CHICAGO, June 2 (UPI) -- Robot-assisted vasectomy reversal is superior to traditional surgery and may reduce couples' wait times for conceiving naturally, a U.S. surgeon says.
Urological surgeon Dr. William Lin of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago says use of the da Vinci robot will allow more successful outcomes and reduced wait times vs. traditional surgery.
"Many people think getting a vasectomy reversed is just like turning on a faucet that was off," Lin says in a statement. "But it's not that simple. Reversal is a very delicate procedure that requires ultra precision for it to be successful."
Lin says the robot helps achieve a high degree of precision. Although the method doesn't cut procedural or recovery times, Lin says it offers men an earlier return and higher concentration of sperm that "theoretically increases the likelihood of natural pregnancy."
Lin said while a vasectomy is a 10-minute, outpatient procedure, the reversal can take between 4 hours and 5 hours and recovery time could take up to 10 days.
"It's not good enough to be pretty sure you want to have a vasectomy," Lin says. "You have to really consider the time and financial implications of vasectomy reversal because there's always a chance it won't be successful."
