Is sperm retrieval possible 30 plus years after vasectomy?
Mar 9th 2009adminGeneral questions
Hello – I was wondering if you can tell me if there are procedures to retrieve sperm from a man who had a vasectomy in 1975?
At age 61, my husband is now experiencing a lack of ejaculation. His urologist referred to this as Retrograde Ejaculation. This problem seemed to occur after a catheter was placed in his bladder during knee surgery. In knowing this, are his testicles producing sperm or are there variables? He is healthy, non diabetic, and very physically active. We would like to hear your professional advice/comments.
There are various approaches and techniques surgeons can use for sperm retrieval after a man has undergone a vasectomy. The length of time since the vasectomy is not important as most men who were fertile prior to their vasectomy will continue to make sperm throughout their lives.
Retrograde ejaculation (RE) is a separate problem and is unrelated to the vasectomy. RE is when the the ejaculate of the man flows backwards into the bladder instead of out the tip of the penis. There is usually complete absence of sperm in the ejaculate of men after a vasectomy and whether a man has an antegrade or retrograde ejaculate is irrelevant with respect to achieving pregnancy. RE can be caused by many reasons, but catheter placement is not a known cause of this condition. Most commonly, acquired RE is caused by certain medications, illnesses or surgery.
