Vasectomy Urologist - Dr. Angelo Gousse, MD
If a man wants to make himself infertile on purpose, he will seek out a particular urologic procedure called a vasectomy. When a man receives a vasectomy, it takes away his ability to get a woman pregnant and have children. It is one of the few urologic procedures with close to a 100% success rate.
You may have heard rumors or myths about vasectomies which may make you scared to get them. However, most patients who have actually received vasectomies will tell you that it is a fast and easy procedure. There is very little pain involved, and it will be done and over with before you know it.
The Procedure
The procedure doesn’t take longer than 15 minutes. The urologist will do everything possible to make the experience as comfortable as possible. First, you will meet up with the urologist in the examination room at the urology clinic. The urologist will explain the procedure in great detail and answer any questions you have about it. Then, if you still want to get the procedure, it will proceed as scheduled.
Step #1 – Take off your pants and lay down on the examination table. A medical assistant will use antibiotic soap to clean out your scrotum.
Step #2 – The urologist will inject a local anesthetic solution into your scrotal skin to numb the area. Most men get nervous about this particular step, but it is not as bad as it may seem. In fact, the whole point of this step is to take away pain.
Step #3 – Now that you feel numbness in the scrotum, the urologist will proceed to make a small incision in the scrotum. They will be looking for something called the vas deferens, which look like small strands of spaghetti.
Step #4 – The urologist will locate and cut the vas deferens. This particular step is what causes you to become infertile.
Step #5 – The urologist will use dissolvable stitches to close the incision areas. They will be covered with gauze for further protection against infection.
Step #6 – That is it for the vasectomy. It should take 2 to 3 days to recover from the procedure well enough to resume your daily activities. We recommend you schedule the vasectomy for a Thursday or Friday so that you can heal on your weekend off.
Step #7 – A few weeks later, the urologist will want to examine a sample of your semen. Only then will the effectiveness of the vasectomy be verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I change my mind and decide I want kids again? Is it possible to reverse the vasectomy?
Even though vasectomies are supposed to be permanent, there are vasectomy reversal procedures available for men who want to be able to father children again. However, a vasectomy reversal doesn’t have the same guarantees as a vasectomy because reversals don’t always work out. That is why you need to be extra sure that you don’t want kids before you decide to get a vasectomy. Otherwise, you will regret it later if you cannot restore your fertility.
Please be aware that vasectomy reversal procedures cost between $5,000 and $10,000 each. That is a lot of money to spend on something that doesn’t come with any guarantees.
How much does a vasectomy procedure cost?
Most health insurance policies cover vasectomies. But even if you don’t have health insurance, a vasectomy procedure is not as expensive as a vasectomy reversal.
For example, if you don’t have health insurance, you’ll need to pay $900 for a vasectomy and semen analysis. But, of course, $900 can still be a lot of money to some men. So if you do have health insurance, check out your policy to see if it covers vasectomies. If it does, you’ll pay a much smaller percentage out of pocket.
When you book your appointment, the urologist’s office will want you to pay a deposit of $100 upfront. All patients have to pay this deposit regardless of their insurance status. The urology office wants the deposit to help ensure that you’ll show up for your vasectomy appointment. Patients who show up for their appointments will get their deposits refunded. But those who don’t show up for their appointments will lose their deposits.
The cheaper vasectomy procedures don’t include anesthesia. So if you would rather have anesthesia administered before the procedure, you’ll need to pay up to $2,000 total for a vasectomy and anesthesia together.
Contact Us
Are you interested in learning more about vasectomies? You can call Gousse Urology at (954) 362-2720 to ask questions about vasectomies and book an appointment for a consultation with our chief urologist, Dr. Angelo Gousse. He can advise you on the best course of action regarding your desire to be infertile.
