Post Vasectomy Pain Forum

Reversal - how soon is too soon, how late is too late

Surgical Therapies
#1

I’m 7 months post vas and my pain has by and large not changed. I’ve tried all kinds of different medications, with some relieve of pain, but have not had a single pain-free day ever since. I believe I have a mixture of neuropathic pain and congestion pain.
For all the guys out on this forum who already had a reversal, would you please indicate:

  1. how long did you water after the vas?
  2. which symptoms did you have pre-reversal?
  3. what type of vas and what type of reversal did you have? (how many layers, what sutures, bio-wrap, how did the follow-up program look like in terms of icing, meds, etc., full clean up / no clean up, anything else worthwhile mentioning)
  4. how was the outcome? pain-wise? fertility wise?
  5. did you have regular semen analyses over time? did the vas close due to scarring?
  6. why do you think the reversal helped or failed in your case?
  7. would you do it again, or do you regret it?
  8. would you wish to have done it earlier/later, and if so, why?
  9. did you have any other surgery following the reversal?

I am trying to compile a database, an effort others have started before, obviously for my own purpose but ready to share when done. Feel free to comment here or PM me.

Some useful older threads:
@Ben Reversal Success Percentage on this Site
@Bob Anyone had a Vasectomy Reversal?
@backintime30 Would you consider a Reversal a year out if you felt basically fine but knowing what you know now?
@Cannon83 Question for guys who had reversals
@Charly12 How long do you wait!
@Ethan_Scruples Pamphlet Analysis, and how soon is too soon for a reversal

#2

@Juno

My ongoing story from January this year contains answers to a lot of your questions.

Reversal with Dr. Marks tomorrow morning, 15 years post vasectomy

#3

Hi put up with pain for 26 years no offer of a reversal i was not aware of them until i found this site as i was butchered on my right side i could not get that reversed however reversed the left only mild pain on the right and no pain left side. Old feelings have returned and penis is not numb anymore all in all i feel better. Advise dont do it

#4

@Francis, I am confused. What do you mean?

It sounds like reversal did help you, didn’t it?

#5

Yes vasectomy reversal did help. Sorry. Its is supposed to say my advice is dont get a vasectomy at all it is the worsed night mare tbat I have ever lived

#6

My main thoughts why to not wait too long are:

  • why expose yourself to pain when a solution is out there that could help?
  • centralization of pain (thought admittedly I don’t quite understand that concept because I think beyond 3 months of pain it’s already chronic)
  • someone wrote in another thread that one could risk a blow-out in the epi causing irreversible damage

My main thoughts why waiting could be better are:

  • time is on my side, situation could improve by itself (then again, how realistic after 7 months?)
  • time to research the options (but risk of “paralysis by analysis”)
  • try every other method first (thinking about Metformin as pointed out in another thread, TENS, acupuncture, hypnoses; have tried so far various drugs, meditation / mindfulness exercises, psychological counseling, pelvic floor stretching exercise - all with little success)

Does anyone want to add something?

#7

Yes, the longer you wait, the worse your chances for free-flowing epididymides. I’m at 2 years and I’m much better than I was a few months ago, but for some people the pain returns later so I don’t really know what to do. If I could know that the reversal would go according to plan I’d probably do it, but it’s as much of a gamble as the vasectomy itself.

#8

I wish I had gotten reversed sooner. I won’t say I had a blow out but I had a case of epididymitis that caused a huge amount of inflammation. On my right side there was hardened/thick blockage in the upper portion of the vas deferens above the epididymis that had to be resected to a place where sperm were flowing freely. Because of this the right side sits a lot higher and feels “less right”. The bad case of epididymitis is the thing that made me realize my vasectomy was responsible for the constant symptoms, pain, burning etc. I was having. I’ve said this before, I did not visit a vasectomy pain site until 3 1/2 years or so after my vasectomy.

In my case there was a definite thickening of the fluid in my epis and vas and I think had I acted sooner I may have retained more of my vas deferens and I would feel more like I did prior to vasectomy. I don’t think everyone is that way but I think some of us are. There are guys that get reversed decades down the road and become fertile again but I think in general the odds are probably better if you do it sooner.

That’s not an endorsement to do it sooner. If you don’t wait you will never know if waiting is all that was required. Things were backwards from most guys for me. My vasectomy was a non event and my symptoms got progressively worse. I think for most guys it’s the other way around.

#9

Knowing what I know now. Knowing the chances for being something bad to come from reversal. If I felt basically fine. I would not get a reversal no. Wouldn’t chance it.

#10

Hi @Juno

I am one of the ‘early reversers’, had my vasectomy in November 2018, and after three months of pain, reversed it in February 2019. To answer your questions:

  1. dull, aching pain mostly on the left side, extreme tenderness, sensitivity to bumps, I used to hold my balls in one hand while driving to stop them bouncing.
  2. had the traditional incision, cut a bit out, burn both ends, and put some tissue in between them (not sure of the technical terms!) Reversal was a vasovasostomy. Did a lot of icing in the six weeks after the surgery.
  3. Outcome is still in question - three months after vasectomy reversal I still have significant pain, although I have had good days and bad days. Tests show that sperm are present, so the reversal was a success.
  4. Have not done regular SA
  5. hard to say now, but there are definitely days I regret it and wonder whether I would have been better off waiting. My surgeon felt that the sooner the better with reversals for the highest chance of success.

Let us know how things go for you.

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#11

Hi @Regrets2 how are you feeling these days still recovering? As for reversal did you do a full reversal or just the painful side?

#12

Hi @NC79 sorry didn’t reply to this earlier. I am definitely still in a ‘recovery’ mindset, with pain / discomfort present most of the time. I feel there has been some improvement post reversal, as I am now able to do things like long hikes without trouble, which I couldn’t do after the vasectomy. Now five months out from my reversal, and still taking daily pain meds however. I had both sides reversed.

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#13

Just going through reversal recovery now my friend. had nowhere else to turn to. Suffered for 15 months with this crap. Sharp, achy pain, that rode up from the bottom of my testicle to the inguinal area, non stop, approaching 5 months post reversal and still having issues but nothing like. Before. Have not been taking pain meds for it. Probably should, but def. Getting better. Just get worried bc peoplemsay at 6vmonths is when they start to feel. Better, and i am still experiencing pain, just not as much. I guess the worst case would be a level 5 on the worst day. Able to do hikes and walks, just not running yet. Reconnection sites bother me and that is where most of my problems are. Hope you are doing well and. Better and hope we can both be rid of this pain soon and forever. Let me know how you are.

#14

Had reversal on March 2019

#15

Observations on specimens of human vas deferens obtained at vasovasostomy carried out 1 to 15 years after vasectomy have shown a marked reduction in the density of noradrenergic nerves in the muscle coat of the testicular portion while that in the urethral portion remains unaltered. Furthermore, the subepithelial secretomotor nerves degenerate in the testicular portion. These long-term changes in the pattern of innervation of the vas deferens consequent upon vasectomy may have profound effects upon the outcome of vasovasostomy with respect to subsequent sperm maturation, transport, and viability.

[ Structure and autonomic innervation of the human vas deferens: a review

J S Dixon 1, P Y Jen, J A Gosling] [Microsc Res Tech
. 1998 Sep 15;42(6):423-32.]

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