open-ended conversion for post vasectomy problems

[john]

Regular visitors to this group may recall my experience of a somewhat
radical decrease in pleasure following my traditional vasectomy in
february this year. There was some improvement with time, but I was
also left with;
-very sensitive,'pressurised' testicals (I could not return to wearing
boxer shorts).
-frequent sharp pains in the testicals during driving and when
urinating first thing in the morning.
-no sense of 'relief' after ejaculation.
-a smell of semen in my urine for a few urinations after ejaculation
(insufficient ejaculation force?)
After about 3 months, I started to get a very unpleasant bonus:
-a sharp but fuzzy pain in the scotum during sex, leading up to,
during , and for about a minute after ejaculation. (I suppose it was a
bit like a jammed toaster buzzing away).
The urologist who carried out the original vasectomy was very
unhelpful as well as either ill-informed or dishonest.
I knew early on that I was going to have to get something done
about it. The decision was what to do. Reading up on peoples'
experiences and opinions, I came to the conclusion that an open ended
conversion would be the safest bet. I was sure that my problems wre
related to back pressure,so what was the best way to ensure that both
vas would be unblocked?
In a reversal, the join must be aligned carefully, without scar
tissue blocking it, and the muscular contraction must be able to pass
over it and all the way up the vas as nature intended. There are
logically 4 possible outcomes, assuming no serious blockage further
down:
1/both vas still blocked
2/LH blocked, RH free
3/LH free, RH blocked
4/both vas free
Possibilities 2,3, or 4 could mean a 'successful' reversal from the
normal fertility point of view. But only possiblity 4 would mean
complete cure of back pressure problems. If the chances of a
'successful' reversal are, say, 75%, then what are the chances of
actually freeing the back pressure both sides? I would have thought
that around 25-30% is probably about right. How many times have you
heard of reversal being carried out to try to cure PVP with immediate
relief following the op., only to be followed by a return of pain on
one side or the other?
I eventually found a good urologist (who has had a vasectomy
himself) who was, after a pretty down to earth consultation, prepared
to do the conversion. He hadn't done either a conversion or an open
ended vasectomy himself (he usually does closed ended ones, and
reversals), but he was aware of the procedure unlike all the other
urologists that I contacted in the area (south of the U.K)
The operation was expensive (around 2/3rds the cost of a reversal)
because it is standard practice in the U.K. (maybe worldwide?) to bury
both upper and lower tied ends of the vas under the same area of
tissue. This meant that he had to cut the whole lot out and do it
again, under a general rather than local.
It was done over a month ago. The right side apparently released
its pressure during the op. The left hand side must have been held
back by blowout damage furthur down, but released after the first
ejaculation, leading to a huge granuloma about the size of a plum. It
was uncomfortable but not painful at all, and has now shrunk to the
size of a small grape. I think the pain associated with granulomas is
down to what they are pressing on. i.e. granuloma by a rupture in the
epididymus equals pain, granuloma freefloating at the top of a cut vas
doesn't.
I am confident that, in the circumstances, I made the right
decision. The feelings on ejaculation are still not the same as they
were before the original vasectomy, but I can't be sure that a
reversal would have made any difference either.The good news is that,
at least so far, I have not had any reoccurence of the tension, pains
or tenderness that followed the original vastectomy, and the feeling
of 'relief' on ejaculation is restored as well.
I would be interested in comments, and I hope my experience is of
some use to others in the same position.

John