Reversals: Vasectomy and Tubal Ligation

[healthyinOhio]

Was that scar tissue forming?  And, does that basically cause the reversal to not work?

happy2Bhome,

I know how you feel!  It is very frustrating to be told you have really good odds of pregnancy and then, nothing! 
I do believe the "knot" that my husband feels is scar tissue.  He has told me that he believes that it is getting smaller, as all scar tissue does heal after some time.  But without being able to look at it myself, I cannot tell if it is small enough to let sperm through.
My husband goes back and forth with the thought of another reversal.  We were given a 25% chance of conception, this time.  Which is weird, because we were given a 95% chance before, and it didn't work. 
But I have this weird feeling that it will work 10 years after the surgery, when I am like 37 and my kids are just about out of the house!  Wouldn't that be likely! lol

[happy2Bhome]

happy2Bhome,

I know how you feel!  It is very frustrating to be told you have really good odds of pregnancy and then, nothing! 
I do believe the "knot" that my husband feels is scar tissue.  He has told me that he believes that it is getting smaller, as all scar tissue does heal after some time.  But without being able to look at it myself, I cannot tell if it is small enough to let sperm through.
My husband goes back and forth with the thought of another reversal.  We were given a 25% chance of conception, this time.  Which is weird, because we were given a 95% chance before, and it didn't work. 
But I have this weird feeling that it will work 10 years after the surgery, when I am like 37 and my kids are just about out of the house!  Wouldn't that be likely! lol

Has your husband had 2 reversals?  My husband's "knot" did get smaller.  I have not asked him about it lately.  We've pretty much given up hope.  I often wonder if my kids will be out of the house (married) and I'll end up pregnant alongside a daughter-in-law!!   

[healthyinOhio]

Has your husband had 2 reversals?

Nope, not yet.    If he does, we are planning on using Dr. Stanton in Arkansas.

[happy2Bhome]

I had not heard of Dr. Stanton, but we did like Dr. Bledsoe.  I don't think it's his fault we've not conceived.  Speaking of Dr. Bledsoe, my dh and I had a pretty funny discussion before my husband's surgery.  He was pretty skeptical and very nervous.  I had just found the information about this doctor.  Our conversation went something like this:

DH:  So, what's this doctor's name?
Me:  Dr. Bledsoe.
DH:  As in 'the man bled so much after his reversal he died?' 
Me:  Yea, maybe so.  It's his part-time ministry, though.  I doubt he's out to kill you.
DH:  So, what's his full-time job?
Me:  He's an auto mechanic.   

(He's really a surgeon, but I couldn't resist!)

[burlsgirl]

Has your husband had 2 reversals?

Nope, not yet.    If he does, we are planning on using Dr. Stanton in Arkansas.

LOVE, love, love Dr. Stanton!

[abbilynn]

I had my tubal reversal today.     I'm extremely sore and tired, but happy it's over with.  The doctor was only able to connect one of my tubes, the other one had too much dead tissue and scar tissue.  He removed the tissue and sent it in for a biopsy, but he thinks it's endometriosis as we suspected, and that's what was causing my pain.  I know have a 50% chance to be able to conceive, which is more than when they were both clipped!     I feel sad about my other tube, but it's okay.  God has a plan.  The doc said other than the dead tube and the scar tissue, I look really healthy in there and I'm ovulating great.  I will be happy when I am back to feeling better and no more pain!

abbilynn

[healthyinOhio]

Wow, abbilynn!!  Good luck and will pray, tonight for a speedy recovery(drink lots and lots of aloe vera juice  )

[abbilynn]

Wow, abbilynn!!  Good luck and will pray, tonight for a speedy recovery(drink lots and lots of aloe vera juice  )

Thanks!  I need to remember that about the aloe juice.  I have two incisions, the bottom one is about 4 inches long.    Plus it's sore on the inside from cutting up my tubes and cutting out the endometriosis tissue.  So far I've put a comfrey poultice on the area twice.  And I keep putting comfrey salve on it too.  I'm hoping that will help heal the inside quicker and lessen the scar tissue that develops around the tube they reconnected.  Any other good ideas for a speedy recovery? 

abbilynn

[servantgirl]

Abbi,
So glad to hear it went well, and that you're feeling OK. 
I suggest you take homeopathic Arnica. I found mine at the HFS, and took it after sugery myself. I think it made a big difference in speeding my recovery, and it's supposed to help prevent scar tissue. It also comes in creams that you can put on the incisions.

[Lavender~Rosemary]

Hello everyone,

I am sitting here so excited because after 2 1/2 years of hoping and praying, my husband has decided to have a vasectomy reversal.  I can't believe it!  I thought it would never happen

As you can imagine, I really want this to work!  Does anyone have any tips to aid in his recovery.  I saw that emu oil was recommended earlier in thread. I can't find anything else.

He is a healthy guy, 31 years old.  It has been 3 1/2 years since his vasectomy.  We are thinking about going with Dr. Wilson and want to do this as soon as possible.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Stacy




 

[yasmine]

hi everyone getteing reversals... its funny, we have 5 children 15 months to 10 years old, and husband and I keep saying to each other, "what are we going to do to stop having children," I do not want a tubal, he doesnt wanrt a vasectemy.....  what else is there? right?
 and here ,  I pop on by  to see whats up on well tell me,  and I read about some of you ladies getting reversals as well and some of the hubbys and I wonder what to do...

hmmmmm. anyone want to yell at me , or mabey rebuke me or give any words of warning or,,,just tell me to shut up! hahaha ...
i worry about getting preg again since hubby likes to stay with 5 kiddoes and sometimes I think that I should get a tubal and then get a reversal in the future if we want more....

[Pennie]

hi everyone getteing reversals... its funny, we have 5 children 15 months to 10 years old, and husband and I keep saying to each other, "what are we going to do to stop having children," I do not want a tubal, he doesnt wanrt a vasectemy.....  what else is there? right?
 and here ,  I pop on by  to see whats up on well tell me,  and I read about some of you ladies getting reversals as well and some of the hubbys and I wonder what to do...

hmmmmm. anyone want to yell at me , or mabey rebuke me or give any words of warning or,,,just tell me to shut up! hahaha ...
i worry about getting preg again since hubby likes to stay with 5 kiddoes and sometimes I think that I should get a tubal and then get a reversal in the future if we want more....

Personally, I think that is such a personal decision that you should just read and then make your decision w/o any telling you what to do or rebuking you in any way either way about it.  You and your husband should just decide together.  I do think that a V is less difficult for a man than a tubal for a lady.  That is what I have determined from reading etc.  Also, you might check out the ovulady thread and see if that might be an option.  I think that is what it's called.  If not maybe someone can correct me.

[Beth]

Reversals are expensive and as you can see by reading just a few posts prior, they don't always work! I haven't talked on this thread in a long time, but ours did not work. We used the same Doctor that HIO's husband used.(I can't remember his name right now ,I don't think I could recommend him anyway). We had a long shot anyway, it had been over 10 years and I was in my late 30's...well we're okay with it now. But I would definately try and find a non-permenant form of birth-control. There are some really long threads on birth control here you could read. I haven't read them for obvious reasons. (don't have that problem to worry about) But again IMO you should not do surgery!

[yasmine]

i appreciate your input.!I really do ...Its so up in the air. I have read up on on all the side effects and we both know the risks.wihich is why we have not gone through with anything permanant.

[FaithAcre]

I didn't read the whole thread, but wanted to chime in and let you all know about Dr. Wilson in OK.  If he was previously mentioned, I apologize!  But anyway, he also does vas-reversals as a ministry.  Our fee to him was 1500.00 and we bought plane tickets from Washington as well as hotel & rental car.  The whole deal was around 3000.00. 

It's been 18 months since dh's reversal and we are still anxiously awaiting pregnancy.  It's been very hard, as I was hoping to get pg right away.  It had been 4 years from the vasectomy to the reversal. 

I am encouraged by all the stories of couples who had big gaps from the reversal to actual pregancy...I'm 30, but hoping to be blessed with many more children over the next 15 or so years that I will be fertile. 

[momxjo]

Hi Tara,
We used Dr. Wilson for our VR on June 17, 2008.  We had an SA to check sperm # and motility and it came back pretty good- 50 million with 26% motillity.  Did your husband ever do an SA and what were the results?

I hope you do get pregnant soon.  We are on to cycle #8 and hoping for a new baby in 2009.

Take care and best wishes

[snickerdoodle]

Hey FaithAcre!

We used Dr. Wilson for my dh's vas rev too.  It had been 6 years since my dh's vasectomy, we were pg about 5 months after his reversal, miscarried, pg again 3 months later with a healthy baby girl that was born 12/30/07.  Our next baby is due August 16, 2009!

Be sure to be eating a good healthy diet now.  It will help you get pregnant and  help you feel good during the pregnancy too!

[TXMom]

I wanted to share that we had a VR on Dec. 29, 2008 with [http://www.microvasreversal.com/index.htm]Dr. Wilson[/url].  He was very thorough, professional and such a strong Christian man. He prayed with us before the surgery and has everything worked out down to a map to the pharmacy on the back of his prescription slips!  We were so pleased with him.

I am so excited to share that we are pregnant!  I am 5wks along today and we had the surgery 7wks ago.  I am 36yrs old (Hubby too) and it has been six years since our vasectomy. 

PTL for Dr. Wilson and for Well Tell Me.  This is where I learned about Dr. Wilson http://www.microvasreversal.com/index.htm.  WE had been told years ago that my husbands V could not be reversed because he was cauterized.  We had accepted this and wanted to adopt anyway.  Last May (2008) we brought home our two children Andrew (5) and Kathlena (3) from Russia after almost 2yrs of adoption process.  Now they will have a baby brother or sister and they are both so excited along with their older brother and sister.  Wow! PTL is all I keep saying. 

Thank you for sharing your stories and recommendations!!!

Overwhelmed by God's Grace,
Gina
Blessed Mom to Emily (14), J.Michael (10), {Andrew (6), Kathlena (3) adopted from Arkhangelsk, Russia May 2008} reversal baby on the way.

[hgreening]

Hi Everyone,

I'm happy, after 18 months, to add my news to this discussion. We used Dr. Wilson for my husbands reversal in October of '08. After a year of trying and no pregnancy we sought the help of a fertility specialist. She found that although dh's sperm was great, he had antibodies which attach themselves to the sperm and slow them down or destroy them. 70% of reversal men have these. It doesn't mean you can't get pregnant, it just means it can take a LONG time.

We opted to try IUI's where they clean the sperm first and then insert it directly into the uterus when you're ovulating. We are now pregnant after our second IUI!!!!!

I'm 5 weeks. Please pray for a healthy 9 months!

Heidi