Wednesday, July 11th, 2007...12:35 pm
Vasectomy reversal and misleading advertising
Recently, I came across a press release stating that the “Center for Male Reproductive Medicine boasts a vasectomy reversal success rate of 98% and is recognized as one of the best facilities in the world.”
The problem is, I’m not buying it for a minute. As I discussed in my post on vasectomy reversal success rates, there is a big difference between patency and pregnancy. Patency, in terms of vasectomy reversal, means the return of sperm to the semen. More broadly, patency is defined as “the condition of not being blocked or obstructed.” That’s not too difficult to achieve following a vasectomy reversal. But getting enough sperm to result in pregnancy is another matter entirely. I’d love to know what their pregnancy rate is, but I couldn’t find it on their website.
A 98% patency rate is something to brag about. I just wish the Center for Male Rporoductive Medicine was as interested in educating potential patients as they were in boasting about their accomplishments.
3 Comments
July 18th, 2007 at 11:39 am
My husband has been through two vas reversals (11,000 dollars worth) and we have new been trying both with and without treatments for three years!!!! P.S they brag about their preg. rate as well—I guess we are the unfortunate two %.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:33 am
Tiffany –
I’m sorry that it hasn’t happened for you yet! Don’t give up hope – time to pregnancy is usually a year or more post reversal. You didn’t say what his semen analysis results were after the second reversal. Is he showing a return of sperm and are they good quality? I’d have him on a good vitamin regimen, too. Good luck!
February 12th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
My vasectomy was quite the experience. I would hate to go thru the reversal.
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