Sperm Storage
Sperm banking is a viable alternative to vasectomy reversal if you might want children in the future. Stored sperm can be used for IVF, ICSI, or IUI.
ReproTech, Ltd.
Website: ReproTech
Contact: 888-953-9669
Service: Partners with fertility centers for cryopreservation and long-term storage. Use their OverNite Male™ Kit for $575 if you can't visit a center.
Xytex Corporation
Website: Xytex
Contact: 1-800-353-5748
Service: Offers Cryokit® for at-home sperm collection. Collect and mail three samples for testing. You can choose to store if sperm quality is good.
Cryo
Choice
Website: CryoChoice
Contact: 404-325-0907
Service: Home kit costs $599 for the first year, including collection, processing, and storage. Minimum three-year storage at $139/year thereafter.
Ro Sperm Kit
Website: Ro Sperm Kit
Contact: 800-619-7869
Service: Offers at-home collection and mailing for $199. This includes analysis and 1-year storage at New England Cryogenic Center, as well as a detailed evaluation of sperm quality.
Fellow
Website: Fellow
Contact: support@meetfellow.com
Service: Offers at-home collection with prepaid return shipping. Analysis of sperm is $189 and storage of sperm is $140 per year. They also offer a detailed evaluation of sperm quality and health.
Frozen Semen
While you may be able to preserve your semen without incurring any professional fees (except those paid to the sperm storage facility), you will need the services of a gynecologist to use it.
If the semen is of good quality (high sperm count and activity), it can be injected directly into your partner's cervix at the time of ovulation, a process known as artificial insemination (AI) or intra-uterine insemination (IUI). You can check with a local GYN offices to learn the "going price" for AI. Chances of stored semen causing a pregnancy in the first month (female cycle) of use are about 18.5% for women <35 years old, just slightly less than the monthly chance of pregnancy in a healthy couple (20%) of similar age.
If the semen is of sub-optimal quality (low sperm count or activity), an infertility specialist may recommend in-vitro fertilization (IVF). This would require harvesting your partner's eggs surgically, fertilizing them directly with your thawed sperm, then re-implanting the fertilized egg(s) into your partner's uterus. This process can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the number of attempts made.
Summary
While vasectomy reversal success rates are good, reversals don't always result in sperm return to the semen. Cryopreservation (preservation by freezing) of semen prior to vasectomy can alleviate concerns about the permanency of vasectomy and the possibility of reversal failure. Three semen samples can be shipped, evaluated, and stored for two years for less than $1000. While most vasectomy candidates will never use their stored sperm, they may get peace of mind knowing "it's there".