The short answer is yes. Vasectomy reversal is possible, and surgeons in the UK perform it regularly. It's a surgical procedure that reconnects the tubes (the vas deferens) that were cut or blocked during the original vasectomy, so sperm can travel through them again.
It's worth being upfront about one thing though: reversal isn't guaranteed to work. Success depends on things like how long ago the vasectomy was done, the technique your surgeon uses, and your partner's fertility. Around 1 in 16 men who've had a vasectomy go on to request a reversal, so if you're in this position, you're far from being alone.¹
During the procedure, a surgeon makes one or two small cuts in the scrotum, finds the ends of the vas deferens on each side, and rejoins them using a surgical microscope. It's done under general or spinal anaesthetic, and the operation itself usually takes one to three hours.¹
You'll go home the same day in most cases. The cuts are closed with dissolvable stitches, and most men are back to normal light activity within a couple of weeks, though undertaking heavy lifting and exertion is not advisable during this time period.¹
There are two main techniques, and your surgeon can decide which one you need once they can actually see what's going on inside during the operation.
Vasovasostomy rejoins the two cut ends of the vas deferens directly. This is the more straightforward option and tends to have better outcomes.
Vasoepididymostomy connects the vas deferens to the epididymis instead. Surgeons use this when the vas deferens can't simply be rejoined, for example if a longer section was removed during the original vasectomy. Results from this technique are generally less successful than a straightforward rejoin.¹
You won't usually know in advance which one you'll need. It's a call your surgeon makes on the day, based on what they find.
Vasectomy reversal is not routinely available on the NHS, so most men in the UK pay for it privately. You'll typically need to book directly with a urologist who specialises in this kind of microsurgery.
Beyond that, there's no strict eligibility checklist. Surgeons will usually talk through your general health, any previous surgery in the area, and what you and your partner are hoping to achieve, since that affects whether reversal or another route to conception makes more sense for you. It's worth having that conversation with a specialist rather than assuming you don't qualify.
This is where it helps to separate two different things, because they get mixed up a lot.
Patency rate is whether sperm returns to your semen at all after the operation. Patency is always higher than pregnancy rate, because sperm returning doesn't automatically mean conception follows. Your partner's fertility and age play a big role too. On the other hand, pregnancy rate is determined by whether you and your partner actually go on to conceive.
According to UK data published by the British Association of Urological Surgeons, success is closely tied to how much time has passed since the original vasectomy:¹
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The pattern is clear: the sooner you have a reversal after the original vasectomy, the better your odds. But even at the lower end, plenty of couples still go on to conceive.
Yes, it can. Reversal after 15 years, or even longer, is still a real option. It's just that the numbers above show success becomes less likely the longer that gap gets. At the 15 to 19 year mark, roughly 3 in 10 couples achieve a pregnancy. Past 20 years, that drops further.¹
If it's been a long time since your vasectomy, the most useful next step is a conversation with a fertility urologist. They can look at your individual circumstances, rather than relying on generic timelines that may not reflect your situation.
A few things consistently influence how well a reversal works for your partner's pregnancy odds:
The biggest factor is the amount of time that has passed since your vasectomy.
In terms of the technique used, vasovasostomy tends to outperform vasoepididymostomy.
Your partner's fertility, age, and reproductive health all matter, since patency alone doesn't guarantee pregnancy.
Once the surgery itself is behind you, the focus shifts to recovery, and then to the (often longer than expected) process of trying to conceive.
Swelling, bruising and discomfort in the scrotum are common for several days after surgery, and simple painkillers plus a supportive jock strap or snug underwear usually help. You'll be given a timeline for follow-up semen analysis, which is how your surgical team confirms whether sperm has returned. It's worth asking your surgeon for a realistic timescale for your specific case, rather than assuming a fixed number of weeks applies to everyone.¹
There's usually a gap of around three to six months after surgery before sperm reaches adequate levels in your semen to realistically start trying for a pregnancy, though for some men this can take up to a year depending on the type of repair.¹
From there, conception can still take several months, and sometimes longer than a year, much like it can for couples who haven't had a vasectomy at all.
If you're in this window, patience really does help. So does tracking ovulation closely, since it narrows down the days that matter most each cycle.
If you've seen this search term and are wondering whether it's realistic, here's the honest picture. Sperm can occasionally return quickly for some men, but conceiving within two weeks of a reversal is more uncommon. Surgical guidance points to a typical gap of three to six months before sperm levels are high enough to try naturally. Two weeks would be a genuine outlier, not the norm.¹
If it hasn't happened for you yet, that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong. Most couples are looking at a much longer runway, and that's completely expected.
It's rare, but not impossible. The tubes cut during a vasectomy can occasionally reconnect on their own, without any surgery. This is sometimes called recanalisation. It's rare, but not impossible. The tubes cut during a vasectomy can occasionally reconnect on their own, without any surgery, a process known as recanalisation. NHS information describes vasectomy as a permanent method of contraception, and this is a very rare exception.²
This is different from a planned surgical reversal, and it's not something you can rely on or predict. If you've had a vasectomy and are trying to avoid pregnancy, it's still considered a highly effective, permanent form of contraception, and this rare exception doesn't change that.²
The months after a vasectomy reversal come with a lot of waiting. Sperm counts can take time to build back up, and once they do, timing still matters just as much as it would for any couple trying to conceive. That combination, patience plus precision, is exactly where a bit of extra support can help.
The twoplus Applicator Extra is designed for couples who want a low-pressure way to try at home, on their own schedule, once sperm has returned. It deposits sperm close to the cervix, using the same basic principle behind clinical insemination, but done privately at home. Pairing it with an ovulation test kit helps you narrow in on the days each cycle when trying is most likely to count, which matters even more when sperm numbers may still be recovering. Fertility supplements can be a sensible complementary step too, alongside the guidance your GP or fertility specialist gives you.
None of this replaces the medical follow-up your surgical team will already have you doing, and if things aren't progressing the way you'd hoped, it's always worth discussing next steps with your GP or a fertility specialist. But for the day-to-day trying, twoplus is built to take some of the pressure off.
Recovering fertility after a vasectomy reversal is rarely instant. twoplus won't change what your body is doing biologically, but it may make the trying-to-conceive process feel a little more manageable while you wait for that recovery to happen.
Can a vasectomy be reversed after 15 years? Yes. Success rates are lower than for an earlier reversal, with UK data showing around a 30% pregnancy rate at 15 to 19 years, but it's still a genuine option worth discussing with a specialist.¹
How successful is a vasectomy reversal? It depends mainly on how long ago the original vasectomy was done. Reversals within 3 years see pregnancy rates as high as 75%, dropping to under 10% after 20 years or more.¹
Can a vasectomy reverse itself without surgery? Very rarely, yes. The cut tubes can occasionally reconnect on their own, a process called recanalisation, though NHS guidance describes this as very rare.²
How long does it typically take to get pregnant after a vasectomy reversal? Sperm usually takes three to six months to return to adequate levels, sometimes up to a year, and conception can take several months beyond that.¹
Is vasectomy reversal available on the NHS? Usually not. It's not routinely funded, so most men in the UK have it done privately.¹ ²
British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) – Reversal of Vasectomy, patient information leaflet: https://www.baus.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/Patients/Leaflets/Reversal%20of%20vasectomy.pdf
NHS – Vasectomy (male sterilisation): https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/vasectomy-male-sterilisation/what-is-it/
