Reverse Vasectomy

Q. What was actually done during my vasectomy?

A. Your doctor made 1 or 2 small incisions on the scrotum (or just a hole if you had a no-scalpel vasectomy). Through these incisions, the doctor identified your left and right vas deferens. At his point, differences in technique occur. Some urologists remove a section of each vas deferens. Some don't remove any. Some doctors put a metal clip on all 4 ends (remember, there are 2 ends on each side). Some put nothing on the testicular ends; a so called "open-ended vasectomy". Many doctors prefer to tie a suture around all 4 ends. Some cauterize the ends with electricity. Occasionally, doctors go all the way and remove a piece, clip and tie the ends, and use cautery! All vasectomy reversals can be reversed. Exceptions are markedly rare. There are microsurgeons who have done many thousands of vasectomy reversals and have NEVER encountered a vasectomy that they couldn't reverse.