How Do I Choose a Vasectomy Reversal Doctor?

Learn How to Choose the Best Vasectomy Reversal Surgeon

By Martin Bastuba, MD, FACS

For men who have had a vasectomy and now want to create or grow their families, a vasectomy reversal is an exciting, important procedure. Because of its significance, you want to be sure that your vasectomy reversal is being handled by the best microsurgeon.

What factors do I need to consider when choosing a vasectomy reversal doctor?

1. Your microsurgeon should be certified by the American Board of Urology. Make sure that his or her certification is current.
2. Your microsurgeon should have extensive, specialized microsurgery training¹ (Hayden et al. 2019. Fertility and Sterility). Dr. Bastuba is board certified in urology and has specialized training in male fertility and sexual dysfunction. He also completed the prestigious fellowship program for Male Infertility & Sexual Dysfunction at Boston University.
3. Your microsurgeon should be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). This organization sets high standards for their members to make sure patients receive excellent medical care.
4. Your microsurgeon should perform the surgery from beginning to end. Confirm with the doctor that no fellows or medical students will be performing critical aspects of your procedure.
5. Your microsurgeon should use a premier operating suite with experienced staff. He or she should also take the time to answer all of the questions you have about the procedure or the facility.
6. Your microsurgeon should offer various choices of anesthesia, including different types of conscious sedation. Dr. Bastuba believes in the importance of listening to patients to help them feel comfortable and relaxed, whether they choose conscious sedation or general anesthesia.
7. Your microsurgeon should provide a fixed, all-inclusive price for the procedure that includes the fees for the doctor, the fees for the anesthesia, and the fees for the facility where the surgery is performed. Dr. Bastuba’s staff provides a written estimate before the procedure that is easy to understand, helping to ensure there are no surprises.
8. Your microsurgeon should be easily accessible after the surgery. Dr. Bastuba believes that no one can answer your questions better than your own microsurgeon, so he makes himself available via his personal mobile phone for any post-op questions.
9. Your microsurgeon should be able to provide success rates for the specific procedure you will be getting as well as the number of procedures he or she has performed in the past year. Dr. Bastuba routinely performs several vasectomy reversals each week, which makes him part of only 2% of urologists in the U.S. who perform this many procedures.
10. Your microsurgeon should have staff available around the clock to answer your questions and help you during your recovery. MFS offers an emergency phone line for patients that is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why Dr. Bastuba? Cost + Outcome + Caring = Value (More Pregnancies)

Dr. Bastuba’s approach to vasectomy reversal care is shaped by the three pillars on which he has structured his medical philosophy:

Cost

• The cost of a vasectomy reversal has not changed in over a decade, with low negotiated hospital and anesthesia charges.
• Male Fertility & Sexual Medicine Specialists accepts credit cards, checks, cash, and Care Credit.
• In- house financing has been secured by 92% of applicants who apply. It takes 5 minutes with a current pay stub.
• Our goal is to eliminate the financial barriers to success. Dr. Bastuba is very sensitive to the financial burden and attempt to negotiate and assist to present some of the lowest complete vasectomy reversal pricing.

Outcomes

• Dr. Bastuba’s patency rate (a condition where the tube is open) has been 94 – 98% for the past 5 years and 92 - 98% for the past 25 years. We keep improving.
• Using the microscope, Dr. Bastuba can test visually for the presence of sperm immediately.
• Many patients will request “combo surgery”² (Craft et al. 1993. The Lancet) where sperm can be immediately recovered from testicular material, analyzed, and then frozen. Long term storage provides a safety net (backup plan) should the vasectomy reversal ever fail in that frozen sperm can be used for IVF and IUI treatment even generations later.
• As part of the treatment protocol, free comprehensive semen analysis will be conducted post- operatively after 2 months and again after 4 months.

Caring

• Male Fertility Specialists provides a “Patient Navigator” (Amy), who is available to assist you with every step of the process, from your initial contact until a pregnancy is determined. Our goal is a healthy baby.
• A successful pregnancy involves both partners, so Dr. Bastuba has hired a female fertility specialist (Cindy Jansen, NP-C) who can assist in the evaluation of your partner to ensure that there are NO underlying concerns that will slow down your goal.
• Dr. Bastuba cares about all patients. He provides you with his cell phone number to ensure that you have direct access.