill.
The cost of the procedure may often make couples delay the procedure until they've saved up enough money. Now, however, financing a vasectomy reversal is possible. Your doctor may know a few lending agencies that specialize in financing noninsured medical procedures. However, many people don't consider that financing a vasectomy reversal through these agencies can often be more expensive than if financed through competitive credit cards.
Financing a vasectomy reversal should be considered if the family wants to conceive after a vasectomy and doesn't have the money to pay for the procedure in one payment. Financing a vasectomy reversal, however, can be costly, and the terms of the loan could take years to pay off. For such an expensive procedure, it must be said that vasectomy reversals are not guaranteed. Sometimes, the man's fertility cannot be restored.
For many men who decide that vasectomy reversal is for them, financing a vasectomy reversal is an option worth considering. He should just make sure that he's aware of the interest rate and the loan terms. He should explore every available option to make sure that he and his family aren't charged any more than they have to be.
The reasons for opting for a Vasectomy Reversal, needless to say, are all very personal. Divorce, remarriage, rise in economic status, loss/fear of loss of heirs/children or even a resurgent desire of having toddlers tottering around the house once again, could prompt a rethink and second thoughts.
What is certain is that for those who decide upon a Vasectomy Reversal, fatherhood and parenting is something that assumes great importance and has connotations that are emotional, social, psychological and financial.
The deciding factors for a successful Vasectomy Reversal are - the condition of the person opting for the Vasectomy Reversal (especially the time elapsed since Vasectomy) and the experience (number of successfully performed surgeries) and skill of the doctor or microsurgeon performing the procedure.
Vasectomy Reversal Statistics
Vasectomy Reversals are opted by 6 -12% of vasectomized males. Successful reversals have been performed on men as far out as 29 to 42 years from their vasectomy. But the general opinion is that the shorter the gap from an earlier Vasectomy, the greater the chances for success.
Studies also indicate that it can take from six to eighteen months to impregnate the spouse, provided she is medically fit in terms of health and within the age parameters essential for reproduction. Which means a lot of relevant tests need to be conducted on couple to correctly evaluate the factors conducive for conception.
There have been a number of exceptional couples who have conceived within a very short time after a Vasectomy Reversal, almost within the first week after recovery. There are also those who have succeeded 2-3 years after a reversal.
Vasectomy Reversal Procedures
Vasovasostomy is the Vas to Vas reconnecting procedure, which is carried out under conscious sedation, after ensuring the presence of sperm in the Vas closest to the testicle and in the epididymis.
Urologists may use a 'modified one layer' to reconnect the ends of the Vas. Microsurgeons also use this method circumstantially to produce better results under high magnification that allows for finer, smaller sutures.
The two-layer vasovasostomy is preferred by many microsurgeons who micro-surgically suture both the inner and the outer layer surface of the Vas. The highest success rates have been observed using the formal multi-layer technique, even though the formal multi-layer using 10-0 or 11-0 sutures is also more challenging and time consuming.
With microsurgery both methods result in the return of sperm to semen in 75 - 97 percent of patients and pregnancy occurs in 30 percent to 75 percent of female partners, depending upon the length of time from the vasectomy until the reversal.
In the absence of sperm in the fluid sample from the Vas, it is ascertained if there is a break in the tube in the epididymis. Any tear in this single, continuous tube could result in a blockage, necessitating a more complicated, lengthier and skilled technique called a vasoepididymostomy.
This procedure bypasses the blockage in the epididymis by connecting the upper end of the vas to the tube in the epididymis, above and beyond the point of the blockage.
Under this procedure, in 60 - 80 percent males sperm returns to the semen and 20 percent to 40 percent of their partners experience a pregnancy.
Cases where both procedures - vas to vas on one testicle and vas to epidydymis on the other - become necessary are not uncommon.
Recovery from Vasectomy Reversal procedures is fairly quick. Men folk are back to work within a week. Pain in the post-op phase is not severe and easily controlled with oral medication. Surgery is carried out in an outpatient setting. Opting for a fully accredited Vasectomy Reversal center with a Board Certified Andrologist, Anesthesiologist and cordial and competent support staff ensures greater success.
While the cost of Vasectomy reversal varies from center to center and state to state, it is always more sensible to opt for an all-inclusive package that covers all tests pre and post-op. In fact some centers even offer travel and stay arrangements for out station patients.
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Both David Mcfarlane & Ben Padnos are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
David Mcfarlane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dog Care, Vasectomy and Pets. David McFarlane is a proud contributing author and writes articles on men's health. You can visit his site at .. David Mcfarlane's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
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