Ouch!

I looked-into a getting a vasectomy. When I asked the urologist if the procedure would be painful, he replied "Don't worry, it's only a little prick." So I decked him and walked out.

Its the way to go. Tubal ligation is an invasive surgery requiring general anesthesia, making a vasectomy so much safer.

Thanks, chief - I didn't even think that with you being a surgeon and all, we might have commissioned you for the procedure making this a truly unique event in the medical blogosphere.

You probably wouldn't have wanted me to do the procedure. I haven't done a vasectomy since I was a resident rotating on the urology service (around 1989) and then only under very heavy supervision by the attending.

I will point out, however, that it was done in the urologist's office using only local anesthesia and no sedation...

When I first read this, I thought you meant that Abel Pharma was liveblogging a self-vasectomy. Which seemed above and beyond, even for increasing your blog hits. I'm not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that it wasn't true.

(1) Pharmboy got narcotics afterwards. You guys who take pain pills are wimps. I had 2 open breast biopsies under local (no premedication, no IV sedation) and didn't have to take any pain pills afterwards. It was a little sore - so what?
(2) A colleague did a vasectomy where the patient kept complaining even after he repeated the local anesthetic injections to the maximum dose he dared. After the procedure, he found out his assistant had handed him normal saline instead of anesthetic. The patient wasn't angry; he was proud of being macho enough to have surgery without anesthesia.
(3) TLs don't require general anesthesia. I had a spinal for mine. I later required a hysterectomy and had that under spinal as well.
(4) My favorite vasectomy anecdote: I did a urology rotation in my family practice residency. The urologist was talking me through the procedure. The patient asked if it was my first vasectomy. I couldn't lie; I said yes. He thought for a minute and said, "That's OK doc, it's my first one too."