A vasectomy is surgery to make a man sterile (permanently unable to father a child). During a vasectomy, the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the urethra (called the vas deferens) is cut and tied off, preventing sperm from being released during ejaculation.
Author:Merrill Hayden
Medical Review:Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine
Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Last Updated: 05/23/2006
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