Antonio Cromartie has made a career out of shutting down wide receivers. But it seems nothing can shut down the Jets cornerback’s off-the-field game — not even a vasectomy.
The father of 10 — who once struggled to name all of his children on TV — has impregnated his wife with twins despite undergoing the sterilization procedure in 2011.
“The failure rate can depend on how you do the procedure,” says Dr. Harry Fisch, a clinical professor of urology at Weill Cornell.
“The [vas deferens] canal [which carries the sperm to the urethra] is like a piece of spaghetti, and you cut it in two. But years later, the ends can potentially form another connection,” explains Fisch. “The sperm swims and makes its own tunnel, which is miraculous.”
A vasectomy can also fail soon after surgery.
“When you have a vasectomy, there are still bullets in the gun. You need about 20 to 30 ejaculates after the procedure to empty the sperm from your system,” says Fisch.
‘When you have a vasectomy, there are still bullets in the gun.’
- Dr. Harry Fisch
The Park Avenue urologist doesn’t clear his patients until a lab analysis certifies their sperm is completely cleared out.
And while the fortitude of 31-year-old Cromartie’s sperm is well-documented, it isn’t a factor here.
“The strength of your sperm isn’t related,” explains Fisch. “In this case, it’s just ironic.”