: A vasectomy is a simple office procedure that most doctors can complete within 30 minutes. Dr. Shu of One Stop Medical Center usually completes a non-scalpel, no-needle, no-suture vasectomy within 10 minutes. A vasectomy usually requires only 1% Lidocaine for local anesthesia with either a needle injection or the no-needle technique with Madajet. The patient usualy relax and take things easy for a couple of days, and the no-scalpel vasectomy typically has few complications. However, for very nervous patients with significant anxiety issues, vasectomies can also be performed under oral sedation.
The vasectomy procedures are usually conducted by urologists, other surgeons, and family physicians. Here are some tips to help find a qualified doctor who can perform vasectomies.
1. Check doctors’ credentials; besides basic medical credentials, the most important questions you need to ask are:
Experience matters.
2. You may ask if the doctor uses the new no-scalpel techniques. It makes a big difference in many aspects between modern no scalpel vasectomy and traditional vasectomy. Some doctors claim they perform no-scalpel vasectomy, when their actual techniques are not necessarily the best. For example, spending 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and even 60 minutes to perform a vasectomy will result in very different experiences. The recovery is related to how much trauma the scrotum experiences during the procedure. The two day recovery time from no-scalpel vasectomy is another big difference compared to a 1-2 week recovery from traditional vasectomies. Moreover, the complication rate is much lower than traditional vasectomies.
3. There are a multitude of sources that offer information on vasectomy doctors in a patient’s area. These include Google searches, insurance companies, and primary-care doctors. If the patient knows any friends, family members and colleagues who have had a vasectomy, ask them about their personal experience with that particular doctor and clinic. This information may be more in-depth, and can also provide the patient with a better understanding of the whole process and what to expect.
4. Once a number of vasectomy doctors have been identified, try to find out more about them. While credentials and clinical experience are important to consider, there are also practical considerations to take into account. These factors indirectly indicate how much the doctors are committed to vasectomy care and quality of vasectomy care.
a. You should review their website to see if:
b. If the price is affordable, ask about the total cost (consultation fee, procedure fee, and semen analysis fee).
c. You should find the whole vasectomy care system to be a friendly and patient-oriented service. For example, One Stop Medical Center offers online consultation through its convenient online registration and one trip care system.
d. Consider the office location and convenience.
e. Evaluate the quality of customer service: how the patient is treated on the phone during inquires, the cleanliness of the office, the attitudes of the staff during initial contacting, the level of the procedure room (simple office room or higher level of Surgicenter), and other less-tangible measurements should also influence your decision.
