Surgical outcome of microscopic vasectomy reversal: an analysis of 30 cases

The results of 30 consecutive microscopic vasovasostomy procedures performed at a single institution over a five-year period between 1991 and 1995 were reviewed. When the surgical outcomes of patients who were operated on less than five years after their vasectomy were compared with the outcomes of those patients who received a vasovasostomy more than five years after their vasectomy, decreases in technical success rates were observed as measured by appearance of sperm in ejaculate (56% vs. 36%), biologic recovery as measured by mean sperm counts (56 million vs. 35 million) and mean progressive sperm motility (44% vs. 21%), along with a decrease in clinical success, as measured by overall pregnancy rates (50% vs. 7%, p < 0.05). Therefore, a microscopic vasovasostomy within 5 years of a vasectomy is a favorable procedure for vasectomy reversal.