Office-based vasectomies are associated with lower costs than vasectomies performed in ASCs, according to a study published in Urology.
Researchers studied 453,492 men who underwent a vasectomy from 2009 to 2015.
Five takeaways:
1. While 82.6 percent of the procedures were performed in physician offices, 17.4 percent were performed in ASCs.
2. The cost associated with in-office vasectomies was $707, compared to $1,851 in the ASC setting.
3. Patients' out-of-pocket expenses were $173 in the office setting and $356 in ASCs.
4. Submitting vasal segments for pathologic evaluation drove up average payments by about 55 percent.
5. ASC and ancillary pathology service utilization for vasectomies increased costs by $64 million for vasectomies studied.