Hi Mara and welcome!
My husband had a sperm retrieval (there is two technics called MESA and TESA) .
He also had a vasectomy but we did not try the reversal and went straight for the sperm retrieval.
It was a 20 min operation under GA, a 1.5 cm cut on one of the testis, and the doc got the sperm with a needle.
Normally it is done on the day of the egg collection (then the sperm is fresh!) but it can also be done before and the sperm frozen (as we did).
My husband left the hospital two hours after waking up, he did not have to go back for the stitches as they go on their own when the wound has healed. It was a bit painful and he had to take paracetamol for a few days. Then all was a bit swollen and bruised for a week or so...
That's it!
But I think the worst part for my hubby was when the hairs started to grow back (he had to be shaved!)
So nothing terrible, and as soon as the op is finish you can know if it was sucessful or not.
That why we did not go fo the reversal, I could not wait one year (my doc told me it could take up to one year for the sperm to be back if the reversal is sucessful...)
But you have to be aware that (if i am not mistaken) it is impossible to try another reversal after a sperm retrieval.
Good luck!
xxx
souris

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