• Mayo Clinic Radio: Vasectomy reversal and male infertility / vocal cord paralysis / mitral valve regurgitation

Each year, more than 500,000 men in America have a vasectomy, which is a procedure that makes a man sterile. Vasectomy is done by cutting or blocking two tubes, called the vas deferens, so that sperm can’t get into the semen. Sometimes, due to a change in life circumstance, men decide they want to be able to father another child. Vasectomy reversal is a procedure to reconnect the vas deferens and return the ability to impregnate a partner. Pregnancy rates after vasectomy reversal will range from about 30% to over 90%, depending on the type of procedure. Many factors affect whether a reversal successfully achieves pregnancy, including time since a vasectomy, partner age, surgeon experience and training, and whether there were fertility issues before a vasectomy.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Sevann Helo, a Mayo Clinic urologist, will discuss vasectomy reversal and male infertility. Also on the program, Dr. Dale Ekbom, a Mayo Clinic otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon, will explain treatment options for vocal cord paralysis. And Dr. Abdallah El Sabbagh, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, will discuss mitral valve regurgitation, a heart condition.

Learn more about vasectomy reversal services

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Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.