Sage Advice for Choosing a Urologist You Can Trust for your Vasectomy Procedure
When you are ready to consider a vasectomy as your permanent form of birth control, you do not go to just any doctor. A urologist would be the type of doctor you would need to advise you and perform the procedure. They specialize in the urinary tract as well as the reproductive system of males. There are some family doctors who have specialized training that are equipped and able to perform vasectomies as well.
The vasectomy is a surgical procedure but for the most part, you would still be awake during the process. Local anesthesia is used to numb the scrotal to perform the procedure of exposing the vas deferens – the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles to the semen – and snipping them. At around just 30 minutes, the vasectomy is a procedure that can be done in the doctor’s office with ease. The hardest part, besides the nominal recovery process, is choosing a doctor that you would feel comfortable and confident with. Here is some sage advice to help you choose the urologist for your vasectomy procedure:
1. Talk with your regular family doctor about your need for a urologist and plans for a vasectomy. Many times, family doctors are general practitioners who are accustomed to referring their patients to specialists. They know you and would be able to help with a referral doctor that would best fit your needs.
2. If you are normally not sick and do not have a specific primary care doctor, call your insurance company to see which urologists are in your area and accepted by them in their policies. Many insurance companies do cover a portion of the surgical procedure and they will have a list of physicians which accept your insurance.
3. There are also other ways to garner referrals for a urologist. If a friend or relative has gotten a vasectomy, quiz them about the experience and ask who their doctor was. You can also call your local hospital about possible referrals for a urologist, even though the vasectomy will likely be performed in the doctor’s office or an outpatient clinic.
4. Check with the governing board of doctors known as the American Board of Medical Specialties. You can search for a urologist in your area and at the same time, view their resume (for lack of a better term) which would entail status of board certification, medical specialty and even whether or not there have been any complaints of lawsuits against them.
5. When you have found several urologists in your area, the next thing to do is make a consulting appointment with at least two or three of them. Talk with them about your desire for a vasectomy and ask questions about their philosophy and what type of procedure they would use. Each doctor is different and if their qualifications are all above board, then your choice may come down to such things as the doctor’s bedside manner, efficiency of office staff and even the convenience of the doctor’s office location. Once you feel comfortable with a doctor, you can get ready for the vasectomy and know you are in good hands.
