Vasectomy: A Difference in the Deferens
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure for sterilizing men. It involves removing a small portion of the vas deferens, a tube inside the penis that connects and carries sperm from the testicles to the urethra, thereby preventing sperm from entering the ejaculate.
Vasectomies are considered permanent. "There are operations to reverse the procedure, but the success rate is 50/50 at best," report Stefan Bechtel and Laurence Roy Stains in Sex, A Man's Guide (Rodale Press, 1996). Therefore, men who think they might like to have children after vasectomy should consider using the services of a sperm bank.
Note that a vasectomy does not affect testosterone production--the testicles secrete testosterone directly into the bloodstream.