This is an extensive report on vasectomy or male sterilization, an increasingly popular form of voluntary family planning. Included in the report are the history, preoperative preparation, anesthesia, procedure, postoperative care, equipment, and effectiveness of the vasectomy. Also included is an extensive bibliography. The operation involves the cutting or blocking of each vas deferens, the 2 tubes that carry sperm from the testes to the penis. Through a small incision in the scrotum the surgeon cuts, ties, coagulates, and/or clips the vasa. Local anesthesia is commonly used, and the patient is, after a brief rest, ambulatory.