Vasectomy reversal and male infertility: Mayo Clinic Radio

On the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Sevann Helo, a Mayo Clinic urologist, will discuss vasectomy reversal surgery and male infertility.

This interview originally aired Jan. 18, 2020.

Each year, more than 500,000 men in America have a vasectomy, which is a procedure that makes a man sterile. Vasectomy is done by cutting or blocking two tubes, called the vas deferens, so that sperm can’t get into the semen. Sometimes, due to a change in life circumstance, men decide they want to be able to father another child. Vasectomy reversal is a procedure to reconnect the vas deferens and return the ability to impregnate a partner. Pregnancy rates after vasectomy reversal will range from about 30% to over 90%, depending on the type of procedure. Many factors affect whether a reversal successfully achieves pregnancy, including time since a vasectomy, partner age, surgeon experience and training, and whether there were fertility issues before a vasectomy.