The Bachelorette's Stu says he's willing to have his vasectomy reversed. But does it work?

Bachelorette Sophie Monk was gobsmacked to learn one of her final four men – in fact, the favourite to win – has had a vasectomy.

In Thursday night’s episode, Stu Laundy admitted to Sophie that he has undergone the procedure, which is designed to make him infertile.

The revelation caused the 37-year-old to question their relationship given, that she has made it perfectly clear she wants to have children in the near future.

Stu quickly added he would be very willing to have the procedure reversed as he “loved kids”.

But hang on a second, is it all as simple as that? How do you reverse "the snip" and does it actually work?

According to IVF Australia, a vasectomy reversal or vasovasectomy is a surgical procedure where the vas deferens (tubes that sperm must pass through to reach the penis and be ejaculated) that were cut during a vasectomy are reconnected.

While the procedure sounds straightforward enough, success is only measured once doctors conduct a "semen analysis" six to eight weeks later.

"After a vasectomy reversal sperm usually returns progressively and by three months 90 per cent of men will have sperm present," the website states.

Whether the procedure was successful will also depend on how damaged the vas deferens were and how much time has passed since the vasectomy. If it was 10 or 15 years ago, the chances of success are much lower.

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And in the five to 10 percent chance the reversal does fail, there are other options. For couples who want to conceive through IVF, sperm can be extracted from the epididymis or testis. As these surgeries carry risks, however, a vasectomy reversal should be attempted first, Vasectomy Reversal Australia's Dr Robert Woolcott recommends.

What does this mean for your chances of getting pregnant post-vasovasectomy?

Of course, the return of sperm doesn't necessarily mean a pregnancy will soon follow.

According to Vasectomy Reversal Australia, the post-surgery pregnancy rate is between 50 to 80 per cent. However, a major factor in this success rate is the age of the woman trying to get pregnant - as it is for women with partners who haven't had vasectomies. 

"When the woman is less than 35 years and the duration of time between vasectomy and reversal is less than 10 years up to 85 per cent of couples achieve a successful pregnancy," the website states.

And as for the health of that child, there's no evidence to suggest couples should wait beyond the two-week recovery period before trying to conceive.

All in all, we can understand why a vasectomy isn't necessarily the deal-breaker it first seems like.