Vasectomy reversal

[Derbee]

Hi everyone,
I’m driving myself mad reading as much as I can online about various clinics and success rates but it’s not the same as hearing from real people! Has anybody recently had vasectomy reversals, and could give me some advice about what clinics you went to / which surgeons you used. Also, if it’s not too cheeky, how much the surgery cost.

We have been quoted anywhere between £2900 and £6100 (😳) for what looks like the same operation. The difficulty seems to be that we would need the more complicated surgery, due to the fact that it has been 15 years since the original vasectomy.

Any advice anyone could give would be very much appreciated! Thank you

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

Have you both talked to your GP about this ?

My DH & i had this issue ... we were told we were going down the wrong path with a reversal because honestly the success rates arent great.

We got referred via our GP to a fertility clinic ( CARE) and were advised to try IVF - specifically ICSI .

After 3 rounds we have a beautiful daughter & son .

Dont give up - it can be done x

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

Where in UK are you OP?

CARE are excellent and have different clinics in the UK , as are Zita West if you are nearer London .

[Derbee]

Thanks for your reply. And so nice to hear that you have 2 lovely children, having been in a similar position.

GP recommended 2 local surgeons as he said he’d heard good things about them, and has seen patients have babies through both. We’ve been told by our preferred clinic that our chance of success is 80% (they count success as sperm present after 3 months, or positive pregnancy test after 3 months).

Funnily enough, I’ve been looking at IVF and ICSI on the CARE website because it feels more cost and time effective to skip the middle stage if IVF is inevitable! It’s so stressful when every option is expensive and when you have no idea whether something will work... it’s so hard to know what to do for the best

[Derbee]

We’re in Derby

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

Honestly, go to your GP and ask for a referral for a consultation to CARE in Nottingham ( people from all over Europe go to that centre its so good ).

Just talking it through with a specialist will really help you to form a plan .

[Derbee]

We’ve been advised that a reversal is the best option as it allows the possibility of more than one child, without having to use fertility services every time we want to conceive. A big part of me thinks a surgeon will always recommend reversal, and an IVF clinic will always recommend IVF! Maybe I’m too cynical! But you’re right, I think it would make sense to speak to some at CARE too. 🙂

[IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls]

It depends on how long ago the original surgery was ... anything over about 8 years and success rates drop to about 50% which is far lower than icsi.

Also depends on your ages , i was 30 & he was 36 so my fertility was dropping anyway and we didn't have the time to keep trying and waiting each time x

[Derbee]

The vasectomy was 15 years ago. Do you mind me asking how long ago your treatment was? I’m wondering if surgical outcomes etc have improved, because all of the research we’ve read shows much higher live birth rates for reversal rather than ICSI in our position. Interestingly, from studies in the States there is evidence to suggest that reversal improves sperm quality, thereby improving IVF rates.

Does anybody have vasectomy reversal experience here?

[DrDreReturns]

I know one couple who had a vasectomy reversal and conceived successfully from it. I'm afraid I don't know any more details e.g. how long ago he had the snip and whether they paid for it.

[googlegoals]

We paid just under 3k for vasectomy reversal and got pregnant within 3 months.

[nether]

Surgical outcomes have improved because iirurgery techniques have, and getting the tubing open usually happens.

What you need are the figures just for 'Pregnancy achieved', because the op can be counted as a techical (plumbing) success but never lead to pregnancy.

[Derbee]

Thanks everyone.

@googlegoals that’s so nice to hear! Do you mind me asking which clinic/dr you used?

[Vasdeferens]

Hi

My OH just had a VR after 15 years. WE had it done at art NOttingham by Mr Harris. MY Oh is 56 I am 33. after nine years we decided we want a family. Everything went well with the VR. Successful pregnancy depends on female fertility we were told we have as many chances as assisted reproduction as all came clear with me. It cost us 3000. HOPe this helps.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Friend was going to her her hubbys reversed / 2nd marriage - had snip in first

But was told low rate

So instead had sperm taken out of his testes and then frozen

They did iui first round and preg

2nd time they did ivf and again got preg tho was 3rd go
Via 2nd fet

[Anaesthetist83]

Duncan Harris is definitely the person to see in the East Midlands (I’m medical so have knowledge of local services)

[Derbee]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Have discussed it with my partner, and GP. Weighing up cost/chance of success we have decided to go it Mr Henley in Derby. More expensive than any of the others, but that’s due to the fact he only operates on one person per day, and does more involved surgery. We’ve been given an estimated success rate of almost 90%, so will see what happens!... even if it’s not successful, we’ve been told that it will improve the quality of sperm if we end up needing to go down the IVF route... Hoping it doesn’t come to that 🤞🏻

Has anyone got any experience of Mr Henley at the Nuffield Hospital in Derby?

[Derbee]

@Anaesthetist83 interesting to hear you recommend Mr Harriss. Do you know anything of Mr Henley in Derby?

[Anaesthetist83]

Mr Henley is also a very good urologist.

(If it was me, I’d go for Mr Harris’s. It is no coincidence in surgery that the more you do, the better at it you are. An operation takes as long as it takes. Doing just 1 per day doesn’t make you more skilled at it)

[Derbee]

@Anaesthetist83 We liked the look of Mr Harriss. But Mr Henley seems to have more experience in vasoepididymostomy which is what we will likely require due to length of time between vasectomy and reversal. Had it been a shorter time, and a standard vasovastostomy we may well have chosen to save the money and go with Mr Harriss!
The 1 operation per day made sense to us as the typical time given for a vasoepididymostomy is 4.5 hrs, so we didn’t feel happy thinking that it would be one of 4 operations that day.

It all feels like a gamble though, so just hoping for the best! Thanks for your input 🙂

[Vasdeferens]

Keep us updated, would be nice to have a buddy to compare notes with . Good luck I’m keeping the FX for you two.

[mikkyr]

My husband had vasectomy done 10 years ago. He is 44 and I am 40 now. We were advised against reversal because of my age - We dont have enough time really for it not to work as it can take up to two years to conceive naturally post-reversal.
So we are going to IVF ICSI route with testes biopsy and just as well as I am now on my 3rd egg retrieval cycle and we have only had one successful egg retrieval. All other cycles have been a failure due to limited no of follicles.
Good luck ;)

[Derbee]

@Vasdeferens will keep the thread updated, and have my fingers crossed for you guys too. We’re having the op in the 1st week of July - I’m so impatient though! Just want to start the next part of our journey... (Trying to just forget about the price, as it’s about the same as a round of IVF which I didn’t expect.)

@mikkyr your advice about going straight to IVF/ICSI sounds sensible. I know people going through it, and I have so much respect for all of you guys. It’s an emotional rollercoaster. Good luck with it all, and I hope it works out.

[Vasdeferens]

My OH and myself have agreed on pursuing IVF if we aren’t successful before I turn 35. I will be 34 next week. My AMH level is a whopping 30 but they say fertility declines quickly after 35 and don’t wanna risk it. Baby dust to all. Hope we all get our BFPs soon. I’m counting the days to the end of the two weeks recovery lol. Xx

[bourbonbiccy]

My brother in law had a reversal after 9years, ( he paid about 7k they are based in the north west ) sadly they were unsuccessful in conceiving afterwards

[Derbee]

@Vasdeferens I’ll be in the same position as you - op in July, turn 34 in September. Will give it a year, and have chosen IVF clinics to have up our sleeve for when I turn 35. I think it’ll be in the Czech Republic, but hoping we won’t need a backup to the op!

DP has 2 children, so hoping he has a track record of viable sperm, and the op is just a little hurdle! Good luck with everything - will keep an eye out for how you’re getting on!