What Is the Vasectomy Reversal Recovery Time?

What is the recovery time for a vasectomy reversal? A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that a person undergoes in order to undo the effects of vasectomy. A vasectomy permanently makes a person infertile. The couples that do not desire conceiving children prefer getting a vasectomy. Other options of birth control are also available; these include condoms and birth control pills. The success rate of a vasectomy overshadows different measures. As a result, more and more people are opting for this procedure.

Vasectomy Reversal

Vasectomy reversal uses advanced microscopes in order to undo the lasting effects of a vasectomy.  Some people are against a vasectomy because it can break certain moral and ethical codes. A vasectomy reversal helps people who develop regretful thoughts about their decisions. This surgical procedure reconnects the tubes that connect the testicles to the urethra in the penis. This results in the presence of sperm cells in the semen once again. When the sperm cells enter the semen, the chances of giving birth rise once again. Vasectomy reversal surgery usually takes 2-4 hours. In some rare cases, the time range can also exceed.

Vasectomy Reversal Recovery Time
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Pain after Vasectomy Reversal

Vasectomy reversal surgery can last for a couple of hours. During the surgery, Anesthesia prevents any sort of pain. After the surgery, the healing process is rather quick and easy. The pain is the same that you experience after a vasectomy. Some people even claim that their post-surgery pain was less than what they experienced after a vasectomy. In some rare occasions, a person can undergo severe post-surgery pain. Medications like painkillers and sedatives help relieve this pain.  You may experience some pain in your groin for 1-3 weeks but this diminishes in just 2 weeks. It is also a very bearable pain so if you have a desk job, you can return to work within one week of surgery.

How Long until You Can Get Back to Regular Routine

The doctor advises you to refrain from heavy lifting or any type of work that puts a lot of strain on your muscles. People with regular desk jobs can probably return to work a week after the surgery. If your job is physically demanding then it is favorable to ask your doctor before returning to work. Your urologist can also ask you to wear protective gear for your scrotum. People mostly wear a jockstrap. It is important not to exert any kind of pressure on the scrotum after the surgery because the stitches need time to dissolve. It is also important to avoid any type of situation that can lead to an infection.  The doctor is also most likely to tell you to avoid any sexual activity for 2 to 3 weeks.

Vasectomy Reversal Recovery Time
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How Long until You Can Expect Pregnancy

The time it could take until you can expect pregnancy is going to range between 4 months to even a year. Certain variables come into play that decides the time until one can get pregnant after a vasectomy reversal. The main variable is the time interval between a vasectomy and a vasectomy reversal. The sperm cells return faster into the semen when the time between vasectomy and reversal is the shortest.  Other variables include the fertility and age of a man. The sperm can take a few months after the surgery to be present again in the semen.  Your urologist will ask for samples of your semen for the first 3-4 months in order to monitor the levels of sperm in it. This analysis will be the sole decider of whether or not you will be able to get your partner pregnant or not.

Why Is It Better than Alternative Methods?

A successful vasectomy reversal surgery can result in you staying fertile for the rest of your life. The abundance of benefits that it has outweighs the little complications you will face post-surgery. Alternative methods of conceiving after a vasectomy include artificial insemination methods like vitro fertilization. These ART technologies are not only costly but also time consuming. They also lack the fruits of natural pregnancy. Vasectomy reversal is the most cost effective and easiest way for spouses to attain natural pregnancy. It also saves you from more-than-usual trips to the hospital and comparatively much cheaper than artificial methods.

Vasectomy Reversal Recovery Time: Conclusion

The availability of skilled micro-surgeons who possess experience in this field is of critical importance. If it were not for them, the benefits of this microscopic procedure would have not existed. Not everyone can have that level of insight and the precision in their hand that changes people’s lives for the better.

If you or anyone you know are looking to get their lives changes and want to experience the joys of starting a family, do not think twice and contact Dr. Yaniv Larish. The success of the vasectomy reversal can depend on the choice of the urologist, so it is important that you chose wisely.

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Yaniv Larish, MD

4 East 76th Street
New York, NY 10021


(646) 862-5500


What is Vasectomy Reversal?

Vasectomy surgery entails cutting the vas deferens to prevent sperm from entering the ejaculate in order to produce long term sterility. (click to enlarge)

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Vasectomy reversal micro-surgery entails reconnecting the two ends of the vas deferens utilizing a surgical microscope, micro-instruments and micro-sutures in order to allow the sperm to enter the ejaculate and regain fertility after vasectomy surgery.

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