A vasectomy is a surgical procedure used to prevent pregnancy. The procedure is performed on men, and the chances of a pregnancy after vasectomy are quite slim. Vasectomy is generally considered to be 99 perecent effective, with the likelihood of conception decreasing with time following the surgery.
A vasectomy is a minor outpatient procedure that usually lasts less than 30 minutes, and it can be performed by a urologist or a family practitioner in the doctor's office. The surgery can be done with a scalpel or laser. Using a local anesthetic, the doctor makes a small incision or puncture in the side of the scrotum. The vas deferens, which is the tube that carries the sperm, is removed and cut, and the two ends of the cut tube are clamped or cauterized. A few stitches might be required for a scalpel surgery, but laser surgery usually does not require stitches.
After the the vas deferens are cut, sperm cannot enter semen, which makes it almost impossible for pregnancy after vasectomy to occur. In the months following the surgery, the doctor examines semen samples under a microscope to check for viable sperm. This is because it is possible for sperm to continue living in the vas deferens following the surgery. Couples are generally advised to use a backup method of birth control for three to six months after the procedure. The 1 percent risk of pregnancy after having a vasectomy is usually due to patients skipping the follow-up visits and failing to use other contraceptive methods.
In very rare cases, the cut ends of the vas deferens can grow back together after a vasectomy. This is called recanalization, and it may happen because sperm cells and white blood cells remain on the scar tissue of the vas deferens, allowing it to grow back. Recanalization is more likely to occur in the months following the procedure, but it can also happen spontaneously several years later. Although recanalization only occurs in one of every 2,000 patients, pregnancy after vasectomy is possible if viable sperm are able to enter the semen.
Some men who have had a vasectomy might later change their minds about wanting to conceive. In these cases, a doctor usually can reverse the vasectomy. A vasectomy does not stop sperm production; it just prevents sperm from entering the semen. Following this reversal surgery, the average chance of pregnancy after vasectomy is around 65 percent, although these rates fluctuate depending on the age of the couple and how much time passed since the initial procedure.
