THIS YEAR’S “VASECTOMIES DURING MARCH MADNESS” STORY

Every year comes another story of some clinic offering discount vasectomies during the March Madness basketball tournament. This year’s comes from a Texas-based clinic called Urology Team. Dr. Richard Chopp – really his name – and his five-urologist team perform about 70 vasectomies during the NCAA mens basketball tournament each year. They call it “Vas Madness.” They did about 20 before this past weekend’s four “Elite Eight” games. Fun is indeed the operative word. Many patients arrive in a group. “It’s not uncommon that two or three guys who are all buddies to have vasectomies together,” Chopp says. “Of course, the wives think it’s crazy and fun and so everybody’s having a good time. A lot of laughter.” The recommended three days of strict rest and immobility is a legitimate medical precaution and a good excuse for guys to miss work or beg off household chores to watch sports. The promotional price of $595 is about a third off the regular $900 cost. In addition to the discount, patients get a swag bag full of tournament info, a copy of the latest Sports Illustrated, some bags of frozen peas to control inflammation at the “operative site,” and a t-shirt that reads “I’ve been ‘Chopped’ at Urology Team.”
* I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the term “discount vasectomies”.
* The three days of strict rest and immobility should be easy especially when it hurts so much to move.
* If I want to get a pain in my balls I just watch how my teams did.
* If they give you a Sports Illustrated afterwards make sure it’s not the swimsuit edition.
* I don’t see how you can count bags of frozen peas as “swag.”
* I also question the sentence, “Everybody’s having a good time.”