You've heard of March Madness. But it's also time for “Vas Madness.”
Doctors around the country are tying their “Vas Madness” vasectomy campaigns to the NCAA Tournament for men's Division I basketball, which began March 19. They're touting it as the perfect time for men to undergo the procedure and then watch the action as they spend five to seven days in recovery.
“We thought trying to tie it into some event the men may have already blocked off some time for might be effective,” said Dr. James Hotaling, assistant professor of surgery in the urology department at the University of Utah Health Care system in Salt Lake City.
The system launched its “Vas Madness” campaign March 13. Hotaling said they've seen a huge increase in scheduled vasectomies, up from about eight during an average month to as many as 50 scheduled for March.
More than 500,000 men in the U.S. get a vasectomy each year, according to the American Urological Association.
A number of physicians have reported similar increases in vasectomies performed during March Madness, but there's no evidence to support a national trend, according to an AUA spokeswoman.
She said the organization doesn't promote or endorse March Madness campaigns by clinicians, but she did acknowledge, “With a bit of clever scheduling, men who decide to have a vasectomy and then schedule an appointment so their recovery period coincides with the tournament will have a reason to stay in and watch the basketball tournament unfold.”
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