Understanding Your Vasectomy and Potential Impact on Reversal

To understand what a vasectomy reversal involves, it is helpful to first understand your vasectomy.

A vasectomy is a relatively simple surgical sterilization procedure for men. An estimated 600,000 vasectomies are performed in the United States each year. The vasectomy is often performed in the doctor’s office as a relatively quick, minor procedure using local numbing medicine often with little or no sedation. It is usually well tolerated with few problems for most men.

The vas deferens is a very long, muscular spaghetti-like tube that delivers sperm from the testicles. During the vasectomy a small segment of the vas is damaged or removed and the open ends are then sealed with stitches, cautery and/or metal clips or any combination.

The vasectomy procedure is always a variation on the same basic theme – to damage the vas and block the flow of sperm into the semen. Every doctor uses their own slightly different techniques. There are some techniques that can make a reversal more challenging such as performing the vasectomy down low near the testicle in the deep convoluted vas or by damaging or removing long segments. The good news is that because there is usually plenty of extra length of the vas in the scrotum, the specific technique used or the amount of vas removed is rarely a problem when the vasectomy reversal is performed by a skilled and experienced microsurgeon.

The vas deferens does not transport the hormone testosterone, which is also made in the testicles but is delivered instead through small veins into the bloodstream. Therefore a vasectomy has no effect on a man’s testosterone, sex drive or erections.

If you have more questions, call us at 888-722-2929 or email at info@dadsagain.com where we can explain what makes ICVR unique. If you are interested, we can set up a no cost consultation with one of our 2 surgeons to talk more specifically abut your situation.