Vasectomy Reversal
The number of men requesting vasectomy reversal is increasing. Approximately 5-10% of men who have had a vasectomy decide to have a vasectomy reversal. Patients commonly include men who have found a new life partner, suffered through the unfortunate loss of a child or spouse or couples who have simply changed their minds and desire more children.A vasectomy reversal re-establishes the transport of sperm back to the ejaculate via the vas deferens (or vas).
The surgical reconnection can be accomplished in 2 ways:
- a direct reconnection of the vas deferens (vasovasostomy)
- a vas to epididymis connection (vasoepididymostomy)
To ensure surgical precision, our practice is to use a high-powered surgical microscope to perform a 2-layer reconnection of the vas using very fine (10-0) sutures on this inner “mucosal” layer and slightly larger sutures (9-0) on the outer muscular layer of the vas.
If no sperm are identified in the vasal fluid, this suggests an epididymal obstruction and a vasoepididymostomy is performed. In this case, the vas is microsurgically connected to the epididymis at a location where moving sperm are identified.
The surgery is performed under a general anaesthetic but is considered “day surgery” so patients come to the hospital and go home to recover the same day as the procedure. It typically takes about 2-3 hours to complete. Full recovery back to normal life activities typically takes only a few days.
In our program we perform more vasectomy reversals than any other centre in Canada. Dr. Grober is a fellowship-trained microsurgeon focusing specifically on microsurgical vasectomy reversal and male infertility.
For more information about vasectomy reversals please see: