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Conception

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Original poster

Conception - after reversal of vasectomy

26 replies

Worriedbev · 01/02/2005 11:26

My partner had a vasectomy reversal about 8 years ago. He was told his sperm count was 22 million then. I am 41 years old and just had results of a blood test from the doctor, which he said were fine, as I had been having irregular periods, some as long as 42 days, and thought I was starting the menopause but wasnt. Do you think there is much chance of us conceiving a baby. We have been having unprotected intercourse for 9 months and no results yet. Anybody have any knowledge or been through a similar situation.

OP posts:
kizzie · 01/02/2005 11:50

Has your partner had ANY children since the reversal (sorry - i'm assuming you were'nt together when he had it done ??)

My husband also had a reversal approx 8 years ago which we were told had been a success but I never conceived naturally. I went on to have twins via IVF with ICSI.

This is where they basically take the sperm direct from the sac.

In our case we have never used contraception in the last 8 years but I have never conceived. (Never quite lose the hope though )

Is it possible for your partner to have another sperm test so at least you know whether he still has a healthy count?

At least then you would know what you are dealing with.

Kizziex

aloha · 01/02/2005 11:53

At your age and after trying for nine months you should be eligible for fertility treatment. If you really are desperate for a baby, I think this is a route you might well consider, even if it is only taking, say, clomid. It is possible to conceive at 41 or older, but time really isn't on your side, especially when you factor in a vasectomy reversal.

Original poster
Worriedbev · 01/02/2005 12:07

Kizzie

Thank you for your message. You were right in assuming we werent together, we werent. I have only been with my partner for 10 months and have a daughter of 11 from a previous relationship.

My partner has actually got the paperwork to go and have another sperm test done which he will be doing shortly, although I suppose the reason I havent pushed him is because I might hear something I dont want to, that is that he isnt fertile and I would be devastated, but as you say, we do need to know what we are dealing with. I know my blood test was ok so it is really up to him now. He wants a baby just as much as I do.

He has four children from a previous relationship before he had the vasectomy so must have been fertile then, but I dont know how high a sperm count 22 million is.

I will let you know what transpires. We may go on to have fertility treatment. How expensive is IVF and what are the chances of conceiving by it. Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Worriedbev · 01/02/2005 12:08

Aloha

Thanks for your message. Would our doctor put us onto fertility treatment or is it best to go to a family planning clinic. What is clomid, I have heard of it but not sure what it is and how does it work.

OP posts:
aloha · 01/02/2005 12:21

I think you need to go back to your GP and say that you have been trying for nine months and want a referral to a consultant. At your age (sorry it sounds so horrid and I am the same age as you!) time is of the essence and your blood test, while clearly encouraging, is not proof that you will conceive. Clomid is a drug that encourages ovulation. It certainly doesn't work for everyone and can be unpleasant for some people, but it is less invasive than, say, IVF.

kizzie · 01/02/2005 12:25

Bev - the problem you'll have with IVF is probably cost. It may be different in your area but for us we didnt get any free treatment because having a vasectomy is a 'choice'.

(Altho in our case my husband had a vasectomy but then found out that one of his sons isnt actually his birth child so he had 1 'birth' child rather than the 2 he thought he had. Anyway, sorry, - long story - different thread.)

I think the cost of IVF with ICSI is approx £4,000 per treatment now depending on where you are. It would be worth you speaking to your dr to see what help they may be able to offer you.
Kizziex

Original poster
Worriedbev · 01/02/2005 12:45

Aloha

Thanks for the advice. I will make an appointment next week and see what happens. Will keep you posted.

OP posts:
Original poster
Worriedbev · 01/02/2005 12:46

Kizzie

Thanks Kizzie for letting me know the procedure. I thought along the lines of about £3,000 to £4,000. We live in Berkshire so it will probably cost us. How many attempts did you try until you became pregnant? Did it cost £4,000 for one attempt or a number of attempts? What are the chances of conceiving with IVF.

OP posts:
kizzie · 01/02/2005 14:23

I had two full cycles of IVF with ICSI and they were £4,000 each. You can sometimes reduce the cost of a second or third cycle if you have some embryos left over which you can freeze from the first cycle.

Im not sure about success rates. I always used to think of about 25% per cycle but not sure what it is now. Obviously age etc all have an effect. (I was only 29 when I had it but I also had some problems with ovarian cysts so they added some complications.) The clinics usually publish results so you can geta good idea from that.

To be honest though (although the % is useful because it gives you an idea of whether a clinic is any good or not) the only you are interested in is whether YOU can get pregnant.

Good luck with appointment.
Kizziex

Original poster
Worriedbev · 02/02/2005 12:18

Thanks Kizzie

I will keep you informed of what happens and hope I can succeed like you do.

OP posts:
Portree · 02/02/2005 12:42

Bev, IVF+ICSI here for male factor infertility too. Your dp needs to get that semen analysis done. 22 million is on the low side. The WHO define male infertility as less than 20 million sperm per ml of semen. Do you know if it was 22 million in the total sample or per ml? If per ml then he is just above the threshold. It's not just about the number of sperm but the motility and morphology as well. Eg, a man may have a high sperm count but a very high % of sperm abnormally shaped or swimming in the wrong direction.

The success of IVF varies enormously between clinics - I think the national average is 25.4% take home baby rate per cycle started. But some clinics may achieve results as high as 40%. Costs can also vary too but at one of the top clinics you can expect to pay at least £5k for IVF/ICSI including the cost of the drugs, scans, bloods.

SofiaAmes · 02/02/2005 22:04

My dh had a vasectomy reversal soon after he met me. But we were told after two subsequent sperm tests that it had been unsuccessful and that he had no sperm at all. We then decided to get married, go on honeymoon and try icsi when we got back. Except I got pregant on our honeymoon. And then I got pregnant again 2 months into trying for our second. I would only put so much stock in sperm tests...
But having said that, I would follow aloha's advice and go for the fertility treatment just in case.

Original poster
Worriedbev · 03/02/2005 08:59

Portree
Thanks for your advice. I think it was 22 million per ml. So I am hoping. Having seen the message from SofiaAmes I am not going to give up. It took me a year to conceive my daughter from a previous relationship and I was waiting every month for somthing to happen. Just when I got offered a fulltime job through temping, that some month, you wont believe, I fell pregnant, probably because I was excited at a permanent job again and wasnt thinking constantly about getting pregnant, so I can see what SofiaAmes means by going away and relaxing, especially after her husband was told he had no sperm. So miracles do happen. I will probably wait another few months and then if nothing, go and see the doctor, both of us. Thanks again.

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Original poster
Worriedbev · 03/02/2005 09:01

Thanks you SofiaAmes for your message. I am so surprised and cant believe it, you must have been thrilled to think there was no hope and then pregnant on your honeymoon and to go on and have another child. It has given me so much hope now that I wont give up. I will probably wait a bit longer - a few more months or so and then go and see the doctor. Even if he says it is a low sperm count I will still not give up, as you say miracles do happen if you believe in them hard enough. Your message has really cheered me up this morning and I hope I can be successful like you were.

OP posts:
aloha · 03/02/2005 09:09

Why delay Worriedbev? If I were you, honestly, I'd make an appointment today. Waiting really isn't a great idea when you hit your forties and six months is usually the recommended time to spend trying to conceive naturally when you get a bit older. YOu will still have to wait after your appointment so you can continue to try the natural methods at the same time!

Original poster
Worriedbev · 03/02/2005 10:49

Aloha

I know what you mean. I suppose I am scared of what I might hear, if you know what I mean. I would be devastated if I couldnt have another child. Would you feel the same if you were in my position?

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 03/02/2005 22:48

I agree with aloha. Make the appointment. I think what I was trying to say was don't give up even if the doctor says your partner doesn't have any sperm...it may just not be right. And it could be that making the appointment and getting onthe waiting list for fertility treatments might just relax you so much that you end up getting pregnant. I think relaxing is really important.

A little addition to my story....3 year before meeting my dh I had spent a year trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant with my previous husband. He went on to get his new wife (and his mistress) pregnant quite easily...I think I had been so stressed out that last year of our marriage that my body had no intention of getting pregnant (luckily as it turned out in that case).

aloha · 03/02/2005 23:33

I can understand your fear, but there is the very slight risk you may be letting fear sabotaging your chances. I really don't want to worry you even more (!) but maybe you could think of making another appointment as a positive thing to do on the way to making a baby. The other way to think is, if in a year or two years you hadn't had a baby, would you regret not making that appointment? I wish you luck!

Original poster
Worriedbev · 04/02/2005 09:58

SofiaAmes

Thank you very much for your reply. My partner has got a form from the doctor and is going to the hospital next Friday for a sperm test, so fingers crossed, but either way I wont give up even if they say there is no sperm, as you say good things do happen. I must try and relax as well as I know what you mean, getting wound up wont help. My period is due next Friday as well so will keep you advised, although I was 42 days last month so will not test too early.

Bevx

OP posts:
Original poster
Worriedbev · 04/02/2005 09:59

Aloha

Thank you for your message.

As you can see from my message to SofiaAmes, my boyfriend is going to the hospital next week for a test so we will take it from there.

You are right, it is helping me along by going for tests etc as if in a year or two if I havent conceived naturally, then that is so much wasted time gone by. I will keep you advised.

Bev

OP posts:
Merlot · 04/02/2005 10:03

22 million doesnt sound that low to me

My dh has not had a vasectomy, but has a low count 5-10 million with a lot of low motility.

We managed to have our two sons naturally, albeit with a six year gap in between

Good Luck and keep practising (that's the important thing with a low count!!!)

Original poster
Worriedbev · 04/02/2005 10:33

Merlot

Thank you for your message. It gives me so much hope to hear things like this. His last sperm count was 22 million but that was 8 years ago, so we are hoping it hasnt dropped. Do sperm counts drop do you know? Or do they tend to stay the same. It gives me hope to know his sperm count then wasnt as low as your husbands so definitely cheered me up, but we are just hoping it hasnt gone down to zero.

Bev

OP posts:
SofiaAmes · 04/02/2005 14:22

By the way, a doctor friend of mine said that he went to a fertility seminar a few years ago and the statistics are that the main reason for non-conception was NOT ENOUGH SEX! So don't forget to practice.

Original poster
Worriedbev · 05/02/2005 18:01

SofiaAmes

Thanks for the advice, I will try to practice harder! I think from next month, if I am not pregnant now and I doubt if I will be, I dont have much faith, I will chart my temperature. I am going in to Boots on Monday to get a fertility thermometer. I am due on on Friday and going to Isle of Wight next weekend as well so will see what transpires. Will keep you posted.

OP posts:
Nibor · 22/01/2007 17:48

Dear all,

Just joined and my partner and I are seeking ways to have a child after a reversal, is there anything we can do or any other alternatives, many thanks for taking the time to read this, has anyone been successful with withdrawing sprem direct from the testes?