Editing Vasectomy (section)

== Conceiving after vasectomy ==

In order to allow the possibility of reproduction via [[artificial insemination]] after vasectomy, some opt for [[Semen cryopreservation|cryopreservation of sperm]] before sterilization. Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at [[University of Sheffield|Sheffield University]] and secretary of the British Fertility Society, notes that those he sees for a vasectomy reversal which has not worked express wishing they had known they could have stored sperm. Pacey notes, "The problem is you're asking a man to foresee a future where he might not necessarily be with his current partner—and that may be quite hard to do when she's sitting next to you."<ref name="bbcnews">Murphy, Clare. "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7948690.stm Divorce fuels vasectomy reversals]", ''[[BBC News]]'', 18 March 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.</ref>

The cost of cryo-preservation (sperm banking) may also be substantially less than alternative vaso-vasectomy procedures, compared to the costs of [[in-vitro fertilization]] (IVF) which usually run from $12,000 to $25,000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Amy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/ivf-treatment-costs-guide.html |title=I.V.F. is Expensive. Here's How to Bring Down the Cost. |work=The New York Times |date=2019-06-20 |accessdate=2021-07-08 }}</ref>

Sperm can be aspirated from the testicles or the epididymides, and while there is not enough for successful artificial insemination, there is enough to fertilize an ovum by [[intracytoplasmic sperm injection]]. This avoids the problem of [[antisperm antibodies]] and may result in a faster pregnancy. IVF may be less costly per cycle than reversal in some health-care systems, but a single IVF cycle is often insufficient for conception. Disadvantages include the need for procedures on the woman, and the standard potential side-effects of IVF for both the mother and the child.<ref name=shridharani/>

===Vasectomy reversal===
{{Main|Vasectomy reversal}}

Vasectomies are not always reversible. There is a surgical procedure to reverse vasectomies using [[vasovasostomy]] (a form of [[microsurgery]] first performed by Earl Owen in 1971<ref name=owen_webpage/><ref name=owen/>). Vasovasostomy is effective at achieving pregnancy in a variable percentage of cases, and total out-of-pocket costs in the United States are often upwards of $10,000.<ref name=cost/> The typical success rate of pregnancy following a vasectomy reversal is around 55% if performed within 10 years, and drops to around 25% if performed after 10 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-03-29 |title=Vasectomy reversal: first cut isn't final |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vasectomy-reversal-first-cut-isn-t-final-1657039.html |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> After reversal, sperm counts and motility are usually much lower than pre-vasectomy levels.

Approximately 2% of men who have undergone vasectomy will undergo a reversal within 10 years of the procedure.<ref name="Dohle 159–163"/> A small number of vasectomy reversals are also performed in attempts to relieve post-vasectomy pain syndrome.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Horovitz|first1=D.|title=Vasectomy reversal provides long-term pain relief for men with the post-vasectomy pain syndrome.|journal= Journal of Urology|date=February 2012|pmid=22177173|doi=10.1016/j.juro.2011.10.023|volume=187|issue=2|pages=613–7}}</ref>