Building Bridges to Conception

Vasectomy Reversal

By Jessica Williams

Sarah and Mark Palmer were blessed with two healthy children. After unwanted side effects with both barrier and hormonal contraceptives, they decided Mark should get a vasectomy. "We were young, but with our financial and living situation being what it was, we were positive we were making the responsible and right decision for our family," Sarah says.

Two years after Mark had his vasectomy, their 7-year-old son, Andy, was playing on a tire swing when his favorite Zorro cape got caught. He died of strangulation. "Our world was turned upside down as we grieved and re-evaluated what was important in life," Sarah says. "We both decided that family was the most important thing to us."

After some time and a lot of mixed emotions about having another child, especially when they both feared another loss, Sarah and Mark decided to get a vasectomy reversal. Knowing another child would never replace Andy, they saved enough money for the procedure. Incredibly, Sarah conceived during her first post-op cycle. Calculating back, they now believe the date of conception was January 8th: Andy's birthday. Sarah and Mark hope to have a few more in the coming years. "It's amazing how after such a tragedy we have so much hope in our lives," Sarah says.

Our lives are touched by a delicate balance of birth and death. The loss of a child is one of the top reasons for vasectomy reversal, followed by remarriage, a change in financial status and the most basic reason: a new desire to have more children. It is not uncommon for families that once felt complete to feel that they dearly need more children. But the decision to have a reversal can be difficult.

After evaluating the emotional reasons for having a reversal, there are other aspects to consider. Cost is a huge factor; a reversal costs thousands of dollars and medical insurance generally won't cover the expenses. Then there is the chance that the reversal won't work, or will take years to work. It can take some men more than a decade to get back to their normal sperm counts, although next to never regaining fertility, that is the extreme. Add the necessity to use other methods of birth control in between new conceptions and it can get overwhelming.

Despite all the factors, about two men out of every thousand who get a vasectomy will want a reversal, according to an article by Dr. Bill Crounse in the Seattle Insider.Com.