• Your Sperm Count After a Vasectomy Reversal

     

    Vasectomy reversals have a high success rate, and many men and their partners are able to conceive naturally after having a vasectomy reversed. However, reaching optimal sperm production after having the surgery can take as long as six to twelve months. Why so long? More importantly, is there anything that can be done to optimize your sperm count after a vasectomy reversal?  

    To understand sperm count, it’s helpful to know a little bit about sperm production. A sperm cycle is usually about 90 days. That’s the amount of time it takes for your body to produce new sperm and get rid of the old sperm through ejaculation. After a vasectomy reversal, when a man goes in for his six–week postoperative semen analysis, the sperm motility is typically still low, because the man is still working on getting rid of old, dead, sperm found in the ejaculate. For most men, it takes about two sperm cycles, or six months, to achieve good sperm quality.  

    If your vasectomy reversal was done by an experienced, well-qualified, specially trained microsurgeon, you can rest assured that your sperm counts will eventually rise as your body returns to optimal sperm production. It’s important to be patient, though, and understand that this process will take some time. While you wait, there are some things you can do to help boost your sperm count.  

    • Take your recovery seriously. For a couple of weeks after your surgery, it’s important to take it easy, minimizing straining, pulling, lifting, and stretching. Even everyday actions like getting in and out of a car can cause strain, so be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions to the letter.  
    • Don’t rush back into sex. After a vasectomy reversal, wait three to four weeks before resuming sexual activity. Once the waiting period is over, though, frequent ejaculation is a great way to keep the sperm flowing through your tubes, which helps keep them open.  
    • Eat a nutrient-dense diet. While vitamin and antioxidants in supplement form may help, there’s really no substitute for a well-balanced diet that’s packed with vegetables and fruits.  
    • Take anti-inflammatories if your doctor recommends them. At the post-operative check, your doctor can tell you whether there is scarring at the surgical site, which can be improved with anti-inflammatory medications.  
    • Stay out of the hot tub. High water temperatures can kill healthy sperm, so avoid excessive heat.  
    • Watch your alcohol consumption, and don’t smoke. Alcohol can impair sperm production, and smoking slows wound healing.  
    • Follow up with your doctor. It’s important to keep all the recommended follow-up appointments so that your doctor can monitor your progress and make sure you’re healing correctly.  

    If you’re considering a vasectomy reversal, the Center for Vasectomy Reversal is here to help. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our caring and skilled team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other concerns about their fertility. We accept major credit cards as well as cash and checks, and we also offer a payment plan option for those who are unable to pay the entire fee at the time of surgery. Whether you’re ready to schedule a procedure or just have questions and want to learn more, you can contact us through our website, or call 941-894-6428 to arrange a free consultation.  

  • Things that can Harm Male Fertility

    For some couples, conceiving a child is a simple and straightforward process. For others, though, fertility can be a complicated situation. For nearly fifteen percent of American couples who haven’t conceived after trying for a year, the label of infertility becomes their reality. Many factors come into play when it comes to fertility, and about half of the couples who are unable to conceive face this problem because of male infertility. Why is it harder for some men to conceive with a partner?  

    Men usually face infertility due to low sperm production, abnormal sperm function, or blockages that inhibit the delivery of sperm. Sometimes, these problems arise because of underlying health issues. However, a man’s lifestyle also has an impact on his fertility. In fact, if you’re struggling with infertility, it could even be due to your job.  

    A recent study of 456 men in their early 30s found that men in physically demanding jobs were more than twice as likely to have low sperm counts. In fact, 13 percent of the men in those types of jobs had low sperm counts, as opposed to just 6 percent of men whose work was not as strenuous. Researchers even looked at other factors like late-night shifts, heat, noise, and prolonged sitting, and found that the physical aspect of the job was the only one of these factors that impacted semen quality.  

    Of course, just because that’s the only one of those particular factors to have an effect, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other factors at play. High blood pressure, for instance, is also associated with fertility issues, including abnormally shaped sperm. The data isn’t conclusive as to whether the high blood pressure itself is the problem, or if the problem is caused by the treatment used to combat the high blood pressure, though it was noted that men who took multiple medications were more prone to low sperm counts.  

    If you’re struggling with infertility, it may be helpful to know that there are other lifestyle factors that have an impact as well. These include: 

    • Smoking tobacco. 
    • Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or smoking marijuana.  
    • Taking drugs, including steroids and cocaine.  
    • Being overweight.  
    • Stress, particularly emotional stress.  
    • Overheating the testicles by using saunas or hot tubs, or by wearing tight clothing or working long hours on a laptop.  
    • Exposure to toxic chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and benzenes.  
    • Current or past exposure to STIs, like chlamydia or gonorrhea.  
    • Biking or horseback riding for long periods of time.  

    Of course, infertility can also have a medical cause. Hormonal imbalances, sperm duct defects, undescended testicles, and tumors all come into play. One common, reversible cause of male infertility is a varicocele, which is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicles. This can prevent normal cooling, but it’s typically asymptomatic. Sometimes, it causes the testicles to swell. It can, in rare cases, cause pain. Varicoceles are typically treated surgically.  

    One major roadblock to a man’s fertility is a vasectomy, but even that can be overcome with new microsurgery techniques for reconnecting the vas deferens. If you’re considering a vasectomy reversal, the Center for Vasectomy Reversal is here to help. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our caring and skilled team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other concerns about their fertility. We accept major credit cards as well as cash and checks, and we also offer a payment plan option for those who are unable to pay the entire fee at the time of surgery. Whether you’re ready to schedule a procedure or just have questions and want to learn more, you can contact us through our website, or call 941-894-6428 to arrange a free consultation.  

  • Parenting Tips for New Dads

    You’re a father? Congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful, disorienting, panic-inducing, stressful, euphoric world of parenthood. Being a new dad is exciting, but at the same time, you might feel like your world has been turned upside down. How will you manage with this little person who is suddenly depending on you? Relax- you’ve got this, and here’s some advice that may help you feel more confident.  

    • Remember, the baby is not the only baby in this situation. If you think about it, you’re so new at parenting, it’s like you’re a baby too. It can be overwhelming to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, but this is one job where you’ll absolutely learn as you go along. You do not have to have everything figured out right out of the gate, you just have to love your child and invest time in getting to know this new little person.  
    • Embrace the chaos. Raising children is a messy business, and it’s wise to recognize that you don’t have total control over the situation. Learn to laugh at the crazy, and appreciate your new normal.  
    • Read the books, but study your child. Parenting books can teach you some best practices, but not every technique works for every child. Because each person is different, it’s important to learn what works and what doesn’t with your own unique child.  
    • Create routines. Babies usually cry for one of three reasons: a need for food, a need for sleep, or a need to be cleaned. One of the biggest secrets to parenting success in the days of early childhood is to be proactive about setting up an eating and sleeping schedule. When your life has some sort of structure, it will be easier for you to find time to rest. What’s more, children thrive when there are boundaries in their lives.  
    • Sleep as much as you can. Switch off middle of the night feedings with your partner, and do the same with getting up with the baby in the morning. Look at it as giving each other the gift of sleep, because sleep can be hard to come by in those early days.  

    If you’re a man who has already had a vasectomy, and you think you’ve lost your chance at becoming a father, take heart! The Center for Vasectomy Reversal is here to help, with safe, effective vasectomy reversal, performed using the most up-to-date microsurgery techniques. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our caring and skilled team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other concerns about their fertility. We accept major credit cards as well as cash and checks, and we also offer a payment plan option for those who are unable to pay the entire fee at the time of surgery. Whether you’re ready to schedule a procedure or just have questions and want to learn more, you can contact us through our website, or call 941-894-6428 to arrange a free consultation.  

  • How Age Affects Vasectomy Reversal

    Sometimes, men undergo vasectomies fairly early in their adulthood. It could be that the man feels he’ll never want children, or it might be that he and his partner decide they’re finished having a family, or it may be another, personal reason. Whatever compels the decision, there may come a time when he regrets having made it. Sometimes, it’s because he’s entered into a relationship with a new partner, and now they as a couple have decided they want more children. This may be much later in the man’s life, long after he had the vasectomy. Is it still possible, many years later, to have a vasectomy reversal?  

    Yes, it’s still possible. A vasectomy can be successfully reversed years or even decades after the initial surgery. Is there a time at which a man is too old to have a vasectomy reversal?  

    For women, the time of fertility is well-defined. Because women are born with a fixed number of eggs, conception becomes challenging by the time a woman is in her early to mid–40s. The eggs that have not been lost with ovulation over the course of her life have begun to age and decline in quality. While there are women who become pregnant in their 40s or even 50s, it’s not very common. For most women, it’s not easy to conceive at an older age, which is why women seeking fertility treatment often use donor eggs.  

    For men, fertility is completely different. Men don’t start making sperm until they reach puberty, and they constantly make new sperm, turning their sperm reserve over completely every three to four months. The implications for fertility are simple: men in their 40s, 50s, and 60s typically have normal sperm production, and they’re making fresh sperm all the time, no matter their age. It’s only until a man reaches his 70’s or 80’s that sperm production falters, resulting in a lower sperm count.  

    What does this mean for vasectomy reversal? Even in their 50s and 60s, men can successfully undergo vasectomy reversal. Many men have their vasectomies reversed in this age range and are able to conceive naturally. The bigger concern is the age of the man’s female partner, and if her age is an issue, there are many options that can be considered when trying to conceive.  

    If you’re considering a vasectomy reversal, the Center for Vasectomy Reversal is here to help. Under the direction of Dr. Joshua Green, our caring and skilled team provides state-of-the-art treatment for men who need a reversal of their vasectomy or have other concerns about their fertility. We accept major credit cards as well as cash and checks, and we also offer a payment plan option for those who are unable to pay the entire fee at the time of surgery. Whether you’re ready to schedule a procedure or just have questions and want to learn more, you can contact us through our website, or call 941-894-6428 to arrange a free consultation.