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A tubal ligation is a surgery to "tie the tubes" (fallopian tubes) of a woman which causes permanent sterility by preventing transport of the egg (ovum) to the uterus, and by blocking the passage of sperm up the tube to the ovulating ovary where fertilization normally occurs.

Description

Tubal ligation is done in the hospital or in an outpatient surgical clinic while the patient is under anestheisa. One or two small incisions are made in the abdomen (usually near the navel), and a device similar to a small telescope on a flexible tube (called a laparoscope) is inserted.

Using instruments that are inserted through the laparoscope, the tubes (fallopian tubes) are coagulated (burned), sealed shut with cautery, or with a small clip placed on the tube. The skin incision is then stiched closed. The patient is able to return home within a few hours after the procedure.

Tubal ligation can also be performed immediately after childbirth through a small incision near the navel or during a cesarean section.

Indications

Tubal ligation may be recommended for adult women who are certain that they wish to prevent future pregnancies (permanent sterilization). Keep in mind that tubal sterilization is not a trivial surgical procedure, and that it carries some risk.

While sterilization is very popular, many women who choose to have the procedure regret their decisions later. The younger the woman, the more likely it is that she will regret her decision.

Tubal ligation is not recommended as a temporary or reversible procedure -- it is considered a permanent form of birth control. The operation can sometimes be reversed if a woman later chooses to become pregnant, however this requires a major surgical procedure. Following tubal ligation reversal, about 50% to 80% of women eventually become pregnant.

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