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For some men, March Madness isn't just about brackets - it's also prime time for a vasectomy.
Previous research has shown that demand for the procedure tends to spike during the NCAA Division I men's and women's college basketball tournaments, which are held every spring.
Some surgeons have agreed that this is a real phenomenon, largely because the steady stream of games offers the perfect activity for men recovering on the couch.
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A vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure for men that blocks the vas deferens, the tube that transports sperm, serving as a permanent form of contraception.
Recovery typically takes a few days to a week, with doctors recommending rest for 48 hours and light activity soon after.
David Gentile, MD, chief of the department of urology at Highland Hospital, recently spoke to the University of Rochester Medical Center about the uptick in vasectomies during March Madness.
"We tell patients they should plan on going home and putting their feet up after a vasectomy, so timing the procedure to watch some games while you recover works well," he said.
"And it's a great excuse to watch without interruption, as you won't be able to do physical labor around the house while you're recovering."
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Jim Dupree, MD, associate professor of urology at Michigan Medicine, has also spoken about the trend.
"Major sporting events are a popular time for men to schedule a vasectomy because we advise them to take it easy for two to three days after the procedure," he said in a press release for Michigan Medicine.
"For most men, this means sitting on the couch in front of their television, and sporting events offer them something to watch while resting."
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Yet another surgeon, Dr. Ali Dabaja, director of male reproductive and sexual medicine at the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, weighed in on the topic in 2024.
"After a vasectomy, we ask men to rest, not to lift anything heavy, and to go back to light duties during that week. So, timing the procedure for watching some games while you recover works well, and it's a great excuse to watch March Madness without interruption," he told the Urology Care Foundation.
"Historically, we have usually seen a rise in vasectomy consultations and vasectomies during March Madness," he went on. "Other urology offices have reported a rise in vasectomies between 20% to 40%."
A 2018 study published in the journal Urology found that March was one of the higher-volume months for vasectomy procedures, but the highest peaks were actually later in the year, particularly November and December.
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There were some limitations to that study, primarily that the monthly variation was observational, and the data lacked context of patients' behaviors and scheduling.
