The Consultation for Vasectomy Reversal : A guide to Vasectomy Reversal

This consultation is the most important part of the process in that it you have the opportunity to decide if the surgeon is right for you, and if you still want to go ahead with surgery. This is where you can find out more about the procedure and ask as many questions as you need to about the procedure. What tends to happen is that the surgeon will discuss the procedure, outlining the risks as well as the benefits and what you can expect from this. He or she will give you an idea of how successful this surgery is likely to be in your individual case. Note the emphasis on ‘your individual case’ as every case is treated on its own merits.

Medical history

The surgeon will ask both you and your partner about your state of health and will carry out a physical examination. It is important to be honest about your health and mention every illness and/or surgery you have had. Also mention if you have any allergies and if you are currently taking any medication. You may think that mentioning a condition or illness will disqualify you from surgery but that needn’t be the case. The surgeon is concerned with your health and wellbeing and wants to make sure that you are fit and healthy to undergo surgery. A specially trained counsellor will talk to you about the surgery with the aim of ensuring that you fully understand what it entails and what the outcome is likely to be. He or she will present a realistic view of the procedure and will also discuss the alternatives to a reversal.

Ask questions

This is the chance for you and your partner to talk through every aspect of the procedure. If you are unsure about anything then ask and don’t be afraid to ask more than once. Do not sign anything until you are satisfied that you understand and are happy with what you have been told.If you feel that the surgeon is less than sympathetic or is more concerned with pushing you into making a decision then go elsewhere. It is more than likely that you will be going for private treatment so shop around: visit several clinics and speak to several surgeons. Take a list of questions with you so that you know what you are going to ask and can ‘tick’each question off as you ask it. This also prevents you from forgetting what might turn out to be a vitally important question. If you do manage to obtain treatment via the NHS then you can rest assured that the surgeon will be highly qualified and experienced in this procedure. The NHS undertakes this so you don’t have to check the surgeon’s credentials. But you do have to do this if you go to a private clinic. It is a good idea to do some background research and make sure that the clinic and surgeon are reputable, qualified and provides a high level of care.

Questions to ask the vasectomy reversal surgeon

So what questions should you ask the surgeon? In order to help you with this we have devised a set of questions which you can take with you to that meeting. These are:

• How many vasectomy reversals have you done?
• How many years experience do you have?
• What qualifications do you hold?
• Are you fully accredited and if so, for how long?
• Do you only perform vasectomy reversal or do you undertake other forms of surgery?
• What are your success rates for vasectomy reversals?
• What are your complications rates for vasectomy reversals?
• How many failures have you had?
• Which procedure am I likely to need?
• What measures are there in place if anything goes wrong?
• How much will a vasectomy reversal cost?
• What does the quote include?
• Does it include further surgery if this procedure doesn’t work?
• Does it include medication, aftercare and support dressings?
• What doesn’t the quote include?
• Can I speak to any of your patients who have undergone a vasectomy reversal?
• Do you have any ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo and can I see them?

The surgeon should be able to answer your questions openly and honestly. It is important to develop a rapport and for you to feel as if you can trust him/her. If the surgeon appears reluctant to answer certain questions or is less than sympathetic then talk to another surgeon. He or she should not pressurise you to have surgery or give you the ‘hard sell’. If it seems to be the case that profit is more important than your health then look elsewhere. If you are satisfied with what you have been told and feel that the surgeon is the right person for you then you can go ahead and book yourself in for surgery. Once you have done this you will then have to start preparing for your surgery.