The Big Secret Many Vasectomy Reversal Doctors Don’t Want Patients to Know!

This blog, by Dr. Sheldon Marks, addresses one of the biggest secrets in the vasectomy reversal world – that many doctors have no real training in urology, microsurgery or even male fertility before they declare themselves to be vas reversal experts.

This was written after talking with many other skilled and respected vasectomy reversal doctors at fertility society meetings who universally do not understand how a doctor with no real training can be consider themselves an expert. Most doctors that perform enough vas reversals will have good success, but to have the highest vasectomy reversal success rates, the top skilled and trained urologists will usually provide the best chances for achieving the dream of children. This is, of course, a broad generalization as it’s really all about the individual doctor that is selected, irrespective of training, as some are naturally better than others.

Here’s the secret – many doctors that perform vas reversals are not trained in urology or vasectomy reversals. Many didn’t even perform vasectomies or reverse vasectomies in training or their medical practice before they announced they were a vas reversal expert. Just as bad are that many general urologists with no advanced training or experience when patients think that that they are skilled, trained vasectomy reversal “experts” (1). Many couples believe that all doctors that do vas reversals have the same skills, achieve the same level of success and provide the same quality aftercare when this is not accurate.

Microsurgical vasectomy reversals are one of the most technically challenging surgeries in all of medicine. To do it right and provide the highest level of care requires requires a thorough understanding of male reproduction, the complex balance of hormones, role of lifestyle and diet as well as critical details about care before and aspects of recovery that will often impact on the success of each vasectomy reversal (2). Anyone who thinks it is simply a matter of throwing a few stitches under a microscope most often will not be able to provide the level of long-term care that provides the highest vas reversal success rates.

The truth is that just knowing what to do or even wanting to do it well does not make a doctor an expert.

Good intentions do not magically empower a doctor with the knowledge that comes with years of training and with decades of microsurgical skills and insights into complex aspects of male fertility.

Just because doctors may have had some other microsurgery experience in other unrelated fields does not mean they can perform a challenging vasectomy reversal with the same skill and expertise as a true expert with years of urologic microsurgery training and decades of experience with many thousands of vas reversals (3). Some doctors that do vasectomy reversals have had minimal surgical training, let alone microsurgical, yet patients think that they are trained microsurgeons.

When a doctor says that he’s an expert (yes, even if he has an impressive website with plenty of glowing love letters and baby photos), then it is always smart to do the research, dig deeper, confirm first that ideally he or she is a urologists and then be sure that he or she is a true expert with verifiable credentials (4).

Whether or not the vasectomy reversal works and each couple is able to achieve the dream may often depend on the doctor that is selected. Do the research and choose wisely. Good enough is not smart when better is an option.

Contact us at(888) 722-2929 to have any questions answered or to arrange for free phone, Skype, Face Time, Zoom or office consultation with either of our 2 doctors and find out what makes ICVR the choice for more than 7000 men from every state and more than 85 countries around the world!

This page was reviewed, edited and updated January 4, 2023 by Sheldon Marks, MD.

References:
1.Crain DS, Roberts JL, Amling CL. Practice patterns in vasectomy reversal surgery: results of a questionnaire study among practicing urologist. J Urol 2004;171(1):311-5.
2.Silber SJ, Grotjan HE. Microscopic vasectomy reversal 30 years later: a summary of 4010 cases by the same surgeon. J Androl 2004;25(6):845-859.
3.Akanksha Mehta, Philip S Li. Male infertility microsurgical training Asian J Androl. 2013 Jan; 15(1): 61–66.
4.Li PS, Ramasamy R, Goldstein M. Male Infertility Microsurgical Training.In: Sandlow JI, editor. Microsurgery for Fertility Specialists New York; Springer; 2012.