Vasectomy surgery is a permanent method of birth control that severs the vas deferens, the tube that delivers sperm from the testes, thus making the man sterile. Vasectomy surgery is chosen by over 500,000 men each year in the United States alone. Men choose this option because they either don't want to have any more children or they don't want any children at all. Vasectomy surgery is a simple procedure performed in an outpatient capacity. There is little recovery time and it is nearly one-hundred percent effective, making it a very popular procedure for men who don't want the inconvenience of using other means of birth control.

Vasectomy surgery is performed using a local anesthetic in a doctor's office or clinic. The procedure is fairly inexpensive and can be performed in just under thirty minutes. The downtime from vasectomy surgery lasts anywhere from two days to a week, meaning the man can return to work almost immediately.

Even though a man has had vasectomy surgery, it may still be possible to get his partner pregnant for a period of up to three months following the procedure. He should have his sperm analyzed throughout this period to ensure the success of the surgery and to prevent any unplanned pregnancies.

How the Procedure is Performed

Most urologists or fertility experts perform vasectomy surgery as part of their practice. The procedure can be done in one of several ways. The most common way is to make an incision with a scalpel through which the vas deferens is pulled through, and then sealed off with sutures, a clamp, or a laser.

Another way in which vasectomy surgery is performed requires no use of a scalpel. In this variant of the procedure, a pointed hemostat is used to puncture a small hole in the skin through which the vas deferens is pulled through. With this version, there is no wound to heal, no scar is left behind and the recovery time may be even shorter.

Whichever vasectomy surgery a man chooses, he should realize that it may be permanent so he must be sure that this is what he wants to do. It is more convenient than using condoms or other forms of birth control but it may be forever. If he can live with never being able to have children, then one or more versions of vasectomy surgery may be for him.