The Old "Snip-Snip"

[V65Magna]

I had to have my sac cut when I was 14 for another reason, which was rather traumatic and ever since, have been very squeemish about anything metallic or pointed being anywhere near my twins. Handling privileges are limited to my wife and myself (more frequently the latter). No vasectomy for me.

 

[LostArra]

Any minor discomfort or inconvenience is far outweighed knowing a little bundle of joy won't be arriving unexpectedly during elk or deer season.

 

[FreeRange]

The truth is that some guys do experience pain as a result of the procedure for years afterwards. I have not but it is certainly something to consider in weighing the risk vs reward. Also make sure you talk it over up and down with your wife. I'm pretty decisive and once we'd decided we were ready to do it I booked the two appointments and got it done. Women aren't always as decisive as men in case you haven't noticed and it turns out it was all a bit too sudden for my wife and I honestly didn't take into account how much it would affect her. Women do have a pretty strong attachment to childbearing regardless of whether or not they actually plan to have more kids, having that door closed is kind of a big deal.

 

[freediver111]

Well, just be forewarned things can go awry like mine!

Had mine done 4 years ago after our second girl. We were already in our mid 30's and two was enough.
Went in and the nurse asked if a resident doc that was shadowing my regular doc could observe. No problem I said, what's one more person looking at my shaved balls!

In walks the doc, the nurse, and the resident. Well wouldn't you know it but she's a very attractive younger lady. Great, now I have two women and my male doc in the room staring at my nuts. Regretted that decision, but oh well.

They tape the twig to your abdomen and cover you all up with a sheet other than a hole for the berries. Doc goes ahead and gives me some shots, which is slightly uncomfortable but not bad. Slight pinch, but manageable.
He does the right side and it goes quick. We chatted about pointing dogs while he worked.

Then he asks if the attractive resident can do the left side. I said not unless she has experience. She claims she's done it before and it's easy. So I say yes.

She goes in for the kill, and she starts taking a while. I'm talking to the doc trying to get my mind off it, but it's starting to worry me. At one point I think I hear her say "this one right?", and she keeps grabbing at the Vas D but it seems to be slipping out of the forceps. Well that was enough. The doc tells her to move over and finishes it up quickly.

They send me off with a days worth of pain meds and tell me to go get the rest at the pharmacy. They asked if my wife was here to drive me home and I lied and said yes. She was at home with the kids and I only live 5 mins from the hospital. Hit the pharmacy, which is on the way, and I ask about my prescription. They haven't got it yet. I wait about 5 mins and the pain starts creeping in. I go home and tell my wife to get them for me in a few hrs.

Sitting on the couch with ice and its starting to hurt, but not terrible. Berries start to swell overnight. I wake up the next morning and my berries are about the size of baseballs and blacker than Wesley Snipes. Walking around like a bad western cowboy and in pain. They continue to be extremely sore and black for three days. I can barely drive my stick shift, getting out of the truck hurts, still walking like a bad cowboy, and I think I took a solid 3 days off work if not more, and the procedure was done on a Friday.

I go see a doc after a week, a different doc this time because mine was off that day. He looks at them and says, yup, you had some internal bleeding in there and it will take about a month to get back to normal. It took all of a month, if not more for me to feel normal. Even after 3-4 months I had pain on the left side. There was a hard lump about the size of an almond there as well.

Still had some discomfort at that spot for 6 months post op and the almond lump was now about the size of half a peanut so I went to a specialist in a big city. He said this stuff happens in about 5%-10% of cases and it takes time to heal. Apparently it happened to him as well when he had it done. Takes about 1 or more years for full recovery. He said if it's not better after a year, I can go back to him and he can deaden the nerves around there. If that didn't work, there was an even more intense procedure that I could have done in Portland, but it was advised to do everything to avoid that.

After about a year things were back to normal. Once in a while I'd have a little pain there doing squats, but it was becoming much less frequent.
Here I am 4 years post op and no pain, all normal. Just be warned that it can happen. I still keep pics of my berries all black and huge on my phone. If my buddies send me a dumb text I'll just randomly send them the pics. Funny now, but not funny then!

 

[camping1601]

Around 10 years for me and no regrets. The thing that still sticks in my mind is the feeling when they pull on tube to make the cut (I swore it was attached to my eyes). I also had some really sharp pains every now and then for a couple years.
And there's something uncomfortable about handing the 30 day post op sample over to the women at the desk.

 

[Beendare]

Be sure to do the followup and get checked- what is it- 6 mo later.

It doesn't always work.....

 

[nrh6.7]

I am in pain just reading these stories. I am way too empathetic for this!

 

[Brightwhite]

What did you guys pay for the procedure and did insurance cover it? I brought it up with my doc last week and she said she didn't think my insurance would cover it, even though I have really good health care for most everything else.

 

[Trial153]

Insurance covered mine 100%, not even a copay.

 

[AustinL911]

What did you guys pay for the procedure and did insurance cover it? I brought it up with my doc last week and she said she didn't think my insurance would cover it, even though I have really good health care for most everything else.

I payed $476 upfront. Insurance reimbursed all of it without question.

 

[dotman]

Insurance covered mine, but I priced it out on avg in KC it is around $850.

 

[justinspicher]

I had mine done in 2009, the army paid for it. I was teaching at Oregon State so a civilian doctor was able to do it because of the lack of a military treatment facility. It was about a 25 minute procedure, and the doctor was a gorgeous blonde that didn’t care for my sense of humor. I had zero issues with the procedure and taught class two hours afterward. The surgery was on a Tuesday and I climbed Mt. Hood that Saturday.

Nothing to it.

 

[Jskaanland]

What did you guys pay for the procedure and did insurance cover it? I brought it up with my doc last week and she said she didn't think my insurance would cover it, even though I have really good health care for most everything else.

I'd call your insurance. Mine was 100% covered. If they don't try and sell it too them this way, getting snipped costs way less than prenatal care + birth + child added to your plan.

 

[mtnwrunner]

Piece of cake. One of the local doctors here in Boise advertises now during march madness. They have the deal where you get it done, go home and watch basketball and they throw in a bag of peas.

When I was getting mine done, my doc gets ready and starts leaning forward to make the cut and then leans back with a sigh. Says, "man, I shouldn't have had so much coffee this morning." I said that ain't even funny. He says, "doc humor."

randy

 

[Brightwhite]

Thanks guys, I’ll check with my insurance. My doc probably didn’t know and I just listened to what she said and didn’t look into it. That’s good news that most have been covered, I was expecting to have to pay out of pocket.

 

[AustinL911]

Anyone else get the valium treatment with theirs? Ol' Doc wanted my wrinkle pouch extra relaxed and wrinkly. I was feeling good....

 

[Gobbler36]

Thinking about having it done some time in the next few months. We've got two little girls now, a 3 year old and a 10 month old, and I don't know if I want to chance having another girl just to "try" for a boy. I'm happy as can be with the two that we have, but having a boy would be awesome. I just don't know if I want to risk being outnumbered even more than I already am.

Has anyone had the "snip-snip" done recently? Curious about what to expect in terms of the procedure? Pain, needles, visuals, etc. I understand that it's often done like any regular appointment. Is it a one on one deal, or will there be nurses and others in attendance?

Just trying to get my head wrapped around this so I know what to expect when I go in.

Did it in Nov, best decision ever. A tiny bit of pain during the procedure but nothing horrible, way less painful than packing out an animal.
Besides the first time you and the lady are back in the saddle after the procedure is nothing short of epic after a week long build up if ya get what I’m saying

 

[Ryan Avery]

Mine would have been fine but I went elk hunting two days after the procedure. Big mistake!

 

[Randle]

Had it done 20 years ago . The doc and nurse are chatting back forth. I said doc you can say about anything you want just don't say. "OOPS". Note to self don't make the doc laugh while he has a sharp instrument in his hand and the boys at the tip of it. It was all good no slips.
The worst part was shaving the boys that itched for me. That's one place I didn't want razor nick.

 

[goodgrouper]

20 years ago for me. We had two boys and didn't want to be outnumbered. They say having three is a bigger shock than the first one! I was wearing an Orvis t shirt when I went in. As the doc started he asked if I could only fish with one fly what would it be? My response was a bead headed prince nymph. He said most guys respond Royal Wulf, maybe you're a fly fisherman after all. We talked fishing the rest of the procedure. No problems with recovery, in fact mounted my girl that night and back to framing the next day.