How Much Will I Have to Pay For a Vasectomy Reversal Procedure?
By: Seomul Evans
Submitted: 2011-08-31 16:12:07 | Word Count: 658
It is becoming fairly common to see men who have had a vasectomy done in the past and are now living to regret their decision; but there is no reason to be disheartened or to panic; you can choose to go for a surgical procedure that reverses a vasectomy. Even though each years thousands of men consider vasectomy reversal one of the factors that holds them back from getting the procedure done is the expensive price tag of such a surgery. Unfortunately, your insurance company will not cover a vasectomy reversal because they consider it to be an elective procedure which leaves most people with two questions; how much does a vasectomy reversal really cost and how can I pay for the surgery?
Unfortunately, even though vasectomy reversal procedures have an astoundingly good success rate the fact remains that they are also among the more expensive surgical procedures. A vasectomy reversal is a complex procedure and the success rate will largely depend on the technique used and the skills and expertise of the surgeon; but these attributes don't come cheap and you end up paying in the tune of $4000 to $20,000 for a vasectomy reversal surgery.
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Reversing a vasectomy is quite different from the initial vasectomy surgery. In a vasectomy, the vas deferens is severed to stop the sperms from flowing into the urethra; this is a very fine tube in the testes. But a vasectomy reversal entails the joining of the severed ends of the tube. Now depending on the time that has lapsed after the vasectomy, scores of complications may come into the picture such as: scarring tissue, blockage etc. And the solutions to all these problems will only add to your final bill. For instance, you will have to pay a skilled and specialized micro surgeon for the procedure; this could take your bill up by $1000 to $3000 depending on the complexity of the procedure and the time taken to perform it.
Then there will be additional charges for the anesthetic that will be used during the surgery; these anesthetics don't come cheap and you may even have to employ the services of an anesthesiologist; this entire package can add up to $5000 more to your bill. But that's not all; there are many other charges to contend with such as extra medication, additional stay in the hospital, tests and subsequent visits to the doctor. All of these factors can take your vasectomy reversal bill through the roof.
Unfortunately, there is very little respite from the charges in the form of insurance coverage. Most insurance providers do not cover vasectomy reversal because it is deemed as an elective surgery. It is no wonder then that most couples are left scratching their head wondering from where they are going to rake up enough money to get the procedure done.
The Options:
One option is financing, many couples turn to this recourse in the absence of insurance coverage. Even though its a feasible option; you should be prepared to pay the steep interest rates that the lending institutions charge these days. The next issue will of course be to qualify for such a loan in these taxing economic times. Another option is to pay through your credit card; while you will end up with higher interest rates; you will save a lot of time. A final option is to choose clinics that offer flexible payment plans.
Finally, you also need to bear in mind that after all the efforts and the huge amount of money spent; there are no guarantees that the procedure will be a success. Even though negligible; there is always a possibility that you may end up with large bills but may still remain infertile. So you need to be absolutely sure that this is indeed the appropriate course of action for you. And if money is not a constraint; you can always opt for invitro fertilization if the vasectomy reversal procedure does not work as planned.
