Can a repeat vasectomy fail?
Sep 7th 2008adminWorries about the procedure
From Jennifer:-
What are the chances that a vasectomy can fail a 2nd time? My husband had his first done in early May 2007. The pieces they sent to the lab were confirmed as vas deferens. Testing in late June showed that he still had plenty of live sperm. He was tested again in September 2007 and his numbers had gone up. He had it redone in October 2007, testing in December 2007 and March 2008 showed there to be 0 sperm.I just want to know if there’s a chance that they’ll grow back together again. I did become pregnant in July 2007 (we knew and stopped using birth control). We are most definitely done having children, but the worry that it failed once, and could happen again, is always with me.
Most vasectomy failures are apparent within the first 3 months and demonstrate at least non-motile sperm on one of the first two semen analysis reports, as is the case in this reader. Vasectomy failure after this initial period is very rare, but has been reported in the literature and is due to re-canalization of the vas deferens. Periodic testing every few months during the first 1-2 years can identify re-canalization if it should occur. Re-canalization becomes increasingly rarer the further a man is from his vasectomy. Even though there are no absolutes in life, or medicine for this matter, vasectomy still offers the highest rate of contraception compared to other methods. Late vasectomy failure is reported at 0.01% compared to condoms that have an approximately 11% failure rate. The only form of contraception that is more reliable than vasectomy is abstinence! If abstinence is not suitable contraception, then men should consider vasectomy as the next best thing.
Tara on 01 Jul 2009 at 3:12 pm #
My husband had a vasectomy after our second child was born. A Year later we found out we were pregnant again. He had never go to get checked out. After my thrid child was born he again went and had a v done again but a different Dr. different procedure. He passed the first test and then failed the second and third. He refuses to have qa 3rd V done. I now have an IUD. We joke that we took one for the team as our V was the only one to fail out of all of out friends. #3 was a big surprize but we are greatful for him! (But I do not want another!)