Latest / Vasectomy Clinics Of Chicago with Dr George Tsoutsias / When You Shouldn't Get a Vasectomy (And What to Do Instead)

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When You Shouldn't Get a Vasectomy (And What to Do Instead) · Vasectomy Clinics Of Chicago with Dr George Tsoutsias

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: We perform vasectomies every day, but there are absolutely situations where we tell men not to get one.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the answer is not yet.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we need something checked before we'll proceed.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: And every once in a while we'll find something during the consultation that makes the vasectomy the least important thing we need to talk about.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: We're vasectomy clinics of Chicago, and after more than 30,000 vasectomies, we've learned that part of doing this responsibly is knowing when not to move forward.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're considering a vasectomy, here are the situations where we may tell you to wait, get something evaluated first, or not have the procedure done in the office at all.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: The first one is the simplest.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: If part of you still thinks you may want biological children in the future, you shouldn't get a vasectomy yet.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: A vasectomy is intended to be permanent birth control.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I probably won't want more kids is not the same decision as I'm done having children.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you feel done with the family you have today, but you can still imagine wanting another child if your life looked different a few years from now.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you and your partner are still actively discussing whether your family is complete.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: If that question is still open, we would tell you to wait.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with taking more time before making a permanent decision.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: What concerns us is when a man is still uncertain, but has found a way to make that uncertainty feel less important.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: And the most common version of that is if I ever change my mind, I'll just get it reversed.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if reversal is your backup plan, I would say wait.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: A vasectomy reversal is possible, but it should not be the reason you feel comfortable getting a vasectomy today.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: No one can guarantee that a reversal will restore your fertility.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're saying yes to a vasectomy, because you believe there's a guaranteed way to undo it later, we tell you not to schedule yet.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: That tells us the permanent part of the decision is still bothering you.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're otherwise certain you want a vasectomy, but have a specific reason you want to preserve a future fertility option, there's something you can ask about beforehand.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's called sperm banking.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Sperm can be collected and stored before the vasectomy in case you want that option for later.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: That may be worth discussing for some men.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: But if the thought of reversal is the only thing getting you over the finish line, that's different and that's a reason to wait.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes we don't schedule a vasectomy for a completely different reason.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: The man is certain and his family is complete.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: He wants the procedure, but then we examine him and find something that changes everything.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you're considering a vasectomy, but you're not sure whether something in your history or your situation changes the decision, schedule a consultation with us.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: You'll meet with one of our physicians, we'll examine you, review your history, and tell you what we think before anything is scheduled.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're still researching, subscribe to the channel.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: We answer a new vasectomy question here every week.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the exam tells us not to proceed.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is one of the reasons every patient at our practice is examined by a physician before his vasectomy is scheduled.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Most consultations are straightforward.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: We review your medical history and surgical history, examine your anatomy, and make sure we know how we want to approach the procedure.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: But we don't know what we're going to find until we examine you.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: One patient we still think about was a 42-year-old man who came in ready to schedule his vasectomy.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Family was complete, he had done his research, and as far as he was concerned, this was supposed to be a routine consultation followed by a procedure date.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: During the examination, I felt a lump on his testicle that did not feel like the kind of benign cyst we commonly see in our patients.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: When I asked about it, the patient said his primary physician already knew about this lump and had told him it was nothing to worry about.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: He wanted the vasectomy scheduled.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: I told him we were not comfortable proceeding until he had an ultrasound.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: And he was not happy about it.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: He pushed back because, from his perspective, this issue had already been addressed, and he had come to us for a vasectomy.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't like the contour of the testicle and was concerned enough about cancer that we would not move forward without the ultrasound.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: So he came to us on a Monday, had the ultrasound on a Tuesday, and on Wednesday he had surgery to remove that testicle.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: On Thursday, he called us back to tell us it had been cancer.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: He apologized for pushing so hard to get the vasectomy scheduled and told us he was grateful we'd insisted on investigating the lump first.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: We never performed his vasectomy.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that was the right call.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: That case is unusual, but the reason we tell it is simple.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: You don't know beforehand which routine consultation is going to uncover something important.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And neither do we.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: That's why the exam happens before the procedure is scheduled.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: And most of the time, what we find is nowhere near that serious.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: But even a normal variation in anatomy or a history of surgery can change what we need to do next.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Not every man is a candidate for an in-office vasectomy.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the overwhelming majority of our patients can have their vasectomy safely in the office, but not everyone is a candidate for an in-office procedure.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've had a hernia repair.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's scar tissue from prior surgery or injury.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe another physician previously attempted a vasectomy and could not complete it.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe the vast deference sits in a way that makes the procedure more difficult than usual.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, those things do not automatically mean you cannot have a vasectomy, but what they can change is how we approach it, how much time we need, or whether we think an in-office procedure is appropriate for you at all.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: That is exactly why we want to know about previous surgeries and injuries and why the physician actually examines you before the procedure data set.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: For one patient, the exam may tell us this should be a very straightforward office procedure.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: For another, we may need to plan for more time or modify our technique.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: And occasionally, the exam may tell us that an in-office vasectomy is not the right option.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: We can't make that call from a questionnaire.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: And we have to examine you.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: And once you understand that, you can see why I should get a vasectomy is really two questions.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now, do you want a permanent form of birth control?
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: And is this medically the right procedure and setting for you?
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Those two answers have to line up.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: What does wait actually mean?
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: One thing we want to make clear is that being told to wait does not always mean being told no.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes a man simply needs more time to decide whether he is truly finished having children.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes he needs to finish the conversation with his partner, even if they are child-free by choice.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes he wants more information about sperm banking before making a permanent decision.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes there is a medical issue we need evaluated before we're comfortable performing the procedure.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Those are very different situations and they should not all be treated the same way.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: So if the problem is uncertainty, more time might be the right answer.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: If the problem is an abnormal exam finding, we might want another test first.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And if the issue is anatomy, we might need to change the procedure plan or decide whether the office is the right setting.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: What we don't want to do is push ahead simply because the patient arrived expecting to leave with a procedure date.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: So the consultation is where we figure out which situation you are actually in.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And that is also why we want patients to be completely honest with us during that appointment.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: What should you tell us at the consultation?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not sure you're done having children, say that.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you're counting on a reversal later, tell us.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: If you're wondering whether you should bank sperm, ask.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have had surgery, an injury, a hernia repair, or prior attempt at a vasectomy, we need to know that too.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: None of those things automatically end the conversation.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: They give us the information we need to give you an honest and safe recommendation.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because there are men we tell, yes, this is very straightforward.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: There are men we tell, I think you should wait.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And there are men, like the patient whose testicular cancer I found, where the answer is we need to deal with something else first.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is part of the consultation.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're not just confirming that you want a vasectomy.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're using our 20 plus years of experience to make sure it's appropriate to proceed with one.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you're considering a vasectomy, schedule a consultation with our team.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: We'll examine you, talk through your situation, and tell you whether we think it makes sense to move forward now.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you and your partner are still comparing permanent birth control options, watch this video next.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you there.