Frequently Asked Questions About Vasectomy Reversals

1. How do I schedule an appointment?

All the scheduling is done conveniently online by patients from the Schedule page of the website. You will fill out a scheduling registration and view the 90 day surgery scheduling calendar. You may then make the deposit online with paypal, debit, credit, or echeck. {If you use echeck, you will need to wait three days for it to clear before scheduling your surgery.) Youmust follow the “Back to Merchant” link to confirm your  choice of an available time and date on the 90 day surgery calendar. You will receive an immediate email confirmation and then a regular mail preoperative letter about a month before surgery.

If you choose to schedule a phone meeting on your registration form, you must wait until after it is completed to be able to schedule your surgery appointment. The average wait for the phone meeting is three weeks. It is held during the day on Wednesdays and mainly consists of highlights from the overview given to you on the registration page.

2. How long is the schedule list?

Dr. Wilson usually schedules about 10 to 12 weeks in advance. He does not schedule more than 90 days in advance. When the schedule becomes full, patients may register to be placed on an automatic scheduling list in order to receive the next available appointment.

3. What are my chances for success?

Success is measured by the patency rate (percentage of patients with live sperm after surgery).   The table below shows the results of semen analysis reports received and of pregnancy surveys completed in Dr. Wilson’s practice for the different subgroups by years from vasectomy.  You can see your odds by finding the group that includes your time interval from vasectomy.

4. Does the chance of success decrease with time since vasectomy?

Yes, the biggest determinate of success, given a competent reversal, is the presence of sperm in the vas fluid at the time of operation. The further out from the vasectomy, the less likely to find sperm in the vas at reversal. The chance of finding sperm is over 90% at 2 years from vasectomy, over 80% at 10 years, about 70% at 15 years, and is 60% , 20 years from vasectomy. In the Vasovasostomy Study Group (VVSG) of over 1400 microsurgical patients, if sperm with tails were seen, the patency rates were 90-96%. If only sperm heads with no tails were seen, patency rates were 75%. If no sperm were seen, patency rates were 60%.

By the way, THE MORE COMPLEX PROCEDURE (VASOEPIDIDYMOSTOMY) WAS PERFORMED ON ONLY 4% OF PATIENTS IN THE VVSG.

5. What are the risks of surgery?

Risks of surgery include testicle loss or atrophy (less than 1:1,ooo), mild infection (less
than 1:200) , and hematoma or blood collection (less than 1:20). Bruising and swelling are to be expected, even up to twice normal size. Pain after reversal is the same as after vasectomy in half of the patients. One fourth of the patients have more pain than after the vasectomy and one fourth have less pain after reversal than after vasectomy.

6. What is the cost?

The complete cost is $1,700. The total cost for the microscopic reversal done in the office under local anesthesia with minimal preoperative oral sedation is an all inclusive $1,700 : $500 online deposit on scheduling day and then $1,200 money order, cashier’s check or cash on the day of surgery. The deposit is refunded if your request is more than two weeks prior to the scheduled surgery. The deposit will be forfeited if changes are made within two weeks of your surgery date. Credit or debit cards and personal checks are not accepted the day of surgery. There are no other fees outside of the $1,700.

7. Does the type of vasectomy determine reversal results?

No study in the scientific literature proves that one type of vasectomy will give better or worse results. Many different types of vasectomy are performed. The techniques include use of cautery, cutting out sections, and clipping or staples, as well as many others. All of these are very common methods and will not determine results.

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