Category Archives: microscopic vasectomy reversal atlanta

Best of Georgia for Vasectomy Reversal Nominee

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Common vasectomy question: Where does the sperm go?

This was a post done at our practice website that addresses a very common question. Click here.

Now you know!!!

Vasectomy Reversal-Does the type of vasectomy done matter?

A common question asked is whether the reversal will be harder if clips were used or if the patient was told by the urologist “I took out a section and burned it.”

In the vast majority of cases this has no influence on the microscopic vasectomy procedure.

The procedure is harder if both sides of the vasectomy were done in the vas deferens closest to the testicle-the convoluted vas. This area is smaller in diameter and not straight (convoluted) and this makes the repair a little harder.

Whether clips or burned, there is not difference in how difficult the reversal will be. Having had clips makes the area of the vasectomy easier to locate.

The amount of vas tube removed is usually not an issue unless there is a very large segment removed and this is customarily not done.

Of note, if you have had two vasectomies done, this could be an issue. If you had a complication after the vasectomy, say a large hematoma or infection that had to resolve or be operated on, these may affect the repair. On all unusual issues, be sure to make the reversal doctor aware.

 

Comprehensive Atlanta, Ga No Scalpel Vasectomy FAQ

Vasectomy.com Question: “What are the options for the no scalpel vasectomy?”

Ga No Scalpel Vasectomy: Whether the concern about having a no scalpel vasectomy is pain, cost, convenience or safety…we have you covered! Check out the link below-“Everything you’d ever want to know about having a vasectomy” at Northeast Georgia Urological Associates. Dr McHugh does between 30-40 a month, hundreds a year and several thousand in his 30 year urological career in Northeast Georgia.

Overview of a No Scalpel Vasectomy At Northeast Georgia Urological Associates by John C. McHugh M.D.

  • Anesthesia (Absolutely no discomfort): we offer conscious sedation by a board certified anesthesiologist on Thursday. In this scenario, you’ll have an I.V., monitored and will sleep through the procedure safely with absolutely no discomfort. The medicine used by the anesthesiologist goes to work quickly and goes away out of your system quickly, so it is ideally suited for this type of procedure.
  • Local anesthesia with a pre-med (Usually Valium/Tordol as an oral premedication before the procedure and then local anesthesia with Lidocaine. This method is suited for the patient that has no fear of needles, no anxiety with medical procedures or passes out easily. This is a more streamlined method and is commonly done on Friday.
  • Insurance and Self Payment Options: Our office accepts most all insurances and we have relationships with them. This means that we accept what they allow. You may have a deductible and other particular specifics of your plan, but that is what we go by.
  • If you are self pay: Our fee is $950.00 and this is all inclusive and can be done on a Thursday or a Friday.
  • The Consultation: This is done with an in office visit which has the advantage of being able to perform an exam and assess options for anesthesia.

The procedure itself: All no scalpel vasectomies across America use a small hemostat to spread the skin (i.e. no scalpel), however whether after dividing the vas deferens tube the urologist uses cautery, clips or suture the success rate of 1/2000 is about the same. It becomes about the preference of the urologist.  Dr. McHugh  uses electrocautery (fulgurate or heat). We have learned over the years that many patients prefer not having the foreign body of the clip left in the scrotum. (See link above for the McHugh Method eBook on Vasectomy)

So the answer to the question is that there are several combinations of how the procedure is billed and options re: how it is performed. We do them all.  We have done thousands of vasectomies over the years and perform hundreds a year. 

Want more information on our process  about having a vasectomy with Dr. McHugh? Click here for his informative eBook “McHugh Method Vasectomy.”

“We know a thing or two about doing vasectomies, because we’ve done a vasectomy or two.”

Dr. McHugh is Georgia’s most experienced no scalpel vasectomy and microscopic vasectomy reversal urologist.

 “The office staff was very nice and very informative to me and my wife. The doctor was very personable and made you feel comfortable. He explained everything he was doing and explained it before he did it. I would recommend him to anyone and you don’t find that in many doctors these days.”  Z.S.

More concerns or questions? Email us.

Mike McGinnis
Mike McGinnis
2023-03-18
I can’t say enough great things about this place! 100% make sure you choose the nitrous oxide to help. Truly painless and the nitrous oxide put me at a level of peace I had never felt before. Thanks for everything!
Michael Berliner
Michael Berliner
2023-02-16
If you’re looking for a vasectomy, look no further. There is a reason for all the five star reviews. Dr. McHugh and his team were as good as you could ask for. Very professional and took excellent care of me. 10/10 experience for something that has the potential to be very stressful.
Andrew Simmons
Andrew Simmons
2023-02-13
Highly recommend Dr. McHugh. He was very thorough on explaining the procedure. His team was also very transparent on my options of paying for the procedure and what they would be.
Seth Willoughby
Seth Willoughby
2023-02-06
Really glad I stumbled upon Dr.Mchugh. I have chosen him for my vasectomy.I 100% would recommend him to the highest degree for any of your urology needs.
Brianna Redding
Brianna Redding
2023-02-01
After 5 years of having a vasectomy. My husband and I wanted to give our daughter a sibling. We drove 2 hours to have Dr. McHugh and his team give us a chance at growing our family again. They were informative and the overall surgery was handled smoothly leaving us with high hopes. 7 months later and we were expecting our second daughter. We cannot thank the practice enough and highly recommend them.
JT Mc Dowell
JT Mc Dowell
2023-01-20
Dr was awesome, staff was all amazingly positive and easy going which made the entire experience a breeze. Even had Slipknot jamming in the room for me during the procedure which was so quick. 10/10 I would recommend anybody to them for their vasectomy needs.
Jordan Voss
Jordan Voss
2023-01-16
I had a great experience getting my reversal done here. The whole team was great and worked with me to make me feel as comfortable as possible. Dr. McHugh is very personable and is one of the most experienced doctors in the area so it was an easy choice. I would recommend to anyone who wants a vasectomy or reversal done.
Matt Dyer
Matt Dyer
2023-01-06
Dr. McHugh and his team were great, any questions that may be brought up he had an answer to. I would recommend Dr. McHugh to everyone.
Dylan McClellan
Dylan McClellan
2022-12-31
Dr. John McHugh and staff were so friendly and made the whole process super simple and smooth. I will be recommending all of my friends interested in a vasectomy to come straight to him and his team. Don’t hesitate to call them first
no scalpel vasectom

Thanks for the review!

Great Doctor. Completely helps you understand what issues you have and actually talks to you with great respect. – S.G.
Georgia Vasectomy/ Vasectomy Reversal -John Clay McHugh M.D.
Thank you very much. You are kind!- John McHugh

Vasectomy Reversal vs. IVF…which is better?

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Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo. 2004 Oct;59(5):312-5. Epub 2004 Oct 29.

The best infertility treatment for vasectomized men: assisted reproduction or vasectomy reversal?

Abstract

In men with prior vasectomy, microsurgical reconstruction of the reproductive tract is more cost-effective than sperm retrieval with in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection if the obstructive interval is less than 15 years and no female fertility risk factors are present. If epididymal obstruction is detected or advanced female age is present, the decision to use either microsurgical reconstruction or sperm retrieval with in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection should be individualized. Sperm retrieval with in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection is preferred to surgical treatment when female factors requiring in vitro fertilization are present or when the chance for success with sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection exceeds the chance for success with surgical treatment.

FAQ-Vasectomy Reversal 101

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Articles addressing common questions regarding a vasectomy reversal.

A Microscopic Vasectomy Reversal Podcast by Dr. McHugh

If you prefer to read a PDF of Reversal 101

You can schedule your free reversal consultation 24/7 by giving us your phone number and our reversal coordinator will call you with an appointment.

How long does it take for a vasectomy reversal to heal?

vasectomy-reversal-success

There are two areas that have to heal after a vasectomy reversal procedure.

The Skin

  • The subcutaneous tissues and the skin which have been incised to reach the vas tubes has to heal.
  • What the patient sees is the skin sutures. These sutures dissolve and go away in about two weeks.
  • Although the skin will appear healed on the surface, microscopically full healing occurs at approximately six weeks.
  • The scrotum is not like an abdominal incision where excessive straining prior to complete healing could cause extrusion bowel or create a hernia.
  • The skin of scrotum healing is independent of straining but excessive activity and motion could delay the healing process.
  • Sometimes the sutures dissolve prior to complete healing of the skin. Some areas of the suture line may open minimally and this is of no concern and will close over (epithelialize) within a week.
  • In regards to the skin healing process, a patient can shower in a few days with care for water not to hit the site directly, and one should place Neosporin ointment on the site daily.

The Reversal Site

  • The repair is done with 12-14 permanent sutures in a tension-free and water-tight fashion.
  • Compression shorts are recommended for approximately three weeks.
  • This allows for the inner and out layers of the repair to heal without the undue stress of the testicles and hence the vas deferens moving up and down and potentially delaying the healing process.

So although the two primary areas that need to heal before strenuous physical activity or sexual activity are different in character, the magic number of time is around three weeks-four weeks.

Anecdotally, I have had a patient present to my office the day after a reversal stating that he was having bleeding at the incision site. He confessed that he had had sex the night of the procedure. I reassured him the bleeding was from the skin edge and nothing to be concerned about.

This couple had a baby almost 9 months later to the day. Go figure! 

Vasectomy Reversal Logo

The Semen Analysis after a Vasectomy Reversal-Meaning.

Sperm-egg

I saw a patient recently on whom I performed a reversal around a year ago. He and his wife have not achieved pregnancy. He showed me the report of a semen analysis which showed around 50 million sperm with a motility of over 50%.  Although 60-150 million sperm is considered normal, most urologists feel that any count above 20 million is suitable to achieve pregnancy. Motility should be over 45% (i.e. 45% of the sperm under the microscope are observed to be moving forward).  Other parameters such as morphology (how the sperm look) are less important.

From the perspective of the surgeon who performed the procedure, any sperm in the ejaculate indicates that the reversal was successful and now it is up the the male to begin to produce the quality of sperm necessary to achieve pregnancy. As well, there is the added dynamics of the female ability to have a child. As a rule, when there is no pregnancy between a couple without the history of a vasectomy, the problem is about 50/50 male to female. The point is that even if the post reversal male has adequate sperm, pregnancy still requires other factors to be in place as well.

In the above scenario, the good sperm count and motility is a very good start and indicates a good reversal. And it makes the point about couples understanding the difference between patency (presence of sperm after a reversal) and pregnancy. There is usually a 10-15% differential between the two.

Pregnancy is a many splendored thing-Pregnancy after a reversal is a multi-factorial thing.

The major factors in a successful vasectomy reversal. John McHugh M.D.

  

  1. The age of the male.
  2. The age of the female.
  3. The time since the vasectomy.
  4. The quality of the sperm from the testicular end of the transected vas at the time of the reversal procedure.
  5. The technical quality of the reversal procedure itself and the experience of surgeon.
  6. Some degree of luck for all of these factors to come together and result in pregnancy.