If the surgeon is doing a careful, two-layered microsurgical re-anastomosis, the reversal procedure takes approximately 2.5-3 hours of actual operating time. This is an outpatient procedure so there is no hospital admission involved. After the procedure, men are sore for a few days but can typically stay comfortable with several days of light activity, oral pain medications, and icing the area for 48 hours. People with desk-type work can typically return to work in 3-4 days. Men with jobs in which they are on their feet most of time (but do not perform heavy lifting or strenuous activity) can usually return to work in 5-7 days. Returning to exercise and jobs which require more strenuous activity usually requires 2 weeks before returning to work. The most strenuous jobs (e.g. firefighters returning to full duty) is about 3 weeks.
What is Involved in a Reversal Procedure?
Follow up Testing after a Vasectomy Reversal
Semen testing is performed 6 weeks following the procedure at your nearest local fertility lab, and then repeated every 10 weeks until pregnancy (which on average takes about 7 to 8 months for most couples).
Semen analysis test results are faxed to Dr. Russell's office, and he will call you to review the results in detail.
Dr. Russell feels strongly that close follow-up with regular phone calls (usually after getting semen analysis results) is very important to optimizing fertility outcomes after a reversal, and there is no charge for this. The job of a reversal surgeon should not end when the reversal procedure is complete, but should last until the couple has successfully delivered a healthy baby.
Dr. Russell’s fellowship training involved not just microsurgery, but also the broader field of male infertility, and he uses this knowledge to help couples develop ongoing strategies to maximize their chances of fertility success.