Surgeons at Western Baptist Hospital perform tubal ligations, a permanent form of birth control for women who have completed their families.

About Tubal Ligation

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure that provides permanent protection against pregnancy. It is a common choice for birth control among women who have completed their families or whose health would be risked by pregnancy.

The surgery can be performed immediately after a vaginal delivery (called a postpartum tubal ligation) or at any other time in a woman's life (an interval tubal ligation).

Before the procedure, you must sign a permit giving your doctor your approval to perform the operation. If you are married, you should know that only the wife is required to sign the permit. Your husband's signature is not required.

After the permit is signed, you will be given general anesthesia. Once you are asleep, your doctor will inflate your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas so he or she can get a clear view of your reproductive organs. Next, the laparoscope, which is about as thick as a pencil, will be inserted through a small incision in your navel. At the end of the procedure, the gas will be released and your incision(s) will be closed. The laparoscope enables your doctor to see your reproductive organs on a video monitor. A second small incision may be made lower down on your abdomen for inserting surgical instruments.

Your doctor will then block your Fallopian tubes to prevent eggs from reaching the uterus where they can be fertilized. Several different methods of blocking the Fallopian tubes are available, including clips or rings and electrical cauterization which burns the tubes shut. Once your doctor is satisfied with the results, the gas will be removed from your abdomen and your incisions will be closed.

You will then be taken to Western Baptist Hospital's Post-Anesthsia Care Unit, where nurses will carefully monitor your progress for several hours. Most women can go home the day of the surgery. Because of the after effects of the anesthesia, you must have someone else drive you home. Before you leave, your doctor will provide instructions for your recovery at home.

Expect to have some shoulder pain as a side effect of the carbon dioxide gas used to inflate your abdomen during the surgery. You may find that lying down, applying heat or taking pain medications as recommended by your doctor help. You may also experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding. Be sure to call your doctor if you experience any of the following:

• Excessive vaginal bleeding
• Severe abdominal pain that worsens over time and does not respond to pain medication
• Fever over 101° F

Important Things to Remember About a Tubal Ligation

The most important thing to remember about a tubal ligation is that it is meant to be permanent. If you are unsure, ask your doctor about other types of birth control. Although a tubal ligation can sometimes be reversed, reanastomosis is a very difficult surgical procedure and is not always successful.

Second, although a tubal ligation is a very effective form of contraception, it is not 100 percent effective. In one to two percent of all women who have the procedure, the Fallopian tubes grow back together. In women who become pregnant after a tubal ligation, there is a 50 percent risk that the pregnancy will be ectopic, meaning that the fertilized egg is implanted in the Fallopian tube rather than the uterus. This is a potentially life-threatening condition and requires immediate medical attention.

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