According to the Urology Care Foundation, more than 500,000 American men undergo a vasectomy every year. This common form of birth control is effective at preventing pregnancy, but what happens if you change your mind?
“There are a lot of reasons a man may wish to reverse his vasectomy,” says Dr. Maurizio Buscarini, a board-certified, fellowship-trained urologist at Beaufort Memorial Urology Specialists, who sees patients in Beaufort and Okatie. “Fortunately, vasectomy reversal is possible and often leads to successful future pregnancies.”
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How Vasectomy Works
Unlike condoms and other birth control methods, a vasectomy permanently prevents a man from impregnating a woman with minimal risk of side effects. While a vasectomy doesn’t affect a man’s sex drive or his ability to achieve an erection or orgasm, it can’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Therefore, you’ll need to practice safe sex after the procedure.
As a minor surgery, a vasectomy can be performed in a urologist’s office or a hospital operating room in approximately 30 minutes.
During the procedure, the following takes place:
- Anesthesia — Most of the time, you receive local anesthesia. This keeps you conscious but prevents you from feeling pain during the surgery. Other medications, if needed, can help you stay relaxed.
- Preparing the site — Your surgical team cleans and shaves the scrotum area before your procedure.
- Surgery — Your urologist locates tubes in your testes called the vas deferens. These are tubes that carry sperm out of your testes during ejaculation. The urologist divides each vas deferens, then closes the ends of the severed tubes through small cuts.
Once finished, the surgery prevents sperm cells from mixing with semen. Pregnancy following a vasectomy is extremely rare. Full recovery usually takes less than a week, and a follow-up appointment with your urologist after a few months can confirm that no sperm is present. You then have long-term protection against unwanted pregnancy.
Reversing Your Procedure
If you ever have second thoughts about your vasectomy, you may opt to reverse the procedure. Reversal is often successful, but the likelihood of success decreases the longer you wait, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
With a reversal, a urologist reconnects the ends of the divided vas deferens in each testicle. The surgery typically follows these steps:
- You receive anesthesia — While you likely remained awake for the original surgery, you may receive general anesthesia for your reversal. This prevents pain and keeps you asleep during the procedure.
- Surgery takes place — Through small incisions on both sides of the scrotum, the urologist opens the ends of the severed vas deferens. If sperm is seen, the urologist reattaches the two ends of the vas deferens. Otherwise, your urologist attaches the vas deferens to the epididymis, a tube where your body stores sperm.
Recovery from reversal takes approximately a week, and the pain is often similar to the original procedure. Often, the procedure results in great joy.
“The majority of men who have their vasectomies reversed enjoy fertility for years to come,” Dr. Buscarini says. “While it can take a few months to get a partner pregnant after vasectomy reversal, it often happens, and men can again grow their families as they desire.”
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Making the Vasectomy Choice
Deciding to undergo a vasectomy or to reverse the procedure is a deeply personal issue. Before making the choice, you may want to talk with your men’s health provider about other birth control options. Though condoms are the only other choice for men, there are several birth control options for women, including:
- Birth control pills — A daily pill contains hormones that prevent a woman’s body from releasing an egg. With no egg to fertilize, sperm cannot result in pregnancy. The same short-term results can be achieved with a patch.
- Implanted protection — A women’s health provider places a device in the woman’s body that can prevent pregnancy for up to a decade.
- Tubal ligation — Also known as “tying your tubes,” this surgery closes or removes the fallopian tubes. It is a lifelong method of birth control.
“Whether you choose a vasectomy or other birth control methods or decide to reverse a previous vasectomy, it’s important to make sure you and your partner are on the same page,” Dr. Buscarini says. “Open communication goes a long way toward maintaining a healthy relationship and satisfaction and comfort in whatever option you choose.”
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Vasectomy Facts
For those seeking a permanent form of birth control that requires no maintenance, many choose a vasectomy. It is an outpatient procedure with long-term results.
- During a vasectomy, the urologist divides your vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm out of the testes during ejaculation.
- Vasectomy reversal reconnects the two parts of the vas deferens and often results in years of fertility.
- Before undergoing a vasectomy, talk with your healthcare provider about other choices. Also, make sure you and your partner are on the same page.
Find a urology provider at Beaufort Memorial.
