Uptick in vasectomies coincide with March Madness college basketball

MEDFORD, Ore. – Men in need of an excuse to stay at home and enjoy the NCAA college basketball tournament might be interested to hear about one surefire medical procedure that gains popularity every March.

‘Vas-Madness’ coincides with March Madness and it’s a time where a lot of men actually undergo vasectomies to get out of work for a few days to enjoy the basketball games. We spoke to Urologist Dr. Jeff Morrison, he said,

“This has been going on for several years, this phenomenon and we do see an uptick or a spike in men coming to get vasectomies this time of year in the spring.”

A vasectomy is a form of male sterilization or permanent contraception. It’s a procedure done by cutting or blocking the tubes that carry sperm. Dr. Morrison said it’s a very common and non-invasive procedure.

“Yeah, we use local anesthesia so Lidocaine to numb up the area of the scrotum, sometimes we’ll offer guys some additional relaxing medication like a Valium, medication to calm kind of the nerves, then they just need a partner, or a friend drive them after the procedure.”

Afterwards, men are suggested to rest for a few days, no work and no exercise for at least a week and for many it’s the perfect way to get out of work and enjoy some college basketball during the March Madness tournament.

“The reason we recommend patients do this is if guys get after it too early on, they’ll have some swelling in the scrotum, so it really is important for guys to take it easy the first two or three days, really just kind of resting and laying on the couch.”

Dr. Morrison said that many clinics actually accommodate for Vas-Madness and spread the word to vasectomy candidates like some commercials do and Oregon Urology Institute even has a free t-shirt for men to take home after the procedure.

“If guys can get doctor’s orders to rest on the couch, remote in hand and watch some hoops while they’re recovering, it’s really a win-win. I think it’s an excellent time of year to do this and we carve out extra appointments and procedure slots to accommodate these guys as we head into March Madness or Vas-Madness.”