Deciding whether or not to get a vasectomy is a personal and challenging decision, but so is re-evaluating whether you want your or your husband’s vasectomy reversed. You might have decided early on that having children was not in your future, but what you may had decided was a permanent solution to your family planning may have evolved. Here are a few things to consider if you are considering, or you want to talk to your husband about, vasectomy reversal.
Get on the Same Page
Before you decide to bring it up to your partner or husband. Make sure you are both on the same page. Perhaps one of you had decided that you didn’t want children or to add to your already existing family, but the other has reconsidered. You might have gotten remarried, or a change within the family might have you wanting more children. Plans change, but fertility decisions like a vasectomy can likely be permanent, so you should be prepared for an answer you might not want to hear.
Variable Success Rates
The success rate of a vasectomy reversal can vary between 40% to 90%. This variable is based on a number of factors, to include the surgeon’s technique and accuracy during the first vasectomy. You and your husband’s age will also play a role in the likelihood of being able to conceive again. Women likely stop conceiving around middle age, so a vasectomy reversal with a significant other who may not be able to conceive could be a moot point. And while a man can still impregnate a woman well into his 70s and 80s, the question arises as to the role he wishes to have in his child’s life for a potentially short span of time. That, of course, would be a matter of personal preference.
The Procedure
Should you and your partner wish to move forward with the vasectomy reversal, this would mean undergoing surgery to reconnect the vans deferens, the tube that was severed in the original vasectomy. Your surgeon would reconnect the tube and then sperm and semen can once again be together. Your vasectomy would be officially considered successful when sperm is present in your ejaculated semen.
At that point, the woman may be able to be impregnated. You would, of course, have to wait the recommended amount of time after your surgery before resuming intercourse. Doctors typically advise anywhere between three and four weeks. It can take much longer than that to get pregnant, though, with most couple conceiving in about a year after their vasectomy reversals.
When was the last time you saw your urologist? If you are considering a vasectomy reversal, consider Ironwood Urology. Board-certified urologist Dr. Desi Avila is highly skilled in both non-surgical and surgical treatments for men’s health conditions. He understands how difficult it can be for men to seek help for health problems of a sensitive nature, and he will treat you with respect and patience while maintaining confidentiality at all times. To make an appointment with Dr. Desi Avila at Ironwood Urology in Phoenix, call (480) 961-2323 or request an appointment online.
