Reversing a Vasectomy can be done! But - it works best for men in good health who are in their forties or younger, and their partner is able to get pregnant. The results are even better if it has been less than 10 years since their original vasectomy and only a small part of the vas deferens was damaged by the previous surgery. A physical examination, tests, and review of the original vasectomy will need to be undergone to determine if the man is a possibility for this reverse vasectomy surgery. Only about 50% of the time will a man's partner get pregnant after the vasectomy reversal surgery.

It is known that because sperm production continues, sperm debris accumulates in the system after a vasectomy, even though some of the debris is absorbed. The fluid left in the system thickens making it less likely to flow, the longer the interval between vasectomy and reversal. So, the sooner the reversal, the better the result.

Reverse Vasectomy is the most successful when a surgeon uses a microscope to do the surgery. Other factors include microsurgical precision and experience, delicateness and familiarity with the specialist equipment - the equipment and skill of a practised expert team is a major factor together with experience in being able to gently join the vas or epididymis. The reversal operation takes up to one hour each side and is not painful when the individual is awakened from a light general anesthetic. It can be done as an outpatient, but will require several days' recovery at home. At least two full days quiet rest for initial healing, and refraining from intercourse for 3-4 weeks to allow trauma free healing. Ten weeks after the operation the first sperm count is taken and intercourse to obtain a pregnancy can recommence, as accumulated sperms made under pressure will have been passed.

This microsurgical reversal involves joining of the two ends of the vas (vasovasostomy) or, if epididymal obstruction has occurred, joining the vas to a section of the epididymis in which sperm are found (vasoepididymostomy). While the success of reversal can be gauged by the reappearance of sperm in the ejaculate, the only important marker of success is the occurrence of pregnancy in the years following surgery.

The probability of success is related to the years since vasectomy. In the US study, the pregnancy rate over the two years after surgery in men with less than three years between vasectomy and reversal were 76%, while the pregnancy rate was only 30% when the vasectomy had been undertaken eleven or more years previously. Bear in mind that the skill and experience of the surgeon certainly does have an effect on the success rate.

Because of the success rate of Vasectomy Reversals some surgeons recommend that a man make sperm bank deposits before having a vasectomy, just in case he changes his mind in the future about having more children.

The total cost of a Vasectomy Reversal falls somewhere between $4,000 to $20,000, all inclusive. In the United States, US$10,000 is the average cost.