Microsurgical vasovasostomy for reversal of elective bilateral segmental vasectomy

Microsurgical vasovasostomy for the reversal of elective bilateral segmental vasectomy (vasectomy, vas ligation) was done in 57 patients (61 operations) between May 1977 and March 1984. The length of time between elective segmental vasectomy and subsequent vasovasostomy ranged from 12 to 216 months; the longest period between vasectomy and vasovasostomy resulting in a subsequent pregnancy was 108 months. The patency rate was 83%, with 51% of these patients fathering one or more children (overall pregnancy rate of 41%). Unlike previous studies, ours showed no positive correlation between the presence of postvasectomy sperm granulomas and either patency or pregnancy rate after microsurgical vasovasostomy. The major factor that seemed to affect the success of the procedure was the number of years between vas ligation and vasovasostomy.