"We want my husband to have a Vasectomy Reversal,
where do we start?"
Kristan Russell
Owner, VasReversal's New Beginnings
An international educational and informational support network in the field of
Vasectomy Reversal!
When a couple first contemplates a Vasectomy Reversal, they often do the first thing that comes to mind. They visit with their primary care physician and get a referral to a local urologist. Then they get the often repeated "doomsday" approach to vasectomy reversal. Many primary care physicians and local urologists who rarely do reversals will quote the 50/50 success rate that is, among reversal specialists, a very old and untrue statistic. If this sad approach to reversal does not turn the couple off altogether, they may in fact, book their reversal with the local urologist.
Now, that is not to say that all local local urologists are not capable of successful reversals. Because even reversal specialists are local to somewhere! However it is critically important that couples begin to do a vast amount of research regarding vasectomy reversal. Vasectomy reversal by some of the finest reversal specialists can have successful sperm return rates upwards of 90%.
The web is a great place to begin to research. Plan to make this at least a 3 month project. Any less, and I think you will find that there was always more research you could of done. Find out who are the top rated docs in the country. And then, even if you think you could never afford them, set up consults. You may find that the personality and techniques of one of them is so incredibly wonderful, that you'll find a way to financially make it happen. And then you'll never regret not using the one who you really would have liked to used.
Ask for people's stories. Take note of how old was their vasectomy, were they fertile prior? Who did they go to? How was their experience? What was their sperm return rate at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months?
How was their after-care? Do they still have a great reporte with the surgeon? What associations is the surgeon a member of? Some of the main associations require an enormous amount of experience in the field that speaks well of their background. How much did it cost? You often get what you pay for. However, comparing like techniques will let you know if surgeons are comparable even though their prices vary immensely.
All of this should be done as a couple! Too many times the wife does the research, signs up the husband and he does just what she says. This is his body too. He needs to have an educated say in the matter. He needs to be available during phone consults. When a wife might choose a cheaper surgeon because it'll happen quicker, a husband might choose a more expensive one even if it takes a little longer to scrape up the money. They think just like they would about their own tools. It is better to buy the best one the first time, than buy two or three cheap ones.
Make sure you know what a VE is. What suture sizes are used and how many layers are sutured. Study anesthesias and vitamins. Find out all there is to know. You can do that right on the web! Visit VasReversal's New Begginnings, www.vasreversal.net, for a great educational over-view. Take your time and be certain of your decisions. This may be your best shot at reversing self-imposed infertility.
