By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

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Business profile: Vasectomy Central the place to go for a smooth operation

May 10, 2023 | 6:00 AM

It isn’t the prettiest thing to talk about, or do, but Dr. Marc-Andre Filion is making no-scalpel vasectomies an art form at his Red Deer clinic.

Vasectomy Central (#201-3939 50A Avenue) opened its doors just over a year ago, with Dr. Filion having conducted about 400 procedures in his first 12 months.

At the clinic, the good doctor works with his wife Katrina, who handles the administrative side.

“One misconception is that it’s quite painful. Most guys report pain of one to two out of ten; I tell them going in that if they’ve ever stubbed their pinky toe, or stepped on a Lego, that hurts ten times more,” says Filion.

“For the vast majority of guys, it’s not very uncomfortable. Of course like anything, you have recovery time and there’s still some aching, but most guys are back to work in a day or two.”

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Dr. Filion’s modern method is minimally invasive and virtually painless.

During the procedure, which usually takes less than 20 minutes, an ultra-fine needle is used to freeze the scrotum. A small pinhole is made with a gentle tissue separator, then the vas deferens is isolated and cut. That means no stitches.

“When a patient gets here, my wife greets them and explains how the post-operative care works; then when they’re ready, we take them in and answer a few questions. Guys are usually anxious at first, but as we talk and they get distracted and relaxed, the next thing they know, it’s done.”

Patients are quite often pleasantly surprised at the procedure’s brisk nature, he adds.

Dr. Marc-Andre Filion of Vasectomy Central (second from left) with three patients who flew in together from B.C. to get their vasectomies done together in April. (Supplied)

That includes Traven Huscroft, a B.C. man with quite the testimonial.

Huscroft’s friend lives part-time in Red Deer and had gone to Dr. Filion in recent months.

The friend shared details of his positive experience with Huscroft, who himself had been contemplating a vasectomy, but put it off multiple times after hearing negative post-operative stories from other pals.

In the meantime and in between time, Huscroft and partner conceived, really lighting a fire under him to finally take the leap.

“My friend said ‘If you’re going to do this, this is the guy to come see.’ I ran it through some friends and acquaintances, and they said we should all go as a group, so we contacted Marc, and set up the appointment. I happen to have a pilot’s license and a plane, so we called Marc, told him we had a handful of guys, and three of us ended up going,” says Huscroft.

“We loaded up on a Friday, flew there, and it was a little hairy with the weather, but my friend then picked us up in Red Deer, got there and in we went, met Marc’s wife; it was very nice, very thorough, and they even have after-care gift bags. We were in and out, and it was really not that big of a deal.”

One of them felt so well afterward, he went straight to the casino, and they’ve felt good with minimal discomfort in the two weeks since, Huscroft shares.

Dr. Marc-Andre Filion of Vasectomy Central in Red Deer. (Supplied)

Dr. Filion says getting a vasectomy is not a decision to be taken lightly, and that it’s a procedure one should consider permanent.

“What we do is cut the tube and burn the inside of one end creating some scar tissue. Yes, it can be reversed, but it costs thousands of dollars, and it’s not 100 per cent guaranteed to work because you can develop antibodies to the sperm which is now being diverted into the scrotum,” Filion explains.

“Those antibodies can prevent you from conceiving even if the tubes were properly reconnected, so you don’t want to go into it saying, ‘I’ll just do this for now and get it reversed in five years if I change my mind.'” It has to be a decision where you instead say, ‘I’m done having kids,’ or, ‘I never wanted kids and I’m happy with that.’ That’s the one thing I stress when I chat with the guys; are you sure you’re done and are you okay with that even if you find a new partner or your relationship dissolves down the road?”

Filion, who did all his schooling at the University of Alberta, says three to five per cent of all vasectomy patients want a reversal.

The Vasectomy Central waiting area. (Supplied)

But at the end of the day, his process is intended to make it light for folks who do decide to stroll through the doors.

“With vasectomies specifically, beyond just enjoying doing procedures, the guys are usually around my age, so mid-30s, and they either have similar age kids, or similar hobbies, and the conversation is very natural. I enjoy the human aspect of being able to connect with someone even though they’re kind of in a vulnerable state,” says Filion, who also does surgical assists and takes urgent care shifts in Sylvan Lake. He used to do obstetrics.

“I try to distract with my humour and my dad jokes. There’s always some mild discomfort with the freezing, as with anything, but it’s surprisingly gentle, and once they’re frozen, guys forget what’s going on. Some guys joke the whole time, some just close their eyes and stay quiet until it’s over.

Filion also has an “interesting” painting in his building, which often gets guys chuckling.

“But you’ll have to make an appointment if you want to see it,” he says.

Vasectomy Central has 105 Google reviews, all of them five stars.

For more information, visit vascentral.com.