
If nothing else…this article is interesting. Although the most common cause of desiring a vasectomy reversal is a male who has had children and a vasectomy has remarried someone with no children. This study showed that %17 of the time a reversal is desired by a couple who have had a vasectomy and now desire more children. Their success rate is higher than if the male remarries and has a reversal.
Vasectomy Reversal Better With Same Partner as Prior to Vasectomy
Urology – July 30, 2015 – Vol. 32 – No. 12
Vasectomy reversal success in regard to clinical pregnancy is improved if the patient has the same partner before and after vasectomy.
Article Reviewed: Higher Outcomes of Vasectomy Reversal in Men With the Same Female Partner as Before Vasectomy. Ostrowski KA, Polackwich AS, et al: J Urol; 2015;193 (January): 245-247.
Background: Vasectomy reversal is requested by around 6% of men who previously had undergone a vasectomy and desire subsequent fertility. Frequently, this is due to a new relationship; however, some couples desire another child or may have lost a child. Two small prior studies have suggested improved pregnancy rates following vasectomy reversal with the same partner as before vasectomy.
Objective: To determine if clinical pregnancy and birth rates are higher for men undergoing vasectomy reversal with the same female partner.
Design: Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database.
Methods: All patients from a single surgeon were reviewed from 1978 to 2011. Obstructive interval, surgery type, vasal fluid character, and sperm character were recorded. Men either self-reported pregnancy and birth rates or completed a survey response. All patients had at least 12 months of follow-up data.
Results: Over the time frame, 3135 men underwent vasectomy reversal; 17% (524 men) undergoing vasectomy reversal had the same female partner. A total of 258 (49%) responded to the survey, and 89% (229) underwent bilateral vasectomy reversal. The average patient and partner age was significantly higher in the same partner group compared to the new partner group, although the same partner group had a significantly shorter obstructive interval at 5.65 years versus 9.23 years. Overall, the clinical pregnancy rate for men with the same partner was 83% compared with 60% in men with a new partner. After regression, this maintained an odds ratio of 2 and was significant.
Conclusions: Men undergoing vasectomy reversal with the same partner experience a higher pregnancy rate compared men with a new partner.
Reviewer’s Comments: This article supports prior articles by Kolettis et al and Goldstein et al. The larger number of patients provides an excellent dataset even though it is a single surgeon. The success rates are substantially higher and maintain significance, even after controlling for ages and obstructive interval. It is also useful to have typical data of a 60% pregnancy rate for those with a new partner. Many patients are interested in “success” following surgery, and this is not solely a desire to have sperm return to the ejaculate. There are limitations, however, because the survey results were returned by only 49% of patients, leaving the potential for reporting bias. Overall, this information is useful when counseling patients with the same partner as prior to vasectomy.(Reviewer–Gregory Lowe, MD).
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