Severing of the vas deferens, which carries sperm from the testes to the prostate gland , to cause sterility or prevent infection.
This relatively simple procedure, which can be performed in a doctor's office with local anesthetics, removes the ability to father children without affecting ability to achieve erection or orgasm. The vas is cut near its beginning, in the scrotum. The cut ends may be sealed off or left open. Reversal is more likely to succeed in the latter case; microsurgery has improved the success rate.