Vasectomy is considered to be a permanent birth control option for men, however, the procedure is reversible. The advancement in the field of microsurgery has increased the success rate of a vasectomy reversal procedure. Nearly 527,000 men in the United States undergo a vasectomy each year. Out of those, 7% later opt for a vasectomy reversal procedure, in which the cut ends of the vas deferens (done during vasectomy) will be reconnected.
A vasectomy reversal is done in two general procedures namely, vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy. In vasovasostomy, a small cut will be made next to the vasectomy scar and a small fluid will be removed from the vas to check the sperms presence. If the sperms presence is deducted, the cut ends will be reconnected to resume ejaculation. If no sperm is deducted, extensive procedures will be performed to remove the blockage and this procedure is termed as vasoepididymostomy
Vasectomy Reversal and its Success Rate
The success rate of vasectomy reversal will be high if the time between vasectomy and reversal is only a few years. If the gap is less than 3 years the patency(ejaculating measurable sperms) success rate will be 97% and the pregnancy success rate will be 76%. If the gap is more than 15 years, the likeliness of patency success rate will fall to 71% and that of pregnancy will fall to 30%. Though vasectomy is reversible, the success rate cannot be guaranteed.