Monthly Archives: December 2017

Still not Pregnant after Vasectomy Reversal? | Minnesota

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Few things are more disheartening than months and months of negative pregnancy tests. You talked with your husband, and you both agreed that you wanted children. He got vasectomy reversal for you, but a year later you still aren’t pregnant. It may seem frustrating, but you shouldn’t lose hope without knowing all the facts.

You won’t get pregnant immediately

This cannot be said enough. If there is no sperm in the ejaculate six months following a vasovasostomy, the reversal is said to have failed. Even if there is sperm, that doesn’t guarantee pregnancy. It can take months for a man to return to a normal sperm count. Once sperm has been detected it still takes time for sperm number and motility to reach normal levels, and this time can vary from person to person.

Conception

Getting pregnant takes patience. It is generally known that most men produce millions of new sperm every day. However, you might not know that these new sperm take about 2 ½ – 3 months to fully mature or that when sperm are initially formed they lack the ability to swim forward or fertilize an egg. It can take a couple of these cycles for sperm to regenerate. Even at this point it can take another 6 months for conception to occur. It’s important to remember that getting pregnant within months of a vasectomy reversal is not the norm. We do have a few patients who got pregnant in 2 months after vasovasostomy in the past few years.

To monitor progress, a sperm sample will be taken 6 weeks after the procedure. Follow up tests will occur every two months after the initial test. This way we can see whether sperm has returned and at what level. Once sperm count has reached reasonable or normal levels, pregnancy usually occurs within 6 months of having timed intercourse- that is, having intercourse every other day from four to five days before and after ovulation. If this does not occur, it’s possible the issue may be due to fertility in the other partner.

Birth Control Comparison Chart | Minnesota

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All birth control methods work the best if used correctly and every time you have sex. Your choice of birth-control method is a personal one and depends on a number of variables, including short or long-term family planning, personal health, associated risks, failure rate and cost.

The vasectomy is one of the lowest failure rates among the birth control methods. The study showed the traditional vasectomy failure rate is 1-3 per 1000 cases; the failure rate would be less than 1 per 20000 in no scalpel vasectomy with the fascia clipping technique.

Birth Control Methods Comparison

Contraception Cost Failure Rate Duration Availability Advantages Disadvantages
Condom <10 18% one time OTC prevent STIs; no hormonal side effects local reaction & breakage
Vasectomy $700 – $2000 0.2% Permanent Office procedure No effect on hormones and sex drive No protection in the first 3 months, Surgical side effects
Female Condom $2-$4 21% one time OTC prevent STIs; use during menstruation local reaction & breakage
Spermicide $5-$10 28% one time OTC Lubricate, use with other BCP forms local reaction
Sponge $3-$5 24% Up to 24h OTC Lasts 24 hours Local effects and infections
Diaphragm $50-$300 5-20% Reusable Prescription Lasts 24 hours, reusable Insert challenging,local reaction
Cervical cap $50-$75 14-30% 48-72 hours, reusable Prescription Protect 48-72 hours Abnormal Pap smear, local reaction & infection
Birth Control Pill $15-$50/month 9% A month Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Take daily, weight changes, and medical /risks/side effects*
Vaginal ring $15-80/month 9% Wear monthly Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Weight changes and medical risks/side effects*
Contraceptive Patch $15-80/month 9% A month, replace weekly Prescription Regulate menstruation; reduce cramps and ovarian cysts Weight changes and medical risks/side effects*
Birth Control shot $35-75/injection 6% 3 months doctor’s visit 4 shots/year; reduces menstrual cramps and the risk of ovarian cysts/cancer and PID Take up to 8 months to return; medical risks/side effects*
Intrauterine device (IUD) $500-$1000 1% 5-12 years Doctor’s visit immediately effective Migrates, ovarian cysts, PID, and ectopic pregnancy
Hormone Implants $400-$800 1% 3 yearse Doctor’s visit reduce menstrual flow, cramping, and PID office procedure, local reaction, Medical side effects**
Tubal Ligation $1500-$6000 1% Permanent Outpatient surgery Permanent and immediate; does not impact sex drive More invasive, complicated than vasectomy, surgical side effect
Essure $1500-6000 1% Permanent Outpatient surgery Less invasive than tubal ligation 3 months to take effect; side effects:cramping,irregular menstrual cycle, GI reaction, and infection

* Medical risks and side effects: may increase risk of blood clots, stroke, breast cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety; may decrease sex drive; other side effects include weight gain, breast lumps, and hair loss or excessive growth.

**Medical risks and side effects: can cause loss of bone density and sex drive, and mood swings, weight gain, breast and abdominal pain, and allergic reaction.

References: Birth Control Guide. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health.

Three vasectomy myths debunked | Minnesota

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Myth #1: A vasectomy will hurt:

It’s very natural to be afraid of pain, especially down there. Take a breath of relief, as vasectomy isn’t painful! local anesthesia is used, completely numbing the area. Mild pain or discomfort may be reported for a couple of days after the procedure, but it’s nothing most people can’t handle. Based on the vasectomy clinic survey, 50% vasectomy patient didn’t take any pain medications; 25% patients didn’t have pain, but they decided to take Tylenol; another 25% patients felt more pain and took Tylenol. This fear is temporary, and so is pain- it’s not a reason to refuse a vasectomy, which can have lifelong benefits to a man. You should take some time to think clearly when deciding to get a vasectomy, and not have your judgement clouded by fear.

Myth #2: Loss of masculinity:

Some people have this mistaken notion receiving a vasectomy will make them less of a man. This couldn’t be farther than the truth. There is no evidence that vasectomy decreases libido or change hormone levels in men. Men are still able to ejaculate and maintain erections after the procedure. You will not become more feminine if receive a vasectomy. Perhaps there is this sentiment that being infertile makes one less of a man, which comes purely from antiquated ideas surrounding masculinity. In fact, most women report greater sexual satisfaction with their partner after a vasectomy. When deciding whether or not a vasectomy is right for you, don’t be afraid of losing your masculinity.

Myth #3: Being out of work:

Luckily, modern vasectomy is not a very invasive procedure, especially with new No-scalpel Easy vasectomy®. Traditional vasectomy does have a long recovery time due to its bilateral big incisions and stitches, but no-scalpel vasectomy involves making a small hole instead of a large incision, and the vas deferens are pulled and severed through the hole. Because of how non-invasive this procedure is, the recovery time is very short- most people can return to work in two days, and exhibit a full recovery in one week.

A vasectomy is a big life decision, and not one that should be made lightly. However, many of the worries you may have regarding vasectomies are not worries at all. We hope this blog post has given you some insight into your choice.

How is Easy Vasectomy Reversal® (Vasovasostomy) Done without a Needle? | Minnesota

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General anesthesia or intravenous sedation is needed in the traditional vasectomy reversal since a traditional approach to vasectomy reversal is to make two big incisions in each side of scrotum. Easy Vasectomy Reversal® with modern no scalpel technique and single mini incision reduces the trauma and pain, therefore, general anesthesia or intravenous sedation is no longer needed in the vasectomy reversal procedure (vasovasostomy).

Conventional needle anesthesia in vasectomy Reversal involves the use of a 27 gauge needle to raise a wheal at the skin of scrotum; it is then advanced to both ends of the vas on each side where further anesthetic solution is deposited. Since the opening is so small in the no-scalpel Easy Vasectomy Reversal®, it is easy to apply anesthesia without the use of needles. A spray applicator (MadaJet®) delivers a stream of anesthetic so fine that it penetrates the skin and diffuses to a depth of about 3/16 of an inch, enough to surround and anesthetize each end of vas tube in turn as it is lifted into position beneath the skin, attaining a close to 100% efficacy rate with no need for supplemental anesthetic in the initial vas grabbing.

The tiny opening in the dime-sized area of numb skin is made with a pointy hemostat: one tip makes a pinpoint opening, then the two tips are used to spread and enlarge the opening to about 1/3 of an inch. Since blood vessels in the skin are spread apart rather than cut, bleeding is less than when a scalpel is used.

MadaJet_2

MadaJetSprayApplicatorMadaJet

Once the vas ends are grabbed and lifted up, the complete local anesthesia is achieved by giving additional anesthetic with a fine needle, usually with no pain at all because of the partial anesthesia achieved with the MadaJet.