Successful surgery at Naval Hospital Jacksonville completes military family

Story by Julie Lucas

Naval Hospital Jacksonville

A recent life change led one Navy couple to make a big decision that changed the dynamics of their family forever. Ensign Adam Breedlove, a pilot in training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, and his wife Lindsey Breedlove, former Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville Post Anesthesia Care Unit nurse lieutenant, took steps to add to their family when Lindsey decided to end her military service.

The couple met in 2012 at the Navy recruiting station in their Indiana hometown of Marion and married six short months later before Adam left for bootcamp to become a rescue swimmer. Their family grew after the birth of their daughter in 2018 and their son in 2020.

They thought they were done having children, but then things changed. “With us no longer being a dual military couple, we could have another baby and grow our family unit,” says Lindsey.

But a bigger problem than not being co-located faced the couple. Adam had a vasectomy, and they were unsure having another addition to the family was possible. Lindsey began asking around and saw her dreams being dashed as a vasectomy reversal was seen as an elective procedure and very expensive out of pocket. But that all changed when a new urologist checked into NH Jacksonville in the fall of 2023.

“We had a patient on my floor who was recovering from a reversal, which lead to a conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Evans,” Lindsey recalls. Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Evans is a NH Jacksonville urologist.

The next hurdle the couple faced was getting Adam scheduled for surgery at NH Jacksonville, while being stationed at NAS Pensacola. After an evaluation, pre-operative appointments, and command authorization, Adam’s surgery was scheduled for February 1, just 28 days before Lindsey’s last day of Navy service.

The Breedloves were educated on the risks associated with the surgery and possibility of an unsuccessful outcome. Little did they know how quickly the surgery would be effective in their particular case.
“Five weeks after the surgery, we were on a trip, my wife was tired, and I joked that she was pregnant,” Adam said.

Lindsey purchased pregnancy tests and couldn’t believe the double lines she saw, and she quickly took another test, which led to some excited screaming.

“I’m known be a jokester, so Adam didn’t believe me at first,” Lindsey humorously stated. The family couldn’t be more excited about their addition after beating the odds.

“For best results after a surgery like this, I recommend waiting six weeks to resume intercourse and the national outcome is still 60-80 percent successful, but I’ve personally seen a 90 percent success rate,” says Evans. “We currently have a long waitlist for the vasectomy reversal procedure at NH Jacksonville, but we can get interested patients added to the waitlist and discuss if this option for fertility is right for them.”

The couple’s third child is due November 15. Adam and Lindsey have nothing but positive words to say about their experience. “The surgery was totally worth the short-term recovery for the long-term result, “Adam says. “My son is stoked about having a brother, and I think my daughter is still hoping the doctor was wrong,” he jokes.

“Don’t give up – do your research and ask lots of questions,” Lindsey advises. “I still cannot believe that the surgery was successful and we are adding another little man to the Breedlove bunch!”
“I am honored to be able to help couples on their journey towards building their perfect families. I’m thrilled to hear when my patients have a successful outcome!” adds Evans.