“Vasectomy,” minor surgery to block sperm from reaching the semen, may be performed one of two ways, both requiring only local anesthesia. The conventional technique involves making a small incision in the scrotum and cutting the “vas deferens” (the two tubes that carry sperm to the semen). After the two ends of each tube are sealed, the incision is sutured. “No-scalpel” vasectomy accesses the vas deferens through a tiny puncture hole in the scrotum, which does not require sutures to close. Either way, most men return home a few hours after the procedure with only slight bruising and swelling. Because the procedure is not immediately effective, patients must provide two sperm-free semen samples before being cleared for pregnancy-free intercourse.
P.S. About 500,000 U.S. men choose to undergo vasectomy annually.