Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure that makes a woman infertile. This procedure closes the fallopian tubes, and stops the egg from traveling to the uterus from the ovary. The surgery is effective immediately. Tubal ligations are 99.5% effective as birth control. About ten percent of North American women rely on this method of birth control. There are two ways of performing the surgery.
A tubal ligation is a relatively simple out-patient surgery done in a clinic, doctor’s office, or hospital. It can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Mini-laparotomies and laparoscopies are the most common techniques for female sterilization. Other procedures include laparotomy, culpotomy, culdoscopy, hysteroscopy, and hysterectomy. Each procedure carries different risks and benefits. Be sure the clinic discusses surgical options with you, describes the risks, and answers all of your questions before the surgery.
Laparoscopy procedure – the abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide gas so that the abdominal wall balloons away from the uterus and tubes. The surgeon makes a small incision just below the navel and inserts a laparoscope, a small telescope-like instrument. A second incision is made just above the pubic hairline to allow the entrance of the instrument that will cut, sew or burn the tubes. The surgery takes about half an hour.
After surgery, it is recommended that you take 2 to 3 days off and only perform light activities for a week. Sexual activity can start again when you feel comfortable, usually after a week. Women who have surgery performed through their vagina are advised not to put anything into their vagina for 2 weeks to avoid infection.
There may be up to several months delay between your request for surgery and the day it is performed. You may want to consider other birth control methods in the meantime. Young women with no children may have difficulty finding a surgeon to perform the procedure.
What are the advantages of having a tubal ligation?
- One-time procedure.
- Very effective.
- No need to remember birth control method.
- You don’t have to interrupt sex.
- Cost effective in the long run.
Are there disadvantages?
- Reversal is expensive, difficult and sometimes impossible.
- Provides no protection against sexual transmitted infections.
- Although a tubal ligation dramatically decreases the risk of any pregnancy, if the procedure fails and a pregnancy results, there is an increased risk of it being an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches and grows outside the uterus – requires immediate medical attention.
- Possible regret.
- Has risks associated with surgery.
Tubal ligation is considered permanent sterilization. Your decision should not be made lightly. Think about it and ask yourself: Would you change your mind if major changes in your life occurred, including a separation, or even the death of a partner or child? Consider as many possibilities as you can before making your decision.
BirthControlBuzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, birth control types (prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase birth control on-line.
For more information call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
Birth Control Buzz is a service company that provides birth control prices, types of birth control(prescription required), health administrative services, and birth control statistics predominantly to US patients seeking to purchase pharmaceuticals on-line. For more information, call 1-866-868-8850 or visit http://www.birthcontrolbuzz.com/.
