I Changed My Mind About Kids. Can I Reverse My Vasectomy?

There’s a reason why a vasectomy offers such effective results in preventing pregnancy. When you have a vasectomy, your vas deferens get severed. This keeps sperm from getting released when you ejaculate. Without sperm, you can’t cause pregnancy. 

That’s why a vasectomy is one of the most reliable forms of birth control available. It’s nearly 100% effective after approximately three months.

After you have a vasectomy, your testes continue making sperm. It can’t leave your testicles, however, so your body simply reabsorbs it. 

While a vasectomy is a surgical procedure, it doesn’t have to be permanent. A vasectomy can sometimes get reversed if you change your mind about having children.

Our experienced team at Urology Associates of Southeastern North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina, offers numerous men’s health services, including vasectomies and vasectomy reversals. If you’ve changed your mind about kids, here’s how a vasectomy reversal could help.

Vasectomy reversal basics

Each year, over 500,000 men in the United States have a vasectomy. Of those who have had a vasectomy, an estimated 2-6% will later have reversal procedures. It’s important to note that we can reverse a vasectomy, but that doesn’t guarantee successful outcomes or pregnancy. 

To maximize the chances of success, we use two different methods to reverse a vasectomy, depending on what we see when we begin your procedure. 

Vasovasostomy

The more common approach for reversing a vasectomy involves vasovasostomy. During this procedure, we reopen and reconnect your vas deferens. This process makes it possible for sperm to flow, mixing with semen once again to become ejaculate.

Vasoepididymostomy

During a vasoepididymostomy, we connect your vas deferens to the epididymis. This small, coiled tube stores and carries sperm away from the testes.

We perform a vasovasostomy if we discover sperm in the closed portion of the vas deferens nearest your testicle. When sperm isn’t present, we bypass blockages in the area with a vasoepididymostomy.

Since most men have two testicles — which means two vas deferens — you could need a vasovasostomy on one and a vasoepididymostomy on the other.

Vasectomy reversal success rates

If you’ve changed your mind about having kids after having a vasectomy, time might — or might not — be on your side. You can have a reversal procedure up to 20 years later, or even longer. However, your chances of success can decrease the longer you wait, especially after more than 10 years.

Other factors that impact your chances of conceiving children after your reversal include:

• Age (both yours and your partner’s)
• Fertility (both yours and your partner’s)
• The presence of scar tissue in your vas deferens or epididymis

With so many variables in play, pregnancy rates with vasectomy reversals can range anywhere from 30-70%. However, the return of sperm (known as patency rate) can be up to 95%.

To see if you’re a good candidate for vasectomy reversal, we recommend scheduling an appointment. Our expert team can discuss your concerns, overall hopes, and outline a personalized approach to help you achieve the best outcomes.

If you’ve changed your mind about having kids, contact our office in Wilmington, North Carolina, by calling (910) 763-6251 or scheduling online today.