Vasectomy: What to Expect 

Before scheduling a vasectomy, your surgeon will meet with you to discuss the procedure, review the risks and answer any questions you have.

A vasectomy may not be a good option if you think you may want a child in the future. Although a vasectomy may be reversible, reversal surgery isn’t usually covered by insurance and carries risks. 

We perform vasectomies in our urology office. During the procedure, which takes less than 30 minutes, the surgeon: 

1. Injects a local anesthetic into your scrotum to numb the area. 
2. Makes a small incision or puncture on the side of the scrotum to access the vas deferens (tube that carries sperm from each testicle to the semen). 
3. Pulls a section of the vas deferens out of the scrotum. 
4. Cuts the vas deferens, seals the ends and places them back in the scrotum. 
5. Repeats the process on the other side. 

After the procedure, you will feel sore for a few days. You can usually return to your normal activities in about a week. You can also resume sex.

However, you’ll need to use birth control until a semen test ensures the absence of sperm — usually within a few months.

Vasectomy Reversal: What to Expect 

We perform vasectomy reversal surgery in an operating room under general anesthesia so you are asleep. The surgeon makes small incisions on each side of the scrotum. Using a surgical microscope, they locate the ends of the vas deferens and check the end closest to the testicle for sperm. 

There are two options for the next steps: 

• Vasovasostomy: If sperm are present, it means the path from the testicle to the vas deferens is clear. Using sutures thinner than human hair, the surgeon stitches the ends of the vas deferens back together. 
• Vasoepididymostomy: If no sperm are present, it means the original path from the testicles is blocked. To reroute the sperm flow, the surgeon connects the upper end of the vas deferens to the epididymis (tube between the testes and vas deferens).

A vasoepididymostomy is the more complex of the two procedures, but both yield similar results, especially with an experienced surgeon. Our urologic surgeons have excellent success rates for vasectomy reversal.

After surgery, you can usually resume your normal activities in about a week and have sex in a few weeks. Your surgeon will perform semen tests every few months to check your sperm levels.

It may take several months to a few years for sperm to return and pregnancy to occur.

Other Options for Pregnancy After Vasectomy 

If vasectomy reversal surgery isn’t right for you or you don’t achieve pregnancy, sperm extraction may be an option. We offer several types of sperm extraction procedures to remove sperm directly from the testicle or epididymis. A reproductive endocrinologist uses extracted sperm in fertility treatments, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Vasectomy and Vasectomy Reversal: Why Choose Memorial Healthcare System? 

As a leading urology program in Miami and South Florida, we offer: