Vasectomy Reversal Australia

CALL - 1300 307 166

In Vitro Fertilization

Your alternative to vasectomy reversal

IVF is complex treatment aimed at producing pregnancies by fertilizing eggs and sperm outside the body in the laboratory. The medication, monitoring and procedures that your partner will have to go through are considerable. Decisions regarding which of Vasectomy Reversal or IVF are personally best for you may require careful consideration and depend on your individual circumstance.

IVF requires the extraction of sperm from the tubules next to the testis (epididymis) or directly from the testis by needle aspiration or direct biopsy. There are too few sperm obtained by this method for simple insemination and so IVF is always necessary.

For most patients vasectomy reversal is a superior option than IVF as it provides a higher overall chance of pregnancy and gives you the widest range of options.

Importantly, you should understand that:

  • IVF markedly reduces the prospect of a future successful vasectomy reversal;
  • Vasectomy reversal simplifies and optimises the prospect of future IVF.

The reason for the limiting effect of IVF on future vasectomy reversal is that sperm aspiration damages either the epididymis (which is a continuation of the vas deferens up the side of the testis) or the sperm collecting system inside the testis (the rete testis).

On the other hand, should vasectomy reversal not work for any reason (no sperm, poor sperm, bad luck), there is nothing about vasectomy reversal that limits the future success of IVF. Indeed, as the overwhelming majority of men who undergo vasectomy reversal have sperm present in the semen, then this eliminates the need for a sperm retrieval procedure when attempting IVF.

Back to top | Site Map | © 2012. Dr Robert Woolcott MBBS (Honours) AMP (Harvard) FRANZCOG CREI