When a woman becomes pregnant, an egg travels through her fallopian tubes until it reaches her uterus, then sperm floats up the tubes to join with it and make its journey towards being fertilized.
Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes can make it more challenging to become pregnant, hindering success in conception. Blockages could be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infection or scar tissue from other causes.
What is tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation refers to the process of permanently preventing pregnancy by cutting, blocking or sealing off your fallopian tubes. It may be an ideal option for women looking to avoid pregnancy altogether or who are uncertain whether they want children in their future.
Tubal ligation requires making two small incisions in your abdomen and inserting a laparoscope or another small cut to access your fallopian tubes, followed by closing these incisions with one to two stitches.
Your doctor may use general anesthesia or a spinal block during your procedure. Gas is used to inflate your abdomen so the surgeon can better access and see your fallopian tubes.
After your OB/GYN has completed the operation, you may experience abdominal discomfort or cramping that should subside within several hours. Other side effects could include mild vaginal bleeding, fatigue, sore throat or dizziness due to anesthesia use.
After tubal ligation, you may experience an abrupt decrease in hormone levels known as post-tubal ligation syndrome (PTLS). This could cause hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, difficulty sleeping and irregular periods – as well as any possible side effects like hot flashes.
No one knows exactly why this occurs, but young women appear to be at higher risk for this complication than other age groups. Although rare, PTLS can have lasting repercussions for your body.
Tubal ligation is an important decision and should be discussed carefully with both partners before being decided upon. Not every woman may benefit from tubal ligation; as this would be a significant life change it should be discussed extensively prior to making this choice.
If you decide to undergo tubal ligation, your physician will discuss your personal health and medical history as well as its potential benefits and risks, along with what steps should be taken to prevent future pregnancies.
Your doctor may suggest using backup birth control following surgery to protect against pregnancy and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A female condom could also help keep sexual partners protected against STDs.
What are the side effects of tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation, commonly referred to as having one’s tubes tied, is a popular procedure used by women looking to prevent pregnancy in the future.
At this surgery, your OB/GYN will cut, tie, burn or clamp your fallopian tubes so an egg cannot travel from your ovary to the uterus and fertilization and implantation do not occur, enabling you to maintain normal periods and engage in sexual activities without fear of pregnancy.
Tubal ligation is generally considered a safe and effective birth control option; however, it’s important to keep in mind that up to 5% of women could get pregnant after tubal ligation – especially younger women.
If you do become pregnant, ectopic pregnancies pose a great danger. When fertilized eggs implant outside the uterus (into your fallopian tubes), an ectopic pregnancy must be immediately treated by medical practitioners for its safety and wellbeing.
Post-tubal ligation syndrome is another side effect associated with tubal ligation that many women report experiencing; this consists of heavy or absent periods, hormonal problems, menopausal-like effects and menopause-like symptoms that occur after tubal ligation surgery. While its cause remains unknown, many women who have had it performed have reported it.
This condition can be difficult to identify and treat effectively, leading to significant discomfort for women during this time period.
Your body must adjust to the changes that have resulted from having your fallopian tubes tied, and this may result in abdominal and pelvic pain, mild vaginal bleeding, dizziness or other side effects after surgery.
Be sure to replenish your body with enough fluids and nutritious food as soon as you’ve had surgery, to help speed up its healing. Recovery could take several days.
As with any surgery, this one carries certain risks that should be considered before opting for this one, including damage to your bladder or bowel, infection, lingering abdominal and pelvic pain and an increased chance of blood clot formation in legs or lungs. These risks are further compounded if you have diabetes, have had previous abdominal surgery or are overweight.
Can I get a reversal of tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation involves cutting or blocking your fallopian tubes to stop eggs from reaching sperm, thus reducing the chances of pregnancy since sperm cannot fertilize an egg and form an embryo.
Some women who have their tubes tied may come to regret their decision as they get older, however reversing tubal ligation surgery is available for them if this happens. This surgery reconnects the cut or blocked sections of your fallopian tube so an egg can reach your uterus during ovulation and you can have children naturally.
Your doctor will use a laparoscope, a camera inserted through an abdominal incision, to examine your fallopian tubes. If they see that enough are left and everything else appears healthy, surgery will likely be performed.
Most often, women who wish to become pregnant after tubal ligation undergo a procedure known as tubal reversal, in which their fallopian tubes are opened and connected back with their uterus during an outpatient process called „tuberal reversal.”
After your initial tubal ligation, the amount of fallopian tubes remaining after surgery is the primary determining factor for eligibility for secondary tubal ligation surgery. Younger women who still possess many tubes often find this surgery highly successful while older women and those with other health conditions may not respond as favorably to its benefits.
Other variables which could contribute to your success with tubal reversals include what type of sterilization procedure was performed and how much of your tube was destroyed during initial ligation. Most patients who undergo tubal reversal surgery are under 40 and don’t have other known causes of infertility.
Recovery following tubal reversal surgery typically is quick. Most women can return home the same day; however, certain procedures may require you to stay overnight at a hospital.
Before making your decision to undergo tubal reversal surgery, it is wise to carefully weigh all available options, such as fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). For more information regarding your options contact us immediately for help with tubal reversal surgery.
How long will I be able to have sex after tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation, commonly referred to as „tying your tubes”, is an effective form of permanent birth control. By closing off your fallopian tubes that carry eggs to your uterus and stopping sperm from traveling up through them and fertilizing eggs, tubal ligation permanently prevents fertility problems.
If you decide to undergo this procedure, your doctor will advise how long before having sexual encounters is safe. This will depend on how long has passed since surgery as well as whether other birth control methods (like pills) were in use prior.
Avoid engaging in sexual activity until you feel completely at ease with it, and condoms are highly advised when engaging in any sex activity – this is due to a tubal ligation not protecting against sexually transmitted diseases (STIs).
Women opting for this procedure typically do so because they no longer wish to have children, wish to reduce health risks associated with gestation and don’t wish to pass along genetic conditions; some choose this route because they no longer wish to become pregnant in the near future.
Your doctor can perform this type of sterilization either in a hospital setting or an outpatient surgical clinic, typically using general, local or spinal anesthesia to ensure you remain asleep during the process and cannot feel pain during its execution.
Your doctor will make two or three small cuts in your belly in order to access your uterus and fallopian tubes. Gas may also be pumped into your abdomen in order to expand it for better visibility during surgery. Finally, a thin tube with a camera attached at its tip will be threaded through your belly in order to observe.
Doctors typically conduct this procedure as an outpatient procedure; if this is not an option for you, however, your physician will discuss other possible solutions with you.
Women undergoing this surgery usually recover quickly and return home within several hours, though some opt to have it shortly after giving birth or having a Cesarean section and it could take up to one or more weeks before you are able to engage in sexual activity – in these instances you should use a condom every time for protection from sexually transmitted infections like HIV.