Vasectomy reversal vs IVF: what each costs
After a vasectomy there are two ways to a pregnancy: surgery to reconnect the tubes that carry sperm, or a sperm retrieval and IVF with ICSI. Here is what 12 practices in 11 states post for a reversal on their own pages, what a retrieval and an IVF cycle cost, and what the AUA/ASRM guideline and the studies say decides between them.
A vasectomy reversal is one surgery, posted at $3,500 to $12,700; the alternative is a sperm retrieval plus IVF with ICSI, priced per cycle. The AUA/ASRM guideline backs both, and says reconstruction may be the preferable choice when the woman's fertility is normal. Her age matters most: a cited review says to consider a reversal up to about 40, and IVF is often better when there is a female factor too.
What practices post for a vasectomy reversal
Each price is the practice's own sentence on its own page, read on the date at the top. Sorted by state, never by price; what each covers is in its own words.
| Practice | Posted price | What the price covers, in its words |
|---|---|---|
International Center for Vasectomy Reversals Tucson, AZ | $12,700 | “Here at ICVR, we offer a fixed, no surprises, all-inclusive price package of $12,700.” Fixed all-inclusive package for a routine first-time reversal. Page says sperm banking and the first year of storage and 6 months aftercare are included in the price; says a higher cost applies to more complicated, redo or PVPS reversals. |
Male Fertility Specialists San Diego, CA | $8,450 | “We offer a fixed, all-inclusive price of $8,450 for the procedure, which includes the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, and facility charges.” Surgeon's fee $5,000, anesthesia $1,250 (estimate based on 4 hours), facility fee $2,200 (surgery center). Page says price is based on two named San Diego surgery centers and exact fees depend on the center. $1,200 non-refundable deposit at scheduling. |
Outpatient Vasectomy Reversal (Dr. Green) Sarasota, FL | $8,900 | “The total cost of the Vasectomy Reversal (Vasovasostomy - V-V) procedure is $8,900, broken down as follows:” Surgeon's fee $5,900, anesthesia $1,000, surgery center fee $2,000. $1,500 reservation fee applied to the surgeon's fee. No additional fee if a vasoepididymostomy is required. |
Georgia Vasectomy Reversal (Dr. McHugh) GA | $8,800 | “GA Vasectomy Reversal All-Inclusive Cost | $8800.00” Surgeon's fee, practice-owned accredited surgical facility, nursing staff, operating microscope and supplies, certified anesthesiologist with general anesthesia, overnight accommodations if necessary, phone consultation. |
Vasectomy Reversal Center of Chicago Oak Brook, IL | $7,900 | “The current cost of the procedure including the facility and the surgeon fee (all-inclusive) is $7900 in 2026.” All-inclusive of facility and surgeon fee; done in the office operating room under local anesthesia. $500 deposit. Page says $8,400 for cases scheduled after January 1, 2027. 3% convenience fee on credit cards. |
Dennis Streeter, DO Merrillville, IN | $4,000 | “Total Procedural Fee: $4000.00” The total procedural fee its pricing page lists for a male vasectomy reversal; a $1,000 non-refundable deposit is applied to it. Cashier’s checks or money orders only; no insurance. |
Flint Urology (Dr. Bauer) Flint, MI | $5,700 to $6,050 | “The total cost runs approximately $5,700-$6,050 for the first attempt and $9,800-$10,050 for the second.” Surgical fee $4,000 (first attempt; $8,000 if second attempt with vasoepididymostomy). Facility fee typically $1,700 and anesthesiologist typically $500-750 are added. Second-attempt total about $9,800-$10,050. |
Midwest Vasectomy Reversals St. Louis, MO | $4,000 | “Our charge for a vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy) done under a local anesthesia is $4000.00 with a $500 deposit (included in total price).” Vasovasostomy under local anesthesia. $500 deposit included in total. Extra fees for credit card ($120) and CareCredit ($200). Small post-op expenses (pain medicine about $20). Repeat procedure with local anesthesia $3,500 if sperm absent and repeat makes sense. |
Vasectomy Reversal Center of Ohio Dayton, OH | $8,300 | “The combined cost of a vasectomy reversal procedure (anesthesia, surgery center facility fee, and procedure fee) is: $8,300.00” Anesthesia, surgery center facility fee and procedure fee. $400 deposit counted toward the total. Semen analysis (about $125-150) not included. Optional sperm removal at the time of reversal: $350 operative time plus about $1,000 at a local lab to freeze and store 1 year. |
Mark Hickman, MD Dallas, TX | $3,500 to $4,400 | “The microsurgical vasectomy reversal cost option of $3,500 includes local anesthesia and an oral sedative.” Two all-inclusive options: $3,500 with local anesthesia and an oral sedative; $4,400 under IV sedation by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist. Page says no hidden fees. |
Urology San Antonio San Antonio, TX | $6,900 | “At Urology San Antonio, the cost of a fibrin glue vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy) is $6,900.” Fibrin glue vasovasostomy: surgeon's services and routine follow-up care, anesthesiologist, outpatient surgery center. Not included: pre-op labs (about $150), post-op semen analysis (about $100). Vasoepididymostomy is a separate $2,000 deposit (refunded if not needed); the page says conventional technique is $9,000. |
Male Fertility and Peyronie's Clinic Orem, UT | $3,500 | “Vasectomy Reversal $3,500” Listed as a procedure price on the clinic's fee list; page notes all procedures are most commonly done under local anesthesia alone and general anesthesia is an optional $1,050 add-on. Page says the listed prices are the maximum you may pay and costs are out of pocket. |
What a surgical sperm retrieval costs
Few practices post a retrieval price. These are the ones we found, in their words; freezing the sperm is usually billed on its own line.
| Practice | Procedure | Posted price | What the price covers, in its words |
|---|---|---|---|
Male Fertility and Peyronie's Clinic Orem, UT | TESE | $1,100 | “Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) $1,100” Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) procedure fee on the clinic's fee list. General anesthesia is a separate optional $1,050; cryopreservation is $200 per collection plus $250 per year storage, listed as separate lines, so freezing is NOT included in the TESE price. Also lists MESA $1,250 and microTESE $2,850. |
Male Fertility and Peyronie's Clinic Orem, UT | MESA | $1,250 | “Microepididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) $1,250” Microepididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) fee on the same fee list; freezing priced separately. |
Male Fertility and Peyronie's Clinic Orem, UT | micro-TESE | $2,850 | “Microtesticular Sperm Extraction (microTESE) $2,850” microTESE fee on the same fee list; most procedures done under local anesthesia alone; freezing priced separately. |
Male Fertility and Peyronie's Clinic Orem, UT | TESE at time of reversal | $550 | “Retrieval of the sperm ($550 if performed at the time of reversal)” Adds TESE at the time of a vasectomy reversal for $550; annual cryo storage of $250 not included; transfer of specimen within the US about $550. |
Salt Lake City, UT | micro-TESE | $8,000 to $12,000 | “Each microTESE procedure costs between $8,000-$12,000.” A range stated by the university's fertility page for microTESE, not a fee schedule; inclusions not stated. A cost range on an educational page, not an itemized price. |
What an IVF cycle with ICSI costs
Retrieved sperm is used with ICSI, where one sperm is injected into each egg. These are the ranges our cost calculator cites for each line.
| Line | Cited range |
|---|---|
Base IVF cycle fee Monitoring, egg retrieval, lab fertilization, and one fresh transfer: the clinic's headline quote. | $9,000 to $14,000 |
Stimulation medications The injectable hormones that grow multiple eggs, dosed to your body over the cycle. | $3,000 to $7,000 |
Anesthesia or sedation Sedation for the egg retrieval procedure. | $300 to $500 |
ICSI (sperm injection) An embryologist injects a single sperm directly into each egg, rather than letting fertilization happen in a dish. | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| One cycle with ICSI, before the retrieval | $13,300 to $24,000 |
The sources of each line are in our IVF cost calculator, and each clinic's own posted IVF price is on our IVF costs page. Freezing the embryos, genetic testing and later frozen transfers add to it.
Her age, the years since the vasectomy, and cost
From the AUA/ASRM guideline on infertility in men (Part II, 2021) and the studies it and a 2021 Fertility and Sterility review draw on, each in its own words.
“Couples desiring conception after vasectomy should be counseled that surgical reconstruction, surgical sperm retrieval, or both reconstruction and simultaneous sperm retrieval for cryopreservation are viable options.”
“For most cases of acquired or congenital obstruction (excluding CBAVD), microsurgical reconstruction of the male reproductive tract may be the preferable alternative to sperm retrieval and ICSI when the female partner has normal fertility potential.”
“In the absence of insurance coverage, VR is often more cost-effective than IVF. Alternatively, when a female factor may contribute to infertility in addition to vasectomy, IVF is often the better choice.”
“The cost per live delivery in this population for VR was $28,530 compared with $103,940 for IVF (41).”
“The authors concluded that VR should be considered in couples with female partner age ≤40 years.”
“The pregnancy and ongoing/delivery rates were 46% (12 of 26 patients) and 46% (12 of 26) for female partners 35 to 39 years old, and 14% (2 of 14) and 7% (1 of 14) for female partners older than 40, respectively.”
“If the interval had been less than 3 years patency was 97% and pregnancy 76%, 3 to 8 years 88% and 53%, 9 to 14 years 79% and 44% and 15 years or more 71% and 30%.”
“However, more contemporary studies demonstrated that excellent patency and at least comparable pregnancy rates can be achieved despite an OI of >10-20 years (22-24).”
“For men with obstructive azoospermia, there are no substantial differences in ICSI success rates when either cryopreserved or fresh sperm are used”
“It can take up to 6 - 12 months for sperm to return to the ejaculate following a vasovasostomy and longer following an epididymovasostomy (up to 18 months).”
“For partners ≥40 years, reversal achieved 38.2% versus 29.7% pregnancy rates at mean costs of $47,960 and $43,043 (ICER=$58,816; marginal advantage for ART).”
The two tests a fertility workup starts with
A first visit at a fertility clinic usually begins with a semen analysis and a test of her egg supply, most often AMH (ASRM). At-home kits, and for AMH a blood test you can order yourself and have drawn at a lab, give you a first read on both before you book, lowest price first, each with what it measures; the clinic will usually test again before planning treatment.
Her egg supply (AMH)
- Labcorp AMH blood test (Practitioner Depot)AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) blood test ordered online and drawn at a Labcorp patient service center$49.49 one-timePractitioner DepotPartner
- FullWell Fertility Testat-home finger-prick hormone panel (AMH, FSH, estradiol, TSH, vitamin D) with lab report$86 one-time
- AMH blood test, female (Ulta Lab Tests)AMH (anti-Mullerian hormone) blood test ordered online and drawn at a lab patient service center; results in about 2 to 3 business days$89.95 one-timeUlta Lab TestsPartner
His sperm
- SpermCheck Fertilitysingle-use at-home sperm-concentration test$49 (1-pack)SpermCheckPartner
- myLAB Box At-Home Male Fertility Testat-home semen analysis read on a phone: sperm count and motility, with a recorded video of the sample10% off any product with code GO10$99 one-timemyLAB BoxPartner
- YO Home Sperm Testreusable smartphone-based device plus 3 single-use sperm tests: concentration and motility$99.95 one-timeYO Home Sperm TestPartner
Links marked Partner are referral links: if you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay or the data shown. How partners are handled
What the visit itself costs: the first-consultation fees clinics post.
Many clinics also set a BMI limit before IVF, for the sedation at egg retrieval: the limit each clinic states, and what losing weight first costs.
Timing each month
Once the semen analysis finds sperm, you try on your own, so the test you buy each month is an ovulation test.
The semen analyses after a reversal are often billed on their own: what clinics and labs post for a semen analysis.
Ovulation tests, cheapest first
An ovulation test reads the LH surge a day or so before she ovulates, which tells you the days to try. Prices are each brand's own, read on its page.
- Premom / Easy@Home LH ovulation stripsLH ovulation test strips + the free Premom tracking appfrom $9.99 (25 strips)Premom (Easy@Home) on AmazonPartner
- Pregmate 50 ovulation test stripsLH ovulation test strips + the free Pregmate app$16.97 (50 strips)Pregmate on AmazonPartner
- MomMed 60 ovulation test stripsindividually wrapped LH ovulation test strips$17.90 (60 strips)MomMedPartner
- Proov Complete testing systemat-home ovulation and PdG confirmation kit$99.99 first cycleProov on AmazonPartner
- Oova Fertility Hormone Kitone cycle of urine test strips measuring LH, E3G and PdG, read by the free Oova phone app$159 one-time
- Mira Hormone Monitor: Ultra4 Kitreusable hormone monitor plus 20 Ultra4 test wands, each reading FSH, E3G (estrogen), LH and PdG (progesterone) from urine$249 (20 wands)MiraPartner20% off one-time purchases with code 2IVFCOST20
Links marked Partner are referral links: if you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the price you pay or the data shown. How partners are handled
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What practices say beside the price
Semen analyses, sperm freezing, financing and insurance, as the practices put them.
“Postoperative semen analysis (about $100 payable directly to a laboratory outside of Urology San Antonio).”
urologysanantonio.com“Semen analysis is usually first checked between two and three months after surgery.”
hopkinsmedicine.org“Dr. Russell does not personally charge extra to remove sperm at the time of a reversal, but the additional operative time involved costs $350.00, and the local fertility lab charges ~$1000.00 to freeze and store the sperm for 1 year, and then about $275 yearly storage fee after the first year.”
vasectomyreversalohio.com“We also provide Free sperm banking and the first year of storage, which saves patients many thousands of dollars.”
vasectomy-reversal-questions.com“Due to this procedure almost never being covered by insurance, we have partnered with CareCredit, an independent financing company which can provide financing options.”
vasectomyreversalohio.com“It is incredibly rare for health insurance to cover the cost of a vasectomy reversal operation.”
urologysanantonio.com“The prices listed above reflect the maximum amount that you may have to pay for any of the services.”
malefertilityandpeyroniesclinic.com“Dr. Green does not charge an additional fee if a vasoepididymostomy is required.”
vasectomyreversal.net
Common questions about vasectomy reversal and IVF
How much does a vasectomy reversal cost?
12 US practices post a price on their own pages, from $3,500 to $12,700. The low end is usually done under local anesthesia in the office; most prices include the surgeon, anesthesia and the surgery center. Some practices charge more when a vasoepididymostomy is needed, and at some the semen analyses after surgery are billed separately. Insurance rarely covers it.
Is a vasectomy reversal cheaper than IVF?
Usually, when the woman's fertility is normal. A reversal is one surgery at $3,500 to $12,700; the other route is a sperm retrieval plus an IVF cycle with ICSI, about $13,300 to $24,000 for the cycle alone by the ranges we cite. A 2021 Fertility and Sterility review says that without insurance coverage a reversal is often more cost-effective than IVF, and that IVF is often the better choice when a female factor is also present.
Does it matter how long ago the vasectomy was?
It used to be the main factor: the 1991 Vasovasostomy Study Group found pregnancy rates of 76% when the reversal came within 3 years and 30% after 15 years or more. A 2021 Fertility and Sterility review says more recent studies show excellent patency and comparable pregnancy rates even 10 to 20 years after the vasectomy. One practice in our list adds a $2,000 vasoepididymostomy deposit when the vasectomy was more than 8 years ago, refunded if it is not needed.
What does the woman's age change?
A lot. The AUA/ASRM guideline says reconstruction may be preferable to sperm retrieval and ICSI when the female partner has normal fertility potential. The 2021 review cites authors who concluded a reversal should be considered when she is 40 or younger, and a 2003 series found pregnancy in 46% of couples with a partner aged 35 to 39 against 14% over 40.
How long after a vasectomy reversal does sperm come back?
Johns Hopkins Medicine says it can take up to 6 to 12 months for sperm to return after a vasovasostomy, and up to 18 months after an epididymovasostomy, with the first semen analysis usually two to three months after surgery.