About this topic
A tubal ligation is a long-lasting type of birth control for women. After this surgery, it would be rare for a woman to get pregnant. A womans eggs are made in her ovaries. Once a month, an egg leaves the ovary and travels down a long thin tube to her uterus or womb. This tube is called the fallopian tube. If a sperm meets the egg, a woman can get pregnant. ‚
During a tubal ligation, the fallopian tubes are cut or tied. Cutting or tying the tubes will stop the sperm from meeting the egg. After this surgery, most women cannot get pregnant. ‚
A tubal ligation is a permanent form of birth control. You should be 100% sure before you have this surgery. You and your partner should have talked about your decision to not have any more children. A tubal ligation's reversal can occur but is not always successful. ‚
This surgery does not protect you from sexually-transmitted diseases. You will still need to use a condom to protect yourself and your partner against these diseases. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what you need to do.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut sites. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you can go back to your normal activities like work, driving, and sex
- Be sure to wash your hands before and after touching your wound or dressing.
- You can expect some bleeding from your vagina for a few weeks. You may use sanitary pads but not tampons.
- Your bowel movements may take some time to get back to normal. Eat small meals high in fiber to avoid hard stools. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day.
- Try to walk each day. Start by walking a little more than you did the day before. Walking boosts blood flow and helps prevent lung, belly, and blood problems.
- You will continue to have periods as you did before.
- Talk with your doctor about safe sex as you can still be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep your visits.
- You may have stitches or staples. If so, your doctor will often want to remove the stitches or staples in 1 to 2 weeks.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Talk with your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Wound opening
- Heavy blood loss
- Blood clots in your legs or lungs
- Damage to your bowel, bladder, and other organs inside the belly
- Tubes dont close all the way and you could become pregnant
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection such as a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, pain with passing urine.
- Signs of wound infection such as swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Excessive blood in your sanitary pads or more than six soaked pads in a day
- Smelly green or dark yellow vaginal discharge
- Upset stomach, throwing up, or very bad belly pain
- Pain not helped by drugs you are taking
- No bowel movement after 3 days
- If you feel the need to pass urine but urine will not come out even after 6 hours
- Swelling in your leg or arm that is much greater on one side than the other
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, bad smelling drainage from the vagina, or bad belly pain.
Where can I learn more?
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ‚
http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Sterilization-by-Laparoscopy ‚
Better Health Channel ‚
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/BHCV2/bhcArticles.nsf/pages/Contraception_-_female_sterilisation?open ‚
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) ‚
http://www.sogc.org/health/health-tubal_e.asp ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚