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With March Madness canceled, men miss peak time for vasectomies

Posted at 4:45 PM, Mar 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-26 17:42:16-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Urology of Virginia is usually a popular place to be this time of year. Usually.

Two of the most-common times for men to schedule a vasectomy are during March Madness and The Masters. However, due to the coronavirus, the NCAA tournament has been canceled and The Masters has been postponed. So, with no live sports on the schedule - what's happening with Urology of Virginia's scheduled vasectomies?

"Obviously this has been something that's been unbelievably disruptive to everybody's lives," Dr. Josh Langston told News 3.

Like the stadiums and arenas, the beds inside these exam rooms at Urology of Virginia are also empty.

"We are not doing vasectomies right now," Dr. Langston explained. "We're following the guidance that we should be socially distancing."

Each year, more than 500,000 men undergo a vasectomy - a minor surgery to prevent pregnancy. But let's cut to the chase: why are they so popular during March Madness?

"The vasectomy itself is not a big deal, it's 10-15 minutes," Dr. Langston revealed. "Once it's over, we want you to go home, take it easy for a couple days. We give you that grace period to hang out and watch some sports."

Just because sports have stopped, Dr. Langston says it should not be 'game over' when it comes to men monitoring their health.

"This break in our lives - maybe it's a chance to re-assess," Dr. Langston suggested. "Make sure you're in good health for the long run. We're not just the quick fix. We want to make sure we're addressing the underlying issues and getting to the bottom of things when it comes to men's health."

And just because many appointments are canceled due to the pandemic, it doesn't mean patients can't "see" a doctor.

"We can connect via FaceTime or via another audio/video connection," Dr. Langston noted. "For guys interested in a vasectomy, we can do that first visit via Telehealth."

Which might be useful, because in the months ahead - Dr. Langston says several men may be seeking a procedure.

"The question is: is there going to be a whole generation of babies being born nine months from now? This is a real thing, right?"

Business will be booming again, and it might not even require the return of March Madness.