An estimated 2% to 6% of men undergoing vasectomy may request a reversal at a later date. In many cases, the cut ends of the vas deferens can be surgically reattached. However, this operation, a microsurgical vasovasostomy, is expensive ($5,000-$10,000) and, for a variety of reasons, does not guarantee a return to fertility. Vasectomy reversal appears to be more successful if performed within 10 years of the vasectomy, but again, there is no guarantee that fertility will be restored. Vasectomy should therefore be considered a permanent procedure. Before you choose to have a vasectomy, make quite sure that you and your partner do not want any more children. If you are thinking about a reversal now, perhaps you should take more time to decide whether vasectomy is right for you. 

Costs will include the doctor's fee, medication, counseling, clinic fees, and a follow-up visit to check your semen. Amounts will vary. The doctor or clinic should tell you in advance how much it would be. Your insurance company may pay for sterilization.

No. It will only prevent you from making your partner pregnant. If you or your partner have a sexual disease, or have more than one sexual partner, the best way to protect yourself and your partner is to use a latex condom.

Since most men live for a long period of time after a vasectomy, it has been possible to investigate thoroughly, the possibility of long-term health risks associated with vasectomy. Over 10 studies have evaluated more than 20,000 men who have had vasectomies, documenting their progress for up to 25 years after the procedure. The data indicates that men having a vasectomy are no more likely to develop cancer, heart disease or other health problems. In 1993, a panel assembled by the National Institutes of Health, the Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception (AVSC International), and the National Cancer Institute reaffirmed the conclusion of most medical experts, that vasectomy is a safe and effective means of permanent birth control.

Yes. All contraceptive methods carry some risks as well as benefits. Vasectomy is a very low risk procedure, but complications are possible.

• Bleeding (hematoma) and infections are the most common (although rare) complications of vasectomy. These occur in 3.1% of men undergoing a conventional vasectomy and less than 0.4% of men undergoing a No-Scalpel Vasectomy. The no-scalpel method we describe is associated with a much lower rate of hematoma because the skin and vas sheath are punctured and the opening is then dilated, so blood vessels are more likely to be pushed aside rather than cut. The risk of a severe complication occurring, one that would require admission to the hospital is less than one in a thousand (0.01%).
  
  
• Failure of the procedure. Vasectomy is not guaranteed to be 100% effective. Even when the procedure is performed perfectly, recanalization, sperm finding their way across the blocked ends of the vas deferens, can occur. Although this is very rare (less than 0.2% of the time), it can occur months or even years later. This demonstrates the necessity of performing semen analyses some 6-8 weeks post-vasectomy to verify that the patient's semen contains no sperm. Recanalization usually occurs in the first 2-3 months after vasectomy (incidence 1/500), but has been known, in extremely rare cases, to occur even years later (incidence 1/4500).
  
  
• Sperm granuloma, a hard, sometimes painful lump, about the size of a pea, may form as a result of sperm leaking from the cut vas deferens. The lump is not dangerous and is almost always resolved by the body in time. Scrotal support and mild pain relievers are usually all that are required to alleviate the symptoms, although the doctor may suggest other treatments.
  
  
• Congestion, a sense of fullness or pressure caused by sperm in the testes, epididymis, and lower vas deferens, may cause discomfort some 2 to 12 weeks after vasectomy. Like granuloma, congestion is not serious and usually resolves itself in time.

Sex can usually be resumed 7 days after the procedure, but remember to use some other kind of birth control until the doctor says you are sterile.

You should not do heavy physical labor for at least 48 hours after your vasectomy. If your job doesn't involve this kind of work, you can go back sooner. Many men have their vasectomies on Friday so they can take it easy over the weekend and go back to work on Monday.

No! Sperm can remain in the vas deferens above the operation site for weeks or even months after vasectomy. You will not be considered sterile until two post-vasectomy semen analyses show that no sperm remain in your ejaculate. Until then, you must continue to use other birth control methods to prevent pregnancy.

No. After a vasectomy, there are always some active sperm left in your system. It takes about at least 25 ejaculations to clear them. You and your partner should use some other form of birth control until your doctor tests your semen and tells you it is free of sperm.

Vasectomy only interrupts the vas deferens that carry sperm from the testes to where they are added to your semen. It does not alter a man's sensation of orgasm and pleasure. Your penis and your testes are not altered in any way. The operation has no noticeable impact on the man's ability to perform sexually, nor does it affect the balance of male hormones, male sex characteristics, or sex drive. As always, testosterone continues to be produced in the testes and delivered into the blood stream. Your body still produces semen, and erections and ejaculations occur normally. As before, the body naturally absorbs unused sperm. The patient will not feel any different physically from the way he felt before. Vasectomy is simply a sterilization procedure; once it has been performed, a man's semen will no longer contain sperm and he can no longer father a child.