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My husband had a vasectomy and the doctor calls 1 week later to tell him that, after review of the specimen, the pathologist has concluded that the vas deferens was not cut during the surgery on one side. My husband and I, of course, were shocked at this news. We are wondering, what could have been cut and do you ever hear of this happening? What should we do now? He is supposed to go back to the doctor to discuss if the surgery can be done again. It has been a few weeks since the surgery and now my husband is having some burning while urinating as well. My husband is scheduled to see this doctor again in about a week.

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Male , Age: 36

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Hello,

It is possible that the vas was cut partially during the surgery - the reason why the pathologist found sperm in the semen. This is rare in good hands but is not completely unknown. It is also possible that a vein was cut during the procedure, although unlikely. Cutting a vein will not cause any problem in the long run.

The burning and urination is unlikely to be related to the surgery. He is probably starting an urinary tract infection.

I hope this helps.

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Experienced in the management of Pregnancy,Infertility,Menopause and all problems in Pregnancy and Gynecology

Reply to Dr.M.D.Mazumdar, MD(O's Post: The specimen I was referring to is what was actually cut out during the surgery. The urologist thought this was the vas deferens, but the pathologist confirmed it was not. No sperm sample has been tested. How would a urologist make this mistake - from what I have researched, they actually pull the vas deferens out of the incision and then cut it. We do not know what was cut.

Hello,

There are very few structures that are similar in size and shape to the vas deferens. A vein can resemble the vas but does not have the cordlike feel that the vas has. Still, it is the only structure that an be cut by mistake.

The pathologist should be able to tell you what structure was cut - a microscopic examination will show whether it was a blood vessel , a ligament, a roll of tissue or anything else. An examination of the semen will also show whether the vas or some other structure was cut.

I hope this helps.

Let me know if you need more input. If not, please click on the green"Accept" button on this page. A positive rating and adding a bonus will be warmly appreciated.

Experienced in the management of Pregnancy,Infertility,Menopause and all problems in Pregnancy and Gynecology

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