Reconstructive microsurgery · Mr Musaab Yassin
Microsurgical Vasectomy Reversal
A vasectomy reversal reconnects the vas deferens — the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles into the semen. Mr Yassin performs this as a microsurgical procedure: under a high-powered operating microscope, with sutures finer than a human hair, the inner tubes are realigned precisely and watertight. That precision is what gives the repair its best chance of staying open.
- Anaesthetic
- General
- Setting
- Day case
- Within 10 years
- 80–90%
- No ejaculation
- 3–4 weeks
- First analysis
- 6–8 weeks
How it works
Three stages, one day.
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Anaesthesia and preparation
The procedure is performed as a day case under a general anaesthetic. You are completely asleep and comfortable throughout, and you go home the same day.
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Microsurgical exposure
Through small incisions in the scrotum, the scarred ends of the vas deferens are carefully removed. Fluid from the testicular side is examined under the microscope to confirm whether sperm are present — this finding determines which reconnection is needed.
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The anastomosis
Using the operating microscope, the healthy ends of the tubes are stitched back together: a vasovasostomy. If the blockage lies closer to the testicle, a more demanding connection directly to the epididymis — a vasoepididymostomy — is performed instead. Mr Yassin is equipped to do either, and the decision is made during the operation rather than before it.
Success and risk
A candid view of what can and cannot be promised.
What is the success rate?
Success depends heavily on how much time has passed since your original vasectomy. If the reversal is performed within 10 years, the rate of returning sperm to the ejaculate is very high — up to 80–90%. Beyond 15 years the rate declines gradually, because secondary blockages further up the tract become more likely.
Note what this figure measures: the return of sperm to the ejaculate, not pregnancy. Conception depends on your partner’s fertility as well as your own, and Mr Yassin will discuss both sides of that at your consultation.
What are the risks and side effects?
This is a safe day-case procedure, but every surgical intervention carries specific risks.
- Failure to restore fertility. The principal risk. Hidden scarring or long-standing blockage can mean that viable sperm do not return to the ejaculate despite a technically sound repair.
- Bleeding and swelling. Temporary bruising and a dull ache are expected. There is a small risk of a haematoma — a collection of blood in the scrotum — which is precisely why the first 48 hours of rest matter.
- Infection. A minor risk at any incision, usually resolved quickly with antibiotics.
- Chronic pain. Rarely, long-term testicular discomfort can follow the surgery.
Are there alternatives to a reversal?
Yes. If a reversal is unsuitable, or if you would prefer a different route, Mr Yassin can perform a Microdissection TESE (microTESE) to extract sperm directly from the testicle. That sperm is then used with IVF or ICSI. Which path makes more sense depends on the time since your vasectomy, your partner’s fertility, and how you both feel about natural conception versus assisted conception.
Before your surgery
Preparing for a general anaesthetic.
Two rules matter more than the rest, because getting either wrong means the operation cannot go ahead safely on the day.
Solid food
6 hours before
Nothing to eat
Stop all solid food six hours before your admission time. A cancelled operation is almost always a fasting error.
Clear fluids
2 hours before
Water, black tea or coffee
Clear fluids are allowed up to two hours before admission. After that, nothing at all.
The night before
Clip the hair Clip the scrotal hair short with electric clippers — the night before or on the morning of surgery, whichever suits you. Use clippers rather than a razor: razor shaving causes small nicks that raise the risk of infection. Pack supportive underwear (a jockstrap or snug briefs) and loose trousers or tracksuit bottoms, so that nothing presses on your groin on the way home.
On the morning
Shower thoroughly Shower before you set off. Do not apply lotions, creams or talcum powder to the genital area.
Before you leave
Confirm your driver You must not drive for at least 24 hours after a general anaesthetic, and your insurer may take a longer view. Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home and to be with you that evening.
Afterwards
Eight weeks, and why each stage matters.
The microscopic join needs time before it is put under any load. The restrictions below are not caution for its own sake — each one protects something specific.
First 48 hours
Strict bed rest Stay off your feet. Apply ice packs to the scrotum for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours — wrapped, never directly against the skin — and wear your supportive underwear day and night. Keep the incisions completely dry. Manage the dull ache with paracetamol or with whatever you have been prescribed. Avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories in the first week unless your surgeon has specifically told you otherwise — they increase the risk of bleeding into the scrotum.
Weeks 1–2
Light activity After 48 hours you can move to gentle showers. Most men return to desk work and ordinary daily activity after a week. Heavy lifting and strenuous exercise must still wait.
Weeks 3–4
Protecting the join Abstain strictly from all sexual activity and ejaculation for at least three to four weeks. Ejaculating too soon can rupture the microscopic stitches before they have healed — this is the restriction most worth respecting.
Weeks 6–8
Your first semen analysis A comprehensive male fertility test and semen analysis confirms whether live sperm have returned to the ejaculate. Mr Yassin will go through the report with you in detail.
When to contact us
Signs that need a call, not a wait.
Bruising and a dull ache are part of a normal recovery and settle steadily. The following are not, and warrant a call straight away.
- Severe, escalating scrotal pain that regular painkillers do not relieve.
- Rapid, significant swelling of the scrotum — for example, to the size of a grapefruit.
- Signs of infection — high fever, sudden chills, or spreading redness and heat from the incisions.
In clinic hours
01865 307733Outside clinic hours, contact the hospital where your surgery took place. If you cannot reach anyone and you are worried — or if the pain or swelling is severe — go to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for the clinic to reopen.
Find out whether a reversal is right for you.
Suitability turns on the interval since your vasectomy, your examination findings and your partner’s fertility. A consultation settles all three.