Vasectomy Reversal

Q. Do they all define success the same way?

A. No. Some doctors use “sperm retrieval” as a measure of success. This can be very deceptive. Often, there are some sperm cells present in a “failed” vasectomy reversal. The problem is that the count may be much too low. Sometimes, most of them are dead. A surgeon who uses sperm retrieval alone as a synonym for success is not being completely straight with his clients. Sperm retrieval has some importance among doctors in evaluating their own statistics, particularly when the presence or absence of sperm during surgery is considered. While it is not a “worthless” number, sperm retrieval figures can vary considerably according to measurement criteria. A recent study revealed Dr. Grey’s sperm retrieval rate to be 99.2%.

Birthrates are another way of evaluating success. However, there are many variables to be considered here as well. For instance, there are multiple factors in the female which can be contributory, such as age. Hormonal factors can come into play, as can immunological aspects of fertility. In short, measuring success by birthrates has serious drawbacks as well.

There is just no perfect way to measure success when it comes to vasectomy reversals.