Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thanks for all the info guys. I just checked my insurance and there are two ways to go. You can go to a hospital or "facility". Or you can go to a doctor's office. If you use a hospital, the bill is about $6500. If you use a doctor's office, is about $450. Holy cow! What a difference. Are you missing out on something really important by using an office or are hopsitals just so more expensive because of the overhead?
 
Yes, hospital-based services tend to be much more expensive than identical outpatient services. If you opt for the latter, make sure that the facility has appropriate support and resuscitation services onsite. For example, if you're going to have conscious sedation (awake, but with pain meds and sedatives on board), you must be monitored appropriately, and the staff should be adept at handling emergencies such as medication reactions. Most outpatient procedures go well, but if yours doesn't, you want to be certain that the situation is handled properly.
 

I agree with many who are saying this is creative writing - it's the truth embellished quite a bit and written by a pretty immature guy. Just about all of it is correct - that's pretty much what it's like. You can feel some pressure, you can smell the cauterization - but what did you expect? It's a surgical procedure! Takes less than 15 minutes.

I had the procedure 3 years ago. It really wasn't all that bad, and a small price to pay for never having to worry again.

I will say this - schedule it for a Thursday or Friday and plan on spending the weekend with your painkillers and your frozen peas. I was up and running in 2 or 3 days.

I'd say the most embarrassing part was having to provide 2 consecutive "zero count" samples 6 to 8 weeks after the fact. Believe it or not - after the vas is cut there are still live swimmers in there for weeks. Doctors want to see two semen samples with a zero count before they say the procedure was a success. My first sample was clean, but the second had a few of my guys still kicking around. Third was clean and 4th as well - then I was good to go.

Bringing the samples in to a urologists office in a sample cup wrapped up in a bag was an interesting and slightly embarrassing process - but the nurses were professional about it.

Man up and get it done - at the worst, you'll have a hell of a story to tell.

----------

Thanks for all the info guys. I just checked my insurance and there are two ways to go. You can go to a hospital or "facility". Or you can go to a doctor's office. If you use a hospital, the bill is about $6500. If you use a doctor's office, is about $450. Holy cow! What a difference. Are you missing out on something really important by using an office or are hopsitals just so more expensive because of the overhead?

I paid about $800 for mine and it was done in a urology doctors office. Insurance didn't cover it for me (USA).
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I just checked my insurance and there are two ways to go. You can go to a hospital or "facility". Or you can go to a doctor's office. If you use a hospital, the bill is about $6500. If you use a doctor's office, is about $450. Holy cow! What a difference. Are you missing out on something really important by using an office or are hopsitals just so more expensive because of the overhead?

Slightly different scenario here in Canada... it was just "covered". I had mine done in a hospital.

I would simply recommend that you get it done by someone who does a lot of them. There is a difference between a GP who is trained to do these, and does a couple a week - and someone who does dozens a week. The specialist will likely be using the newest techniques, and will be able to cope easier if your particular physiology is somehow, um 'different'. For instance if the tubes are not exactly where the biology text book says they're supposed to be.
 
I had one done about five years ago.

I experienced both pain and discomfort, both during and as long as a month after the procedure. I'll spare you the details.

I experienced a complication. Again, I'll spare you the details.

My experience was not like the Craigslist story - there was no tape involved.

All things considered, I'm very happy I had it done, no regrets, and would do it all over again once the "benefits" are considered.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I just checked my insurance and there are two ways to go. You can go to a hospital or "facility". Or you can go to a doctor's office. If you use a hospital, the bill is about $6500. If you use a doctor's office, is about $450. Holy cow! What a difference. Are you missing out on something really important by using an office or are hopsitals just so more expensive because of the overhead?

Of course I'm in the UK so it cost nothing!
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I just checked my insurance and there are two ways to go. You can go to a hospital or "facility". Or you can go to a doctor's office. If you use a hospital, the bill is about $6500. If you use a doctor's office, is about $450. Holy cow! What a difference. Are you missing out on something really important by using an office or are hopsitals just so more expensive because of the overhead?

Most urologists in the US do it in the office with no problems. Very routine. There is no reason to pay extra for the hospital route. My co-worker drove himself to the MD office then drove himself home afterwards.
 
Thanks again for the all the stories and advice....I have the insurance working on pre-cert now and I guess by the end of the month.....:eek:
 
I think most doctors are using this method now. I know my urologist did. It's actually pretty simple, puncture, pull out the tube, snip, clip, burn the ends, and presto, your done.
That's what I had done. No regrets and no complications.
 
I wonder how the sex life is after.

I'll address this one. Graphic story ahead, highlight to read.

During the procedure, the doctor discovered a substantial amount of dense tissue growth along both vas deferens. The only real effect of this is that he had to tug and dig and pull much harder to get enough of the tube exposed to make the cut, cauterize the ends, place the clips, and put everything away.

Mind you, the anesthetic really only numbs the skin and vas deferens itself, so I didn't feel any cutting, etc. - but I felt every bit of the pulling and tugging, and it was incredibly unpleasant to say the least.

Afterwards, I was in pain that even Vicodin couldn't touch. I learned from a follow-up visit that it was because of a hematoma. It literally felt like I had a third nut for about a month, except it was very painful to stand up, sit down, walk, or otherwise move my legs. Sex, on the other hand, was completely pain-free. In time the pain cleared up and everything was fine.


After all that, sex has been so much better and worry-free that despite all the discomfort and complications, I'd very happily do it all again.
 
If anyone is wondering why this thread came back from the dead, its because I had my vasectomy and posted so. My post "ouch" was deleted because of the one-word post rule. Anyway, thanks again for all the info. After the local, I literally did not feel a thing and hours later, the local is either still going strong or the tylenol is working but I don't have pain (the ouch was kind of a joke). The local did hurt a little but of course getting a shot in your ball sack is gonna hurt. But the second hurt less than the first and I barely felt the third. Back to resting up!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.