Ottawa doctor performs 50,000th vasectomy using scalpel-free technique

Dr. Weiss performs his 50,000th vasectomy Dr. Ron Weiss performs his 50,000th scalpel-free, needle-free vasectomy. CTV's Joanne Schnurr reports.

He performs the procedure approximately 14 times a day and 70 times a week. It only takes him a matter of minutes each time and it’s painless for his patients.

On Monday, Dr. Ron Weiss hit a new milestone. He completed his 50,000th vasectomy.

It’s not just the number of vasectomies he’s provided that’s impressive, it’s how he does them.

Dr. Weiss doesn’t use a scalpel or a needle for his work. Instead, the Ottawa doctor uses a “freezing” technique called jet injection to numb the area. He then makes a tiny hole in the scrotum with a special instrument to access the vas deferens, or duct where the sperm comes out, and cuts it.

“You have a procedure that literally takes minutes. It’s painless, has a very low rate of complication and is the most effective form of birth control,” Dr. Weiss told CTV Ottawa on Wednesday. “Men are stepping up to the plate.”

Dr. Weiss was one of the first two physicians trained in the technique in Canada and began using it in his practice in 1992.

Although he loves to moonlight as a musician in his spare time, with his third album due to be released soon, Dr. Weiss said his true passion is the work he does at the clinic.

“I wouldn’t do this if it wasn’t fun and it is fun,” he said with a smile.

With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Joanne Schnurr