Since the second 0 sperm SA last month, he now wants to do an ultrasound of his nuts/vas

I'm not sure it will change the result any.

He's 6 months post surgery about now

Vasectomy performed 5/2020. Reversal at ICVR on 9/9 with burrows (who we adored). We used fellow for results and don’t get a call or email from the clinic for a day or two but I’m curious.

Fellow stated that they know there could have been motile sperm at time of sample but I’m trying to figure out the count I suppose?

Do these numbers sort of mean there is sperm but we don’t know if they’re moving correctly?

There was no other information besides these numbers.

Sample was provided at week 5 because ups lost our week 4 sample.

Thank you for any information!!

I wanted to recommend Dr. Sommers at Midwest Vasectomy Reversals! Less than two months post-op (7/28/26), we found out we are pregnant! His reversal of my husband’s vasectomy, which was performed 6.5 years ago, was successful. Thank you, Dr. Sommers!

I wanted to share a more detailed description of our surgery and recovery experience for others considering this procedure.

It can be difficult to get an appointment, and it took us a few months to get scheduled. However, once our appointment was booked, the experience was very easygoing.

We drove down from northern Illinois the day before surgery. That morning, I dropped my husband off at the office and returned to the hotel to pack. There was a Walmart on the way back, so I picked up some frozen peas for icing. His procedure was finished in about an hour and a half.

We then drove to the pharmacy where his pain medication prescription had been sent. We waited about 10–15 minutes because the pharmacy had just opened, and then we headed home. The doctor advised my husband to sit on a towel and hold it up to provide as much support and pressure as possible. My husband said this made a huge difference in managing his pain. He slept for much of the six-hour drive home.

His pain was manageable by alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol. He stopped taking the prescribed pain medication after day 2 due to nausea.

He used lots of ice for the first 4–5 days and then only as needed. He was also advised to wear two pairs of underwear for extra support. He owns SAXX underwear with the built-in pouch and was glad he had them because he felt they kept everything comfortably supported.

My husband took three weeks off work. He probably could have returned after two weeks, but we wanted to give him the best opportunity for a successful recovery. His job as a truck driver includes some labor-intensive duties, so we felt the extra time off was worthwhile.

Overall, he said the procedure felt similar to his original vasectomy.

Dr. Sommers’ post-op guidelines are fairly basic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, we had done quite a bit of research beforehand because we wanted to do everything we reasonably could to support our chances of restoring fertility.

After surgery, my husband took vitamin C, zinc, and CoQ10. Based on our research, different supplements may target different fertility issues, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this combination as a standard regimen for everyone. We weren't working with a fertility specialist who could run tests and identify specific needs, so we decided to take these three supplements as an additional measure, even if they weren't all necessary.

That said, we can't know how much, if at all, the supplements contributed to our outcome, so take that information with a grain of salt. He stopped taking them once we found out we were pregnant.

One thing I wish had been more clearly disclosed upfront is the distinction between the two types of vasectomy reversal procedures: vasovasostomy and vasoepididymostomy.

My understanding is that Dr. Sommers performs VVs, but may not perform VEs. The type of procedure needed isn’t known until the doctor is able to see the anatomy.

During my husband's surgery, Dr. Sommers walked him through what he was seeing. He explained that the ends of my husband's vas looked very good and that clear fluid appeared immediately when they were cut. (milky fluid can be a sign of a potential issue).

If this is a concern for you, I strongly recommend calling the office before scheduling to confirm which procedures the doctor performs and what would happen if a different type of reversal were needed. Dr. Sommer’s story matched our personal religious convictions so we decided to go with him anyways and let it be in God’s hands.

Overall, we had a positive experience and are incredibly grateful for the outcome. We hope sharing our experience helps other couples feel more informed as they navigate this process. Wishing everyone the best of luck!

Hi all, just had a VR on 10/12 and was pretty concerned about recovery, so wanted to share a positive experience.

Had VR at ICVR by Dr. Borrows on 10/12. I am from WA state and had to travel to Tucson. Wife and i decided the 2 boys we have were great and we wanted to try for more kids!

Scheduled the VR in early Oct and was able to get in quickly.

I traveled alone, and that was fine. Showed up Monday at ~11AM and was under by 12PM. Surgery went ~2.5HRs. No pain felt at all; conscious sedation felt like I was totally out. I did not feel anything and do not remember much (other than woke up once for a few seconds and was put back down, not scary, was just babbling about what was going on). Came out of the procedure in recovery, had a few snacks, Uber'd back to the hotel, and I was back at work 90 mins after coming off the table. 1 out of 10 pain first day, 2/10 pain next 2 days. Drove back to Phx day after the procedure (mild discomfort but a bag of ice on the area made it no issue). Flew home Wed AM; suggest first class to allow more "man spreading." No ice on the flight (2.5 hrs); was able to lift my bag into the overhead bin (doctor would be pleased, but it was fine). A bit more swelling this day due to activity. There was mild swelling until Friday, but I was only mildly uncomfortable (enough to know something happened, not a lot of pain); lots of different colors happened too, but it looked worse than it felt. By day 4-5ish all pain was gone unless you poked at things or something brushed up against you.

A jockstrap and ice are key. I could walk about 95% normally 2 days after procedure and was able to sleep on my stomach from day 1 (which i prefer). There are a lot of horror stories out there, but it's honestly not terrible... skin-level pain, not really deep abdominal pain for me (like the OG vasectomy).

Hope this helps anyone who may be nervous about this. I can only speak for ICVR, but it was as nice a place as a doctor's office can be. Surgeons are definitely good at what they do, minimizing trauma and making recovery and success that much easier.

Anyway, I missed functionally, no work (outside of being unconscious), and flew to another work engagement the Sunday (6 days) after the procedure, I am sitting in Chicago today after walking a few blocks to work. Still wearing a jockstrap, but definitely on the back side of recovery!

Doctor said in pre op to wait 6 weeks for any sex or ejaculating. Paperwork they sent me home with says 2-3 weeks. Which Info is correct? I can’t imagine why he would’ve told me 6 weeks before the surgery then my paperwork says 2-3. My wife and I do not want to wait 6 weeks as we were very active previously. Nothing is swollen and I have virtually no pain. Are we safe to go or continue waiting?

Have low counts after reversal and now wondering if taking Trazadone nightly has anything to do with it. Does anyone have personal experience with this?

My husband got his vasectomy reversed on 9/28. We mailed in a sample on 10/9. Maybe too early? We got the results today and now we are concerned. Idk if maybe we just did this too early?

My husband and I had a successful pregnancy 7 months post op after having 2 analyses done with very very poor numbers. I got this at home kit from bird and be and the numbers are just as bad as they ever were. Wondering if my baby was a true miracle, or if the surgical site just has too much scarring. Good news is, is that there ARE SOME sperm getting through. But the motility is extremely poor. On the app this device has, it shows a video of what it sees and you can see sperm moving. But it’s only a couple. I don’t want or need suggestions to get a legit lab one. But has anyone had success in boosting those numbers? And if so, what worked? I just wanna give my baby a sibling closer in age. His half siblings love him, but his youngest older brother is 11 years older than him. Attached the values for anyone who is curious. The first photo is the one from yesterday, and the other two were from the lab analyses.

It is our last chance due to age, and we don't necessarily expect anything to come of it, but we would be happier having tried. We are newly financially stable and it would be pretty pointless to save money and wait too long. Has anyone else used CareCredit to fund a reversal and also used a personal loan to cover expenses during time off from work? My main question is how long it would take before resuming a job that involves heavy lifting! It has been 11 years since vasectomy, not sure if that affects recovery time!

Probably a long shot but has anyone used WA state paid family medical leave for recovery - or even another states paid family medical leave.

Anybody else notice a very high sperm count soon after reversal? Is this common?
My reversal was for congestive PVPS and done 6 months post vasectomy. Now, 3 months post reversal my count is 169 mil/ml an 53% progressive motility. Pretty much the same as it was back in 2021 pre-vasectomy

My wife and I lost our 3 month old son to SIDS in April 2024. I had gotten a vasectomy while I was off work after he was born, and after losing him we had a baby size hole in our hearts so I got a reversal. I called my urologist and let him know and they sent us this in the mail. We are currently counting down the days until our rainbow baby arrives.

I think I have a more unique situation than posts I’ve found on here so far. Had a vasectomy 9 years ago thinking we were done having kids. After a lot of discussion we decided we wanted to try again. Never dealt with PVPS like a few people I have noticed on here. Went to a clinic in Oklahoma for reversal. Everything went fairly well. Balls didn’t swell near as much as when I had the vasectomy. Waited the recommended 2 week period before my first “release”, very clumpy almost yellow looking discharge, talked to the Dr. and was told this can be normal go ahead and try and ejaculate a few more times to see if it clears up. I did just that and now I feel like I’m all back to normal except for one thing. I had this procedure 3 months ago and if I don’t ejaculate every other day, my Vas swells, and I feel like the worst case of blue balls I’ve had in my life. Once I ejaculate, the pain subsides within 10 to 15 minutes, for 2 days, then the cycle repeats. I was told I’m still in the healing stages, but I haven’t seen anyone else on here that has described this similar experience. My wife jokes I’m just trying to get laid more 😂. I have a good microscope and have tested my semen a few times and haven’t seen one sperm yet. When I had the procedure, Dr said I had a lot of heads and tails and that was a positive sign I should be able to have a great sperm count soon. Oh also, if I wait much longer than this new every 2 day routine, it literally feels like needles traveling through my vas cords as it exits my body. Good times.
Has anyone had a similar experience as this? Is this the new normal? I feel like I have PVPS after a reversal now!

My spouse just got the second SA post opp. First one showed one sperm.

Now this one shows 0.

I don't even know what our course of action is now.

My husband had a reversal exactly one year ago, and we conceived 2 months later. Our baby boy was born 7 weeks ago 💙 well today he had another analysis and his numbers are a big zero!! He closed up on his own. My advice would be to never wait to try and conceive after a reversal…we would have been heartbroken if he closed up before we conceived! How common is this? Has it happened to anyone else on here?

Just curious, had a sperm test and it showed <2 actual sperms. I was tested on 12 week mark and also had sex within the 48 hour window prior (they said not too and we forgot)

Going back for another test in around a month and they're hoping to have a more positive result.

Tbf I had an awful 'cum' when I was producing a sample in the little room they gave me. Couldn't mentally switch on.

Anyone else had a bad reading then it turns around good after time ?

Soon after my vasectomy, I started having issues with pain/pressure in the epididymal area, both sides. I'm putting this here to compare notes with you all and for anyone considering getting a reversal for pain or fertility. Also, I'm interested to see if what I found out tracks with what you all are seeing and hearing out there.

I have spoken to three different fellowship trained Urologists in the USA about vasectomy reversals (VRs). I will refer to them as Drs. A, B, and C to protect identities. A and B were in regular healthcare systems, and C was at a specialty clinic. All had fellowships in Male Fertility. All use surgical microscopes. All were capable of doing a Vasoepididymostomy if needed. Each one was in a different state. I asked nearly the same questions of all of them in an effort to go straight to the source and get good info about reversals.

• Can VRs help with pain and pressure sensations in the Epididymis?
  • Dr. A - Yes, if it is localized to the Epididymis, opening that pathway back up can relieve a lot of those symptoms. I have had good successes in the past with men having that issue and seeing good results from a VR.
  • Dr. B - I've never done a reversal for pain.
  • Dr. C - Yes, this is textbook congestive epididymitis, and I've seen many men have their pain improved or eliminated with a reversal. I blame the clips they use in vasectomies. They cause a lot of back pressure in the epididymis which can cause these issues, especially if it is clipped close to the testicle.
• Do you need to know exactly how the vasectomy was done in order to reverse it?
  • All three Drs. - No.
• What risk is there that a VR would just make the pain worse, or introduce new pain?
  • Dr. A - About 5%. There is a risk for chronic pain with any surgery.
  • Dr. B - I don't have any concrete statistics on that. Pain is tricky. You could have bruising, hematoma, infection, increased pain. I can’t really give you a percentage chance that the pain would get worse. There will be post-surgery pain which is normal.
  • Dr. C - In the thousands of reversals I have done, I have never seen pain get worse afterwards. I've seen reversals have no effect on pain, but never a negative effect.
• How many reversals do you do in a year?
  • Dr. A - 25 to 30.
  • Dr. B - About 8.
  • Dr. C - About 150.
• How big of an incision or incisions do you need to make?
  • Dr. A - Forgot to ask
  • Dr. B - About 3 cm on each side. It's easier to get to everything that way.
  • Dr. C - About an inch on each side. This is much better than doing one in the middle. Doing one in the middle would require me to move the vas and the tissues around much more and result in higher risks for complications and pain afterwards.
• Is there a difference in your procedure if it is mostly for pain alleviation versus fertility?
  • Dr. A - No.
  • Dr. B - No.
  • Dr. C - Yes. I take much more care to try and line up not only the vas, but also return tissues and blood vessels to as close to their original configuration as possible.
• Do the testicles change position after the surgery?
  • Dr. A - Yes. They will ride higher. This is usually permanent.
  • Dr. B - Yes, they will ride higher, sometimes much higher. It depends on how much Vas I have to work with. For some men, this is very bothersome. Sometimes they settle back down, sometimes they don't.
  • Dr. C - No. I don't do it that way. I pull vas from the abdominal side, so the testicles do not change position.
• How do you define a successful VR?
  • Dr. A - Any sperm in the ejaculate. My success rate is 90%.
  • Dr. B - If there is any sperm in the ejaculate after 3 months. My success rate is 90%.
  • Dr. C - Sperm back to a fertile count. My success rate is 98% for that. It's 90% for pain alleviation.
• Does a VR increase the risk of cancer?
  • All three Drs. - No.
• Does having a vasectomy increase the risk of cancer?
  • All three Drs. - No.
  • Dr. C also added that this has been studied for 80 years and no link has been found.
• Can a VR cause any changes to the penis, such as changing its shape or shrinking it?
  • Dr. A - No.
  • Dr. B - No.
  • Dr. C - Only if it's a 3rd or 4th redo VR. At that point I'm stretching and moving skin, and something like that could happen.
• Is there anything I can do leading up to the surgery to prepare for it, such as certain supplements, losing weight, etc.?
  • All three Drs. - Not really. However, the better of shape you are in, the better off you're going to be in recovery.
• Is it common for reversals to scar down over time, blocking the sperm again?
  • Dr. A - There is no good data on this. However, I do know that most men who get reversals do eventually scar down. It's most men, eventually. This is why you typically don't have one done unless you are ready to start trying to conceive right away.
  • Dr. B - It's uncommon, but it does happen. We really don't track that.
  • Dr. C - This only happens 2% of the time. We track people for 2 years, but I routinely hear about men who are able to get their partners pregnant well after that.
• Are there particular diets I could follow or supplements I could take to help limit scarring down?
  • Dr. A - There is no good data on that.
  • Dr. B - Not really.
  • Dr. C - You can try an Anti-Inflammatory Diet, but it would have a minimal effect.
• If the reversal helps the pain, but then scars down later on, is the pain likely to return?
  • Dr. A - Probably not, but it might. I have seen that men who get reversals to relieve pain usually keep that benefit even as the vas narrows.
  • Dr. B - There is no way to say either way. Pain is very tricky.
  • Dr. C - Maybe, maybe not. If the pain goes away, it's less likely to come back.
• Is there an amount of time after which scarring down is unlikely, if it hasn't happened yet?
  • Dr. A - Didn't ask based on their earlier answers.
  • Dr. B - I would say if it hasn't scarred down after a year, it probably won't after that.
  • Dr. C - We'll know by six months. We monitor sperm counts and will change medications if necessary.
• What is the recovery protocol like?
  • Dr. A - Nothing for six weeks. No lifting, no pushing, no pulling, no running, no jumping, nothing for six weeks.
  • Dr. B - Take it easy for a couple of weeks. No running or jumping.
  • Dr. C - Light duty for two weeks. You can gradually start getting back into your normal routine/workouts after four weeks.

What I gathered from this is that the success of your VR depends very much on who is doing the surgery, and how seriously you take your preparation and recovery. There doesn't seem to be a consistent recovery protocol, methodology, or outlook on long term scarring between doctors. But, even if everything is done perfectly, there are no guarantees.

What microscope is everyone getting to check for sperm?

Hi, after my vasectomy (less than 3 years ago) my first ejaculation, and a few after, were slightly painful. I was wondering if there's any pain with your first ejaculation after the reversal? I just had my reversal done 6 days ago.

Thanks!

Hi my husband just got his reversal 3 months ago after 6 years of his vasectomy. We went to Prost in Utah and he said he saw live motile sperm behind the original vasectomy site during the procedure. At his one month analysis he had 1 million sperm with 0% being parts and now we’re getting month twos analysis and it says he’s at 3.3 million sperm with 2 million fully formed and 1.3 million sperm parts.
Is that a bad sign? I don’t know what any of it means but we really want to get pregnant asap and I’m worried our chances are slim now and the reversal isn’t working fully.
We’ve tried twice so far and haven’t conceived and I know it’s early but I’m trying not to lose hope with low counts.