First Vasectomy Ever

The first vasectomy I ever did. I mean the very first. The year was 1996, I was 32 years old and a 4th-year resident. The place was New Orleans, Ochsner Hospital. Vasectomies like all procedures done when patients are awake are difficult to teach. When patients are asleep, you can tell a student about anything. When they are awake, well, the fewer words were spoken the better. 

My chairman and my friend to this day. My chairman Tony was the last person to see my son Seth before his untimely passing. Tony was old school. He didn’t teach upper-level residents how to do vasectomies he pretty much said, “go in that room and do a vasectomy”. 

Yes sir. He would ask me at one point, “Would you stop saying, sir”.

My response was, “No sir”.

Tony sent me in to do a vasectomy, my first ever. I’d seen a vasectomy, exactly one. 

That first vasectomy I ever did took me about an hour. These days it’s 15 minutes. I struggled through it. How was my first victim to know how long a vasectomy would take? We made small talk. I’m sure there were sweat beads on my forehead and nose. Finally done he said, “Gee thanks doc”.

“No problem” I responded. 

The room grew quiet.

He asked, “Say doc, how many of these have you done,” he asked.

Without a pause, “You’d be the first”.

He laughed.j

“Come on Doc…how many of these have you done”. 

“You’re the first”.

“Yea right…Doc…You’re a trip” 

Thanks.