For men who are certain they don’t want any more children or any children at all, vasectomies are an ideal form of birth control. The procedure offers many advantages, including being over 99% effective, low cost, and low risk. However, because vasectomies are a permanent form of contraception, you may have some reservations before making the decision. While you may strongly want to prevent pregnancy now, what if you change your mind in the future?

This is a common concern that many men have when they are considering whether to have the procedure. However, getting a vasectomy doesn’t mean that your fertility options have to be off the table completely for the rest of your life. There are two ways in which men can maintain their ability to have children even after they’ve received a vasectomy.

Sperm Banking

Before getting a vasectomy, some men choose to freeze their sperm first. Also known as sperm banking, freezing your sperm allows you to hold on to the option of having children at a later point in time, should you ever have a change of heart. Sperm banking is much more efficient, noninvasive, and more cost-effective than other forms of sperm reclamation, such as surgical sperm retrieval, which is a set of procedures in which sperm is extracted from the testicles.

In comparison to sperm retrieval surgeries, sperm banking prior to vasectomy is very simple and straightforward. Semen is deposited into a vial via masturbation and then screened for abnormalities. The semen is then separated so that it can be frozen and stored.

Vasectomy Reversal

Even though vasectomies are considered to be permanent, they can actually be reversed, providing you work with an experienced, highly skilled microsurgeon.

In a vasectomy, sperm release is halted by the vas deferens being surgically cut, which separates the testicles and epididymis – the organs responsible for sperm production and development – from the penis. As such, sperm continues to be produced but, instead of being released through the penis via ejaculation, it absorbs back into the body. Meanwhile, the penis continues to ejaculate and produce semen.

With a vasectomy reversal, there are two procedures in which sperm can be restored as normal: vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy. A vasovasostomy is the more common of the two procedures and involves the surgical reattachment of the vas deferens. It’s relatively quick with a short recovery time.

However, sometimes during a pre-procedure examination, it’s revealed that the vas fluid is either missing or is of low quality, indicating that there is some kind of blockage in the vas deferens. In these scenarios, a vasoepididymostomy is performed. This procedure is more complex than a vasovasostomy and involves the vas deferens being directly connected to the epididymis so that the sperm can pass through to the penis.

Learn More

Getting a vasectomy doesn’t mean that you have to give up your future reproductive options. To learn more, contact San Diego Vasectomy Center today.