Vasectomy Reversal

Vasectomy Reversal at a Glance

Who Is Suitable for Vasectomy Reversal?

Your surgeon will assess your suitability for Vas Reversal during your one-to-one consultation at our award-winning clinic based in Chelsea, London.

Your personal patient advisor will book your consultation with a consultant Urologist. The urologist will discuss your reasons for considering a Vasectomy Reversal, and your medical history, as well as performing a physical examination.

Your consultant will consider the following factors when determining if you’re suitable for a Vasectomy Reversal:

• Why you are considering a Vasectomy Reversal
• Whether you wish to be able to have children or add to your family
• Whether you have been experiencing any pain or issues following your initial Vasectomy
• When your initial Vasectomy was carried out
• The type of surgery that was used to perform your initial Vasectomy
• Your expectations of what is possible from Vasectomy Reversal surgery

Your surgeon will explain whether you are suitable for Vasectomy Reversal surgery during your consultation and will also address your chances of being able to have children, if this is something you are considering. 

Vasectomy Reversal Benefits

Patients undergo Vasectomy Reversal surgery for many reasons, and there are several benefits to this surgery:

• Simple, quick procedure, often carried out under local anaesthetic
• Flexibility to potentially have children or expand your family
• Alleviating rare chronic pain following your Vasectomy
• A straightforward recovery, similar to Vasectomy recovery 

How Is Vasectomy Reversal Performed?

Although Vasectomy Reversal is straightforward, it takes slightly longer than an initial Vasectomy procedure, usually 1-2 hours, depending on what’s involved.

Your surgeon will make small incisions in your scrotum to locate the sperm ducts. They will then cut above and below where they were sealed during the initial procedure. The tubes will be gently opened to check the fluid inside. This will allow your surgeon to see if there’s a blockage in the epididymis, where the sperm is stored.

If there is no blockage, the surgeon will continue with performing a Vasovasostomy. They will join the openings of the sperm ducts back together using dissolvable stitches before closing the incisions.

If there is a blockage, your surgeon will perform a Vasoepididymostomy. They will join the sperm ducts directly to the epididymis, in a section which bypasses the block. This is a slightly more complex procedure and will take longer to perform. The surgeon will then close their incisions and your procedure will be complete. 

Sperm Testing Following Vasectomy Reversal

Your surgeon will provide guidance and information on having your sperm levels tested following your Vasectomy Reversal. It usually takes three to six months for sperm levels to return to a normal level following Vasectomy Reversal, but it can take up to a year. If you have had a Vasoepididymostomy, it may take longer for your sperm level to be restored.

Most patients will have their sperm level tested three months after their Vasectomy Reversal procedure. Depending on the results of the testing, you may need further testing every three months, until the expected levels of sperm have returned.

If the sperm level hasn’t returned to the expected level after 18 months following a Vasectomy Reversal, your surgeon will discuss why the procedure hasn’t been successful, and what your options are. They may suggest another Vasectomy Reversal procedure to rejoin the sperm ducts, or fertility treatments such as Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, where the sperm is extracted from the epididymis to allow it to be transferred to the egg. 

Words From Our Founder