Introduction
Many men decide to have a vasectomy after completing family planning. This is a relatively inexpensive and safe contraceptive method, which must be paid for by the patient. In an outpatient operation, the spermatic ducts, through which sperm are normally conducted into the penis, are cut. Vasectomy, also called sterilization, is a standard urological procedure with few risks. The function of the testicles remains unaffected.
What are the total costs?
Patients have to pay the costs of a vasectomy themselves, since it is a medically unnecessary procedure. The vasectomy is therefore a so-called IGEL service, i.e. an individual health service. The total costs usually amount to about 400 to 500€.
The billing is based on the scale of fees for doctors and therefore the price cannot be freely chosen by the urologist. The follow-up treatments and controls, such as the spermiogram, are included in the price. The spermiograms are necessary because the vasectomy does not make you infertile directly and therefore paternity would still be possible after the procedure.
Compared to other contraceptives, vasectomy is very inexpensive. If one compares the costs of regular pill-taking, vasectomy is worthwhile after less than two years. However, a vasectomy should only be carried out if family planning has been safely completed. A reversal of the operation is possible, but it is complicated and with about 5000€ also significantly more expensive than vasectomy. The health insurance only covers the treatment in medically necessary cases, which is very rare.
Costs for general anesthesia
Normally a vasectomy is not performed under general anesthesia. There is usually a local anaesthetic and the man is given a sedative. The costs of a general anesthesia are listed in the doctors’ fee schedule with slightly more than 200€. A local anesthesia is much cheaper with less than 100€. General anesthesia is normally only used for anxiety patients.
What costs are covered by the statutory health insurance?
In most cases, vasectomy is a private decision, which is not medically necessary. The vasectomy is therefore an individual health service (IGEL) and is to be paid for entirely privately by the man. Also the pre- and post-operative care as well as the anaesthesia have to be paid by the man himself. The health insurance only covers costs in case of complications or medically necessary vasectomies, which are very rare. Even a reversal of the operation must be paid for by the patient himself.
