Post Vasectomy Pain Forum

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

#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.