After a vasectomy, up to 5% of men decide they want to have children. These men have two options: surgical reversal or sperm extraction. Cooper Urology has performed more than 1,000 outpatient microsurgical vasectomy reversals and office-based sperm aspirations for in-vitro fertilization.
With meticulous microsurgery it is possible to restore the continuity of the vas deferens so that sperm may reappear within the ejaculate. The surgery may be performed with local anesthesia or light general anesthesia depending upon the patient's preference. The success of vasectomy reversals can be linked to the length of time between the vasectomy and the reversal. Those men who seek reversals within 10 years of vasectomies typically undergo a direct vasovasostomy with consistently good results.
In cases of reproductive tract obstruction such as prior vasectomy or trauma, there are no sperm in the ejaculate, but spermatozoa are continuously produced within the testicle. These sperm may be removed via sperm aspirations and then used for IVF/ICSI. In these cases, the female partner is stimulated for ovulation induction. When her eggs are removed by ultrasound guidance, a single sperm is microinjected into each egg for fertilization.
Our urologists use new techniques that do not require open surgery conducted in an operating room. Using percutaneous methods, Cooper urologists performs sperm acquisition procedures in an office setting and the patient receives just a single injection of local anesthetic to the spermatic cord. The sperm are extracted by needles (percutaneous methods)instead of open incisions.
Data suggests that percutaneous procedures performed in the office have a low level of complications. The birth rate for one cycle was 27 percent. If the patients persist through four cycles then the birth rate can reach 52%. These new procedures offer options and hope for some men who were previously considered untreatable.