Purpose: We determined the incidence of iatrogenic injuries to the vas deferens at a tertiary care university infertility center and the results of surgical repair.
Materials and methods: Records of 472 patients surgically explored for obstructive azoospermia between 1984 to 1996 were reviewed. Enrollment criteria included history of inguinal, pelvic and scrotal (other than vasectomy) surgery. Conventional ipsilateral and crossover vasovasostomies and vasoepididymostomies were performed. Patency rate was defined as presence of complete sperm with tails in a postoperative semen analysis. Followup included a minimum of 2 semen analyses. Only naturally conceived pregnancies were included.
Results: Of 472 patients 34 (7.2%) had an iatrogenic injury to the vas deferens with a mean obstruction interval of 20.5 +/- 1.9 years. Mean patient age was 36.7 +/- 1.8 years. Iatrogenic injury to the vas deferens was secondary to bilateral inguinal hernia repair in 19 patients, unilateral hernia repair in 11, renal transplantation in 2, appendectomy in 1 and spermatocelectomy in 1. Pediatric inguinal hernia repair was the most common etiology of the vasal injury (20 patients), followed by adult inguinal hernia repair (10). A total of 36 microsurgical reconstructive procedures were performed, including 20 ipsilateral and 16 crossed vasovasostomies and vasoepididymostomies. There were 26 patients (29 procedures) available for followup (mean 21.0 +/- 3.7 months). Total patency rate per procedure was 65% and pregnancy rate was 39%. Patency and pregnancy rates per conventional ipsilateral procedures were 62.5 and 35.7% and per crossover procedures 64.2 and 42.8%, respectively.
Conclusions: Pediatric inguinal hernia repair is the most common cause of iatrogenic injury to the vas deferens. Results of treatment of iatrogenic injury to the vas deferens are somewhat lower than for patients with obstructive azoospermia due to vasectomy. Iatrogenic injuries are associated with longer vasal defects, impaired blood supply and longer obstructive intervals frequently resulting in secondary epididymal obstruction. Crossover reconstruction is particularly useful when contralateral testicular atrophy is present. Intraoperatively aspirated sperm should be cryopreserved for later use in case the reconstruction fails.