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Aspects Of Sterilization Reversal You Should Know

By Andrew Mitchell


Vasectomy and tubal ligation are the commonest surgical options of birth control used worldwide. These methods are widely preferred due to their effectiveness. Although many people who chose are persons that wish to have permanent contraception, it becomes necessary at times to reverse it when there is a need to restore fertility. If one wishers to undergo sterilization reversal, there are a number of things that they need to know beforehand.

The microsurgical technique is the commonest method that is used in the restoration of fertility in men that have undergone vasectomy. The technique is so named because of the small incisions that are used during the process. Microscopes are often needed to magnify the anatomical structures that are being operated. Although other surgical techniques exist, success rates have been shown to be highest when the microsurgical approach is used.

The flow of semen can be restored using one of two options. The first involves the re-joining of old vas deferens stumps (left during the previous operation). This is also known as vasovasotomy. The second option is where one of the stumps left behind is joined to the vas deferens, the region in which synthesised sperms undergo maturation. This option is thus referred to as vasoepididymostomy. The results from the two are comparable.

The surgery is regarded as being safe generally but a number of complications may be encountered in rare circumstances. They include excessive blood loss, post-operative infections and hematoma formation within the scrotal sac. Fortunately, these complications are fairly easy to deal with when they occur. The overall success rate (return to fertility) ranges from 70% to 90%. The likelihood of succeeding is highest if the procedure is done less than three years from the time of vasectomy.

The surgery is considered a day case in most centres. What this means is that one can go home on the same day that they are operated. The operating time is anything between two and four hours depending on whether or not complications are encountered. Regional (spinal) anaesthesia is usually used for the procedure which ensures that the patient remains awake. Return to regular routine is immediate.

Tubal ligation is similar to vasectomy in many ways. It involves the blockage of fallopian tubes to prevent the movement of the ova from the ovaries to the uterus. There are many methods of performing the procedure including cutting, cauterisation and clipping among others. Although this method was designed to be a permanent contraception method, it has been shown that it can be reversed successfully.

The method that is used in effecting tubal ligation has a great influence on the success of the reversal procedure. If the procedure was performed through cutting then reversing it is likely to be more difficult than if it was performed through clipping. There is often a need for a number of tests before the operation to rule out any other possible causes of infertility.

Failure of these procedures can be caused by a number of things. Among the commonest causes is the presence of extensive scar tissues in and around the tubes. The scar tissue may block the tubes which subsequently interferes with the movement of the ovum or the sperm cells. Another common cause of failure in men is the presence of anti-sperm antibodies. There is a need for screening for these antibodies before the surgery is undertaken.




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