This article is a very personal one, but one I wanted to share with you, as there are always tens of thousands of men considering whether to have a vasectomy reversal.

The desire for a vasectomy reversal can come from two main causes: divorce or relationship break up, and a change in financial circumstances that makes having a baby affordable whereas before, at the time of the vasectomy, it may not have been.

Most commonly, men have a vasectomy in marriage, when they or their partner, or both, have decided they do not want any more babies. The reason does not matter, really, the fact is they have the vasectomy because of that particular relationship.

Should a couple make a decision to have no further children then a male vasectomy is the best option. It is a simple outpatient operation. I always compared it to going to the dentist, except you open your legs instead of your mouth. It is also quite painless, although in my case I did not appreciate the painkiller wearing off while I was driving home, after I was assured it was going to be ok. Using the clutch was not a bundle of fun for the last few miles.

But, the vasectomy was done, as it is commonly every day for thousands of men around the world. At the time, I never gave a thought for vasectomy reversal in the future.

Many years later I was divorced, and it was not long before I was thinking about having the vasectomy reversed. I was in England then, but later in 1998 I decided I would probably move abroad. I eventually decided on the Philippines as the most suitable country, where I could settle in the quickest.

In 1999 I started researching vasectomy reversals, but there were not many places in the UK that I could find on the internet at the time. Eventually, I did find one in my own county, Dorset, so I quickly earmarked that for my eventual vasectomy reversal. By that time, I was firmly of the idea I wanted more children.

In July of 2000, I visited the Philippines for 3 weeks to check out a few possible locations to settle in, and to confirm to myself that it would be the best place for me to live. As it turned out, it was way beyond expectations. The beauty, the friendliness, the warmth, the character of the place and the people, all told me that I was going to the best possible place to escape the cold miserable climate of England.

After the visit, I gave myself just 6 weeks to get myself organised, personally, financially, and business wise, to leave England for good. I knew that getting a vasectomy reversal was not likely to be possible in the Philippines, so if ever I was going to have one, it had to be there and then, while still in England.

I fixed the vasectomy reversal operation for just 3 weeks before I left the country. It was a short outpatient visit to a private hospital some 25 miles away. The operation was done under full anaesthetic, and I recall it being a very relaxed sort of day. By then I had sold my car, and had to rely on a taxi to get me to the hospital and collect me. The lady driver was very sympathetic, and actually very supportive, helping to make it more of a day out than a trip to hospital.

The surgeon was making no promises about the success of the vasectomy reversal, and my chances of fathering any more babies. He told me beforehand that he could usually tell, as soon as opening up a man, whether or not he was likely to have sufficient sperm to produce a child. I wondered what chances he thought I had, but I never saw him afterwards to ask.

My next contact with the surgeon was in 2003. I had been in the Philippines 3 years when I met Mary Ann, my wife. Within 6 weeks of our living together, she was pregnant. I was absolutely over the moon, and one of the first people I told was the surgeon. I also passed on my profound thanks for our little miracle, a baby daughter who now brings delight not just to us, but everyone who meets her.