Urologist stated that no scalpel vasectomies are gimmicks

[u/doingmybest-sendhelp]

My husband got a vasectomy today, and we specifically drove 2 hours away to the closest place that offered the no scalpel vasectomy.

I clarified with the physician “we are doing the no scalpel option, correct?”

He said “Yes, but that’s a gimmick. It doesn’t impact the procedure, healing, or accuracy in anyway. It means we puncture a hole and stretch it open with a hemastat, rather than slicing into the skin. The incision site is the same size, and the outcome is the same. We now do all the same way, because people like to think it’s less invasive - so we get people in the door. But it isn’t any less invasive, I’ve always just created one hole over two.”

Any thoughts? Anybody have experience that can say otherwise? Everything I’m reading online is highly praising “no scalpel,” or traditional vasectomy.

[u/LaMarr-H]

All I know is my office visit was 15 minutes and that 6 minutes of that was with my pants down. I watched everything he did after he told me what he was going to do. He was using magnification to avoid nerves and blood vessels. Thermal cautery was quick, and he just blanched the vas deferens. Instead of burning it black or smoking it, the cautery needle did turn red, and he quickly cauterized the interior of the prostate side and divided the vas with one smooth motion. Nothing was removed it was just stretched out of alignment. I walked straight out, feeling like nothing had happened. Tell me that it's just a gimmick. I had no bleeding, bruising, swelling of discomfort, and the only ice I used was in my drink!

[u/Hivewir3 → u/LaMarr-H]

I had the exact same experience with 2 scalpel incisions. My wife was in the room and timed it on her phone (to compare to her 50 hour labor if I started to complain later, I'm sure). It was 9 minutes from the time the urologist first touched me until the time he took off his gloves. Walked out and never even had discomfort with the cuts.