Urologists See Increase In Vasectomies During NCAA Tournament
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Who wouldn't want an excuse to kick back and watch March Madness uninterrupted for a couple of days?
But are men actually scheduling their vasectomies so they can recuperate on the couch in front of the TV?
The answer is apparently, yes.
Urologists around the country say they see an increase in vasectomies every March, some say a 50 percent increase.
Jeremy Stelter, from Colorado, purposely scheduled his procedure so he could watch basketball guilt-free.
"When my wife and I got married, she recalls me telling her that when we get married when we're done having kids, I'm getting a vasectomy during March Madness," said Stelter.
Some urologists actually advertise the idea.
One commercial shows a doctor in scrubs with a basketball. Another shows a baby with basketballs.
A urology group in New England actually offers a free pizza with a March Madness vasectomy.
So, is this actually happening in Pittsburgh? Are men here scheduling their vasectomies with an eye toward March?
Dr. Jeff Cohen, from Triangle Urology, says he definitely sees an increase in the procedures in March, but thinks there may be other factors than just basketball.
"If their wives tell them they need to get an vasectomy, and it's this time of year, they will take the opportunity to be able to recover; and if the basketball games happen to be on, they'll take full advantage of it," said Dr. Cohen.
He says he's actually seen a study on the March vasectomies phenomenon in a urology journal.
He says the procedure is done in the office and only takes about 15 minutes, and he offers a bit of advice for men getting it done no matter what time of year.
"The secret is, don't complain to your wife about how much it hurts," said Dr. Cohen. "Because you're not going to get much sympathy. You get 48 hours of sympathy and after that, you might get a boot in the behind."
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