What is the Success Rate of Vasectomy Reversal?

A few decades ago the success rate of vasectomy reversal was abysmal. Today, with the computer-aided micro-surgery, this has become a feasible possibility. Most people take the decision as a permanent fix to all contraceptive concerns. Since female sterilization is a complicated and painful process, more and more men come forward and choose this method of birth control. Vasectomy is also preferred because it is known to be a permanent solution. However, sometimes after five to ten years things can change.

You may have a change of mind or of heart. You go through some trauma, or your child dies or is about to die due to some terminal ailment; the reasons can be unlimited. The most common of all the reasons for reversal of vasectomy is re-marriage. When a man remarries, he and his new wife most likely may desire to start a family of their own. This is the time when the man in question seeks to know the success rate of vasectomy reversal.

What Do You Know About Vasectomy?

The vasectomy process is actually extremely simple. It involves cutting the vas deferens and sealing them so that sperm produced in the testes and epididymis does not go out from the body through ejaculation. However, the strength of the climax and ejaculations will maintain the same patterns as before the surgery.

There are times when there is a spontaneous re-connection inside the body, or when the tubes rejoin on their own, causing quite some distress to the couple since it often results in pregnancy even after vasectomy has been confirmed as successful. In order to remove the danger of this spontaneous re-joining many doctors remove a portion of the tube so they do no reach/touch each other later.

Hence, the success rate of vasectomy reversal will depend mainly on the expertise of the surgeon as well as the equipment he/she is using for the surgery. It is definitely possible today to reverse it and fortunately the success rate is quite high. Two main factors on which the success rate of vasectomy reversal depends are:

Time elapsed from the date of the vasectomy - the best chances are when the reversal is done within three to six years following the vasectomy. If it is attempted after seven years the chances for success drop drastically from 97 percent (three years gap) to 79 percent.
Age of the man - the success rate of vasectomy reversal is directly proportional to the age. The ideal age for reversal is within 40-45 years.