Vasectomy
A Taiwanese plastic surgeon has sparked a wave of reactions on social media after sharing a video of himself performing a vasectomy on his own body.
Dr. Chen Wei-nong, a father of three and a respected professional at a plastic surgery clinic in Taipei, posted the unconventional clip earlier this week, quickly amassing millions of views and triggering a mix of admiration and concern online.
The decision to self-perform the procedure stemmed from a conversation with his wife, who had expressed doubts about the safety of a vasectomy. In an effort to address her concerns and demonstrate the procedure’s simplicity, Dr. Chen opted to take an extraordinary step: he performed the surgery on himself. He also decided to record the process, aiming to educate others about the operation.
In the video, Dr. Chen explained the procedure in detail. After administering local anesthesia, he began the operation, which typically takes about 15 minutes.
However, due to the complexity of performing surgery on oneself, the process extended to over an hour. Despite the added difficulty, the procedure was ultimately successful.
“I felt strange touching and suturing my own urethra,” Dr. Chen admitted in his social media post. He also compared male vasectomy to female fallopian tube surgery, suggesting that the male procedure is comparatively simpler as it primarily involves identifying and tying the vas deferens.
The video, which has garnered over 4 million views, elicited mixed reactions. While many praised Dr. Chen’s courage and dedication to his wife, others raised ethical and safety concerns.
Addressing these worries, Dr. Chen emphasized that he is a licensed surgeon and conducted the procedure under the guidance of a urologist, outside of his professional work hours.
However, he strongly discouraged others from attempting such a procedure, urging people to seek qualified medical professionals instead.
Dr. Chen later shared his recovery experience, revealing that although he experienced pain and discomfort on the first night, he felt fine the next morning. Social media users lauded him as “the bravest man in Taiwan.”
Following the viral incident, the Taipei Department of Health confirmed through a preliminary investigation that Dr. Chen, as a licensed physician, did not violate any medical or legal regulations by performing the surgery on himself.
