Vasectomy reversal success??

[terrier141]

Does anyone have experience of this? Hubby has just had it done and we are nervously awaiting the outcome!

Pinkmook - I hadnt even thought of asking the gp on the nhs for analysis - though if he's as s**t as your gp might not be much point! Definately worth a shot though I think - I've never been much good at waiting! Stopped taking the pill about 2years ago when met DH as he'd had the snip - before I met him (about 7.5years ago now). We both have 2dc's each and when we first met it didnt bother me that we could'nt have one together - oh how things change so quickly!!
Nancy66- I totally agree with you - i think there should be lots of counselling and at least a 6month "cooling" period before such a drastic decision is made - if only the nhs were so quick with other surgery!! Unless there are serious medical reasons (including genetic conditions) - I dont think it should be so easily available (as with abortion)- fertility is a gift that not everyone is blessed with and should be looked after. Probably started something here, didnt mean to - must be the hormones. lol!

Yep My GP is crap esp when it comes to fertility stuff but if he does the semen analysis just ask for a copy of the printout - thats all I did. I can copy and paste on here what the world health organisation standard figures are (on my printout they were on there any way so you could compare them).

Thats a good point you made about fertility being a gift. I am sure in some areas you HAVE to have colunselling with family planning nurses before they will do it - unfortunately not where I live.

Good luck with getting it from your GP - post back here to let us know how you get on!

xx

Should we just go straight for IVF then, I thinking that if I pay £2500 for the reversal I won't have the £5,000 for IVF if that doesn't work and I am on a deadline, within reason, I don't want more than a 10 year gap from eldest to youngest.

Oh and yes there should be counselling before hand, I would have done everything in my power to talk him out of it had i been given the chance, but oh no the GP couldn't wait to send him off, without any mention of his partner.
My argument is if I'd had an abortion without discussion we wouldn't still be married

KatieDD - I thought that - should we just go straight for IVF but I did some reading (including medical journals and apparently overall its better to try having a vasectomy reversal first iyswim.

Its a crap situation isnt it ? So (KatieDD) did your DH have his vasectomy after your first child?

Im getting really obsessed now - have agreed with DH that if he gives up smoking then I will give up chocolate - then we will both be healthier - oh the stress levels in our house!!

I would stick with the ciggies and chocolate rather than risk the stress myself.
What about the guilt though, we need a new kitchen urgently had a quote for £10k last night and I can see DH thinking if we have this we can't afford the IVF, it's a bloody nightmare and then my other kids "need" stuff all the time, relentlessly.

I know its a nightmare, DH has given up alcohol and I am trying to eat a low GI diet (bleuch) tis shite.

Might be pushing it a bit if I ask DH to give up alcohol as well! We'd be divorced!

Lol Terrier

after DH bloody well having the vasectomy in the first place giving up alcohol is a small price to pay he'll be giving up his knob if he doesn't make the effort!

Your Dh had the vasectomy before you met didn't he? So he gets away with far more than mine does I just remind him we wouldnt be in this mess if he wasnt so reactive! (I know I am naughty and that will prob back fire on me but for now it works!)

Have you asked for a sperm analysis for your doc yet? I would go see the nurse (thats what I did) and just explain. The nurse and receptionists at my GP's were fascinated (I dont think theyd ever come across a vasectomy reversal before LOL)Once you have the bag/bottle combo you can take your time in persuading DH to produce the goods and then pop it to the hospital for analysis!

So is it that straight forward then? They just give us the bottle and off we go? Dont we need appt at hospital or something? Havent asked gp yet - thought they may say it was up to our consultant to do it. May just cough up the money yet - its £40, so not huge - dont know if i can just "wait and see"! My DH feels really bad for having it done in the first place and thinks its all his fault - he desparately wants us to have a child together (sad)

That was meant to be - lol! Sounds like you are really giving your dh some grief though!

'Don't these posts show that vasectomies and sterilisation are really not a good idea?

personally, when contraceptive is so readily available and effective i don't understand why anyone would take such a drastic decision. But then, I suppose, hindsight is a wonderful thing. '

they are an excellent idea when people are counselled properly beforehand.

contraception as available does NOT suit all people - some can no longer use hormonal methods at all and have other health problems that make the copper coil not good for them. or fall pregnant too easily to rely on condoms.

some folks think very long and hard about their decision or have had significant health problems that make having more children a life-threatening condition.

they are 100% they either want no more children or indeed perhaps none at all.

the vast majority of people who opt for sterilisation do not regret their decision at all.

you'll find many on this board, in fact.

Your DH sounds a little more "new man" and emotionally mature than mine (lol) mine is just like "well I couldn't cope with how hard it all was so the perfect solution was to remove any possibility of having any more" et voila - vasectomy - so as you can see - he deserves torturing Only kidding (I think )

Yes it really was that simple - as far as I can see (he has had two sperm analyses now) its just like if you want a blood test or a urine test for something - the practice nurse can fill the form in for you/ give you a sample pot and as long as you have that you just take it to your pathology dept at your local hospital. Ifyou make an app with the practice nurse I have no doubt she will be able to advise you further.

I actually found all this out when first time round (sperm test) we were told by GP it was all fine was really unsure about this and ruminated on it before posting on here asking for help. Someone suggested I ring my family planning clinic - which I did - and it just so happened there was a gyne nurse there. I popped down and spent ages talking to her - she was not surprised at my GP's lack of knowledge - said its quite common - and gave me loads of advice,info on what a normal or "fertile" sperm result should be- including just book to see practice nurse at my docs and ask for the sperm test bag/form/pot (its exactly the same form/bag they use for a urine sample!)

If you are unsure about anything I can highly reccomend ringing your Family planning clinic and asking if there is any one available to talk to you about fertility stuff (they do do this as well as stopping people from getting pg!)

expat

"they are an excellent idea when people are counselled properly beforehand"

unfortunately this (counselling) did not happen in our case, I am unsure how reliably the rules on counselling are applied in other areas, only that in ours there was NO counselling, a 29 year old first time father with a 6m old baby presented at the docs requesting vasectomy with an unwilling partner - and was given one

I habe since been told that any one under 35, within 12 months of a child being born should be seriously discouraged but this just did not happen with us.

I am sure there are many many cases were its all fine. Doesn't help me though.

I think we were just meaning that its not a decision to be rushed into and that some gp's do not offer thorough enough consultations prior to the procedure. Im sure you are right though and there are many people out there who will never regret their decision. Unfortunately we seem to be within the minority that do regret it.

i was dissuaded from one because it wasn't 12 months after the birth of my last child.

my DH wishes to have one now, before the birth of our 3rd, and he is 30.

BUT, he's been wanting to have one for a while now and i do think, ultimately, it's a person's choice.

i cannot use hormonal contraception, so basically, after our 3rd is born, it will be no sex until the sterilisation is shown to work, because we both feel that strongly about not having any more children and abortion is not for me.

i don't think 'unwilling partner' should factor into it, FWIW, because i know i'd hate to see the day when a man could veto his wife's right to do what she wishes with her body because he doesn't agree with it.

it's unfortunate your spouse did not receive counselling before his procedure, though.

it's a shame, because counselling should weigh very heavily into such a decision.

AND, if it really is for you, then counselling won't change that.

but it would catch out people who really should be looking at other alternatives.

expat - yep I agree counselling should be a high priority in these cases but as I said in an earlier post he has stated since that if someone - anyone! apart from me had said slow down - are you sure you want this - wait 6 months - whatever - then he doesn't think he would have done it.

i hope it works out for you.

my FIL, father and BIL all had them and never had any regrets.

but, they'd all fathered two children and were in their 30s. my mother had csections and neither wanted her to have another, my sister had HELP/pre-clampsia and my ILs two sons' have disabilities, so for them, it was a choice that was best for them.

i'd have myself sterilised, but only if it were the new procedure that's only being offered in some areas. otherwise, it's another operation. i've had so many, DH feels it's sort of 'his turn'.

expat - can totally understand why your family members had the op. My Dh isnt/wasn't the most sensible 29yr old I guess and thats why GP's need to be careful!

for you with lots of ops - hope you are well now. Good luck with your DH's vasectomy

i'm sort of hoping hte new procedure comes here and i'd have it myself, cuz he thinks he's so hard, but really he's kind of a wuss whereas i know i can take it .

i'll be nearly 38 when this one is born, and i agree with you, age makes a difference in these types of decisions.

LOL - men dont like the idea of stuff happening to their balls generally do they? (my DH is the fecking exception apparently! )

whats this new procedure - some kind of keyhole thing?

the sterilisation is performed on the female under local anaesthetic. she's given a similar sort of dye test as hysteroscopy, a procedure used on some women experiencing fertility problems to view their uterus and Fallopian tubes. then, a small tube is guided into each tube and a rod placed in each.

takes about half an hour and she can go home soon after.

more effective than standard methods used now, and no GA or unpleasant side effects from gas being used to bloat the abdomen.

it's now being gradually rolled out on the NHS, a good thing because it's much cheaper than the standard method now:

femalesterilisation

Im my Dh's case it was the right decision at the time - he was with a previous partner and they had 2 dc's already. Unfortunately the relationship did not last (she's not a very stable person basically) and now he is happily married to me. Now we would dearly love a child together and he deeply regrets the vasectomy. Unfortunately not every relationship lasts forever and things can change. Im sure if he had stayed happy with his ex then he would not have regretted the decision. I also know people who have never regretted their decision. I can also fully understand why some people choose to have it done. I have to agree with the lack of counselling in some areas though - my 32 year old best mate (one dc) has recently had it done without any counselling - he told the GP what he wanted and was booked into the next slot - 2 weeks later. In their case they are happy with the decision. Can also see why for some people, like yourself, this really is the best option. Hope it goes well for you, and good luck with the birth too xx