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Epididymostomy

The remaining one-third of vasectomy reversals are done by epididymostomy, which is only done when a vasovasostomy is not possible. Men who are not found to have sperm in their vas deferens likely have a blockage; therefore simply reconnecting the vas deferens would not be successful in restoring fertility.

Instead, in this type of vasectomy reversal, the vas deferens are connected directly to the epidiymus in order to restore sperm flow. Unfortunately, this procedure tends to be less successful than a vasovasostomy as well as more complex, taking as much as five hours to complete.

Regardless of what type of vasectomy reversal you receive, the procedure for the surgery is relatively the same. Although a local anesthetic is possible, many men prefer to be given general anesthetic. Once the chosen type of anesthetic has taken affect, a vertical incision will be made on both sides of your scrotum in order to allow your surgeon access to your vas deferens.

The vas deferens will then be checked for any signs of scarring or blockage that may present a problem during the procedure or in your desire to get pregnant later on. In order to check for the presence of sperm in your semen, the fluid from the vas deferens will be drained and examined. So long as sperm in found in your vas deferens fluid and there does not appear to be any blockages, your surgeon will proceed with a vasovasostomy. If a blockage is indicated, your surgeon will likely go ahead with an epididymostomy.

Recovery

Although a vasectomy does need to be performed in a hospital (some fertility clinics may perform the surgery onsite), it usually doesn’t require an overnight stay. However, it is necessary to stay in the hospital until the anesthetic has worn off, usually a few hours. You will also be provided with a fitted athletic support garment, which you will need to wear for six weeks in order to help you heal.

After the surgery, it is best stay in bed for the first 48 hours. You should be able to return to work in a few days so long as it does not involve any strenuous physical activity, which should be avoided for at least three weeks. Sexual intercourse and ejaculation should also be avoided for four weeks so that no damage is caused to the vas deferens or incision site.