Q&A: What is involved in a vasectomy reversal?

by Dr. Randy Morris

My husband had a vasectomy when our second son was a baby, and now we've decided that we'd really like to add a third child to our family. Isn't there some kind of surgery that can be done to undo a vasectomy? What is involved, and what is the outlook for pregnancy afterwards?

The surgery is called a vasectomy reversal or anastamosis. These surgeries are performed by urologists. They can be very successful. One important determining factor is the length of time since the vasectomy. The longer it's been, the lower chance for success in conceiving. After eight or nine years, the chance for pregnancy is very low.

The procedure is done under anesthesia. The urologist will work under a surgical microscope to remove the blocked portion of the tubes that were previously cut during the vasectomy and then sew the open ends together. The patient can be sent home the same day. Ask the urologist to freeze sperm obtained during the surgery. If the surgery fails, these sperm can be used to attempt pregnancy using in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

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