Are You Ready to Become a Parent? Exploring Your Options on the Path to Fatherhood

If you want to be a father but cannot conceive normally as a result of a previous vasectomy or medical condition, several procedures can restore your fertility. This brief overview explains the differences between some common male fertility procedures .

Vasovasostomy

Vasectomy is a procedure which severs the vas deferens in order to prevent sperm from entering the semen. The vasovasostomy is the simplest and most common vasectomy reversal procedure. During this surgery, the operating surgeon recovers both ends of the vas deferens and reconnects them, allowing semen to flow freely from the testes through the vas deferens. After a successful vasovasostomy, normal, natural sexual function is restored just as if a vasectomy had never been performed.

Vasoepididymostomy

Vasoepididymostomy is an alternative vasectomy reversal procedure which is performed when a standard vasovasostomy is impossible. Your surgeon will choose between these two procedures after he has begun surgery and assessed the viability of your severed vas deferens. If the tube has degraded past the point at which reattachment would be viable, the terminal side of the vas deferens is attached directly to the epididymis, a spiral tube which transmits semen from the testes to the vas deferens.

Microscopic Epididymal Sperm Aspiration

If your infertility did not result from a vasectomy or if you do not wish to undergo vasectomy reversal in order to have a child, you may opt for Microscopic Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA). Although several different MESA procedures can be performed depending on you and your surgeon’s preferences, the basics of the procedure are always the same—a small incision is made to the epididymis, from which viable sperm is drawn. This sperm can be frozen for later use.

To learn more about the male fertility options available to you, contact the Center for Vasectomy Reversal in Tampa, Florida at (941) 343-4020. Dr. Joshua Green is a leading expert in male infertility, and he can help you choose fatherhood regardless of your situation.