Vasectomy Reversal in Atlanta

Over 500,000 men undergo vasectomies every year in the United States. Nearly 6% of these men will have a vasectomy reversal for many reasons. If you are in the Atlanta area looking to conceive after a vasectomy, you are not alone.

It is a common misconception even among doctors that a vasectomy cannot be reversed. In fact, vasectomy reversal is a highly successful operation in the right hands. With that said, there are only a few urologists in the Southeast who have fellowship training and experience in reproductive urology to guide you in your journey to parenthood.

Dr. Kapadia is a fellowship-trained vasectomy reversal specialist providing comprehensive male fertility and vasectomy reversal consultation in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the lead of the male infertility and vasectomy reversal program at Georgia Urology. Learn about your treatment options and schedule a consultation today.

Does Vasectomy Reversal require fellowship training?

Unlike a vasectomy that may be performed by a urologist or ‘vasectomist,’ the reversal procedure is a complex operation during which the two ends of the delicate vas tube are reconnected using micro-sutures that are invisible to the naked eye. This procedure is called a ‘vasovasostomy.’ This is the most common scenario.

In some cases, one end of the vas tube may need to be connected to an even finer structure called the epididymis due to a secondary blockage via a procedure called ‘epididymovasostomy.’ This is a much more technically complex operation.

Dr. Kapadia examines the fluid emerging from the vas tube in real time under a high-powered microscope to determine which operation is right for you. Only trained micro-surgeons are able to perform the more complex operation reliably.

Dr. Kapadia excelled during his fellowship at the prestigious University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He has the knowledge, experience and skills required to perform both a ‘V-V or vasovostomy’ and ‘E-V or epididymovasostomy’ in order to give you the best possible outcome.

How Successful is a Vasectomy Reversal?

In the experienced hands, a vasectomy reversal is a highly successful operation in returning sperm to the ejaculate.  Additional factors that affect the success of this operation are:

• Time from the original vasectomy
• Surgical technique utilized (‘vasovasostomy’ vs ‘epididymovasostomy’)

Ultimately, the most important measure of success is a successful pregnancy. Therefore, an important factor to consider is your partner’s fertility. Dr. Kapadia will guide you and your partner in making the right decisions for your family.

What about surgeons with cheaper rates?

In Atlanta, the average cost of a vasectomy reversal with a fellowship-trained specialist is approximately $8,500. These costs are based on Medicare-determined surgeon reimbursement as well as fees for high quality anesthesia and facility fees that keep you safe during and after surgery.

Patients should check the following with doctors that offer “cheap rates” with “high success”:

• Training and qualifications in Urology
• Use of a high powered operating microcope and real-time examination of fluid from the testicle.
  • This is absolutely critical to have a successful outcome. The surgeon must be able to perform a ‘V-V’ or ‘E-V’ depending on the need.
• Comprehensive male fertility care beyond just a vasectomy reversal
• Use of general anesthesia. Many surgeons will offer ‘cheaper rates’ by performing this procedure under ‘local anesthesia.’
  • While this may be a cheaper option, it may compromise the surgery.
  • When you are asleep and still, it allows Dr. Kapadia to perform a high quality operation with a complex 2-layer closure using very fine ‘micro-sutures’ or an even more complex ‘E-V’ if necessary
• Do not confuse surgeon excellence with fast surgery times. The average vasectomy reversal for a specialist will take anywhere from 2-3 hours. Not because they can’t do it any faster, but because they exert more care and do not cut corners. Dr. Kapadia only performs one vasectomy reversal per day. There are some non-urologists that perform multiple surgeries in a day and perform the surgery in less than 1 hour. Something has to ‘give’ and that is usually the quality of the surgery.

What Is The Recovery Process?

Vasectomy reversal is a minimally invasive surgery, which means all men go home the same day. Dr. Kapadia usually performs this surgery during the first part of the day, which means you are comfortably home by late afternoon. If you are coming from far, you should plan to spend the night at a hotel.

When you wake up, you should have NO pain due to local anesthetics provided to you during surgery.  While the effects of the anesthetics can be long lasting, most men will require OTC Ibuprofen and Tylenol for pain relief. For the first 48 hours, you will be asked to limit your activity be a “couch potato.”

Most the initial soreness and swelling tends to improve after 3-5 days as you resume some normal activities. Most men can resume non-strenuous physical activity after day 7, and all normal physical activity after 2 weeks. You will be asked to refrain from sexual activity for 2 weeks as well. During recovery, all men should continue to wear supportive underwear (Athletic supporter or ‘jock strap’) for enhanced recovery.

You can start conceiving 2-3 weeks after your surgery as long as you are not experiencing pain during sexual activity. Dr. Kapadia will test your ejaculate for presence of sperm via a semen analysis approximately 2 months after your surgery. Studies show that it can take 12-18 months for sperm to return to the ejaculate in some circumstances.

Will I Have Pain with Sex?

While you are recovering from surgery, it is normal to experience soreness or pain. However, you should NOT have any permanent pain in the groin or scrotum during sexual activity. In fact, a vasectomy reversal is often the solution for men who experience chronic testicular pain following a vasectomy.