How To Choose Your Vasectomy Reversal Doctor

The choice to reverse a vasectomy is obviously a significant life decision and one that should be taken with great care, research and assurance.

Choosing a vasectomy reversal doctor is central to this critical decision. When seeking a vasectomy reversal doctor, men will often turn to the doctor who initially performed the vasectomy.

While this is a good first step, the initial vasectomy doctor may not have significant experience with vasectomy reversal surgeries or the vasectomy reversal surgery process. They can often, however, suggest a medical professional with significant experience in vasectomy reversals.

Several factors should be considered when choosing a vasectomy reversal doctor, including:

Experience. Many surgeons offer vasectomy reversals, but usually conduct a fraction of the vasectomy reversal surgeries performed by specialists. In addition to greater experience, specialists are often more involved and familiar with emerging technologies involved in reversal surgeries. Ask each doctor about the number of procedures he performs in a week or month and, if possible, for referrals.

Preferred methods. The reversal procedure can be conducted more than one way. Talk to your vasectomy reversal surgeon about which methods he prefers and is most comfortable with. If your vasectomy was more than nine years ago, you should, if possible, see a specialist who does the more complicated vasoepididymostomy or “bypass” procedure frequently.

Cost. While cost should not be the sole factor in choosing a vasectomy reversal doctor, nobody can ignore the often high costs of specialized procedures. Because vasectomy reversals are rarely covered by insurance, cost is an increasingly important factor. Talk to potential surgeons about how they arrive at their costs for the vasectomy reversal surgery.

What Are The Different Procedures And Cost Options For Vasectomy Reversal?

The question I often get from a new patient is, ‘Why is surgery in your office so much cheaper than the hospital?’

I get where they are coming from. The last thing that anyone would want to bargain hunt for is surgery. They are putting their health, and the ability to have children, in my hands.

With modern advances in vasectomy reversal surgery, having the procedure doesn’t mean a long complicated surgery with a huge hospital bill to match. Microscopic vasectomy reversal surgery is an affordable, but very safe procedure for men who want to restore fertility.

When performing microscopic vasectomy reversal, I am able to use in-office local anesthesia to reconnect the cut ends of the vas deferens to restore fertility. Many patients find this appealing because local anesthesia enables them to have a two-hour outpatient procedure rather than being put under general anesthesia or having to stay overnight in the hospital. Because the procedure is minimally invasive, the recovery is much shorter and easier.

Compared to traditional vasectomy reversal surgery, in-office microscopic procedures are dramatically less expensive, but offer the same end result–the potential for the ability to have children. The cost for microscopic vasectomy reversal in my offices is $1,700. In stark contrast, a traditional reversal surgical procedure includes a surgeon’s fee ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, anesthesia fees in the $2,000 to $5,000 range and hospital or outpatient surgery center costs ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.

This less invasive option also means less upfront preparation. Because I can answer many questions through email and the phone, in addition to the preoperative phone meeting, there’s no need for pre-op visits. Before going in for surgery in a hospital, patients are put through extensive lab tests to make sure they are healthy enough to go under general anesthesia. But since I use local anesthetic, the pre-operative time spent in the office the day of surgery is minimal.

Complex Bypass Vasectomy Reversal Surgery

Patients more than nine years from vasectomy aren’t good candidates for my microscopic vasectomy reversal surgery so I refer them to other surgeons who perform complex bypass vasectomy reversal surgery. Over time, and more frequently after nine years, obstruction can form in epididymis from the increased badk pressure that results from the vasectomy. If this condition is present, a bypass procedure is required to return complete reproductive functionality. The end of the vas deferens is connected directly to the epididymal tubule beyond the level of obstruction. The added complexity of this operation is reflected in higher surgical fees.

Robotic Systems For Vasectomy Reversal Surgery Mean Higher Costs

There are other procedures that are available for vasectomy reversal, including laser and fibrin glue. Another procedure uses robotic systems integrated with endoscopy tools for surgical visualization and robotic technology to perform surgical movements. With the assistance of high technology guidance robotics, the cost for procedures of this type is obviously much higher than in-office microscopic surgery.

Considering the scope of the procedure, robotic surgery is going a bit overboard for a relatively simple vas to vas reconnection procedure. For the majority of patients, in-house microscopic surgery is the best method for reversing a vasectomy affordably and safely.

Myths About Vasectomy Reversal Surgery

My goal is to provide patients and prospective patients with all of the information they seek – the full story and the truthful story.

Unfortunately, there are many myths when it comes to vasectomy and vasectomy reversal surgery; here are some of the more prevalent ones along with the real truth behind the myth.

Myth: Once a man has a vasectomy, he stops producing sperm.
Truth: Men make sperm following a vasectomy regardless of how long it’s been since the surgery (unless other factors, such as injury to the testicles or other medical problems, present themselves). Fact: The body continues to make sperm even following a vasectomy.

Myth: Don’t even consider a vasectomy reversal surgery if your female partner is over 35.
Truth: Female fertility does decline with age, that is a fact. But many women can and do still conceive well into their 30s and 40s. I wouldn’t ever tell a patient to not consider the vasectomy reversal procedure solely on the basis of the age of his female partner.

Myth: Always go with the vasectomy reversal doctor whose office is most conveniently located for you.
Truth: Location, like price, is just one factor to consider when looking at all of your vasectomy reversal surgery options. In fact, your health, your peace of mind and, ultimately, the effectiveness of the surgery are far more important than your drive time or your convenience level. The potential results of your vasectomy reversal surgery should outweigh anything else in your decision-making process.
My commitment is to give you all of the facts and information so that you can make the most informed choice that makes the most sense for you.