Getting Pregnant after a Tubal or Vasectomy Reversal

Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, Dr. Sherman Silber of the Infertility Center of St. Louis, a pioneer in microsurgery vasectomy and tubal ligation reversals and infertility.

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Hit the Highlights

Vasectomy Reversal

- - Brief overview of how sperm are made and delivered.
  - What is a vasectomy?
  - Are all vasectomies performed the same way? The same amount of vas defern removed? The same place?
  - How are vasectomies reversed?
  - Does reversal success depend on how much of the vas is removed?
  - What are the pregnancy rates following vasectomy reversal?
  - Does the rate of success (success being a resulting pregnancy) depend at all on the length of time since the vasectomy was done?
  - What other factors influence the success of a vasectomy reversal?
  - If a vasectomy reversal is not successful do you recommend a second attempt? What is the success rate of a reversal following a failed reversal?
  - Compare a vasectomy with using IVF with ICSI and sperm retrieval. Success? Pregnancy rates? Risks? Cost?

Tubal Ligation Reversal

- Brief overview of female reproductive anatomy.
- How are tubal ligations performed? Cut, tied, or cauterized?
- Where are the tubes cut? Does success in reversing the ligation depend on where it was cut?
- How are tubal ligations reversed?
- Is this laproscopic or via incision?
- Does tubal reversal success depend on how and where the original tubal ligation was performed?
- Is it possible to know before you try to reverse a tubal ligation how the original tubal was performed and how much tube is left?
- What is the risk of ectopic pregnancy following a tubal ligation reversal?
- How invasive of a surgery is tubal ligation reversal? How long in the hospital?
- Compare the success, cost and risk of a tubal reversal with IVF?
- Are these procedure covered by insurance?
- What is the general cost range for reversing a vasectomy and tubal ligation?