Tubal ligation: what it is and how effective it is
Regardless of the situation they live in, there are women who do not want to increase their family. For all of them, tubal ligation may be the solution. Do you want to know what it consists of?
On many occasions we have heard of tubal ligation as an option to avoid having more children. It is usually carried out by women who, having an advanced age of their fertile stage and having had children, do not wish to increase the family .
Also in cases where pregnancy poses a great risk to the baby or the mother , or miscarriages have been repeated in attempts to have a family. But really, what is tubal ligation? What are its advantages and risks? At PregDream we explain it to you in detail, but remember that if you are considering this possibility, your doctor and / or gynecologist are the experts who can best advise you.
Index
WHAT IS TUBAL LIGATION?
Tubal ligation is a female sterilization surgical process. It is performed to prevent future pregnancies , and the area where the surgery is performed is the fallopian or uterine tubes, which are the tubes that connect the ovaries , where the eggs are manufactured and released, with the uterus. Therefore, the objective of performing a tubal ligation operation is to prevent the uterus and ovaries from being connected and, therefore, that neither the sperm can reach the eggs, nor can they reach the uterus.
With this operation , we prevent the eggs from being fertilized, what happens with them is that they are reabsorbed by the body , since they are “trapped” between the ovaries and the sealed segment of the fallopian tubes. However, we must bear in mind that this sterilization process does not protect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases , including HIV / AIDS , so in case of having sexual relations with a person who suffers them or if the woman is not sure of it , you must use a condom.
WHEN TO RESORT TO THIS OPERATION
Classically, tubal ligation has been carried out in women who, by medical recommendation, should not have any other family. This would be in cases where the mother can transmit a serious inherited disease to her children , or when the pregnancy can affect her own health . However, over the years, resorting to this type of operation has spread among women who make the firm decision not to have children, or more than they already have in the family.
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO EXPAND THE FAMILY, IT CAN BE YOUR DEFINITIVE SOLUTION
Generally, when we are younger and if we do not have children, having a tubal ligation is not recommended because there is a good chance that we will regret this decision . It is a decision that must always be made in consultation with our doctor, he will tell us the possibilities of reversibility of the procedure and the risks and advantages of the intervention, in addition to assessing whether, according to our circumstances and our medical history, we can undergo the operation or not .
HOW TUBAL LIGATION IS DONE
There are several techniques to perform tubal ligation, the most commonly used being minilaparotomy and laparoscopy. The difference between them lies in the way to access the tubes, and the procedure that is followed afterwards is to cut the area, cauterize it, or block it with rings, bands or staples . It is performed on the narrowest segment of the tubes.
YOUR BODY WILL NOT UNDERGO CHANGES
ADVANTAGES AND RISKS
Tubal ligation has the advantage that it does not affect the production of hormones in our body, since the ovaries, which produce hormones, continue to function normally. Thus, this type of sterilization will not cause physical or emotional changes in our body . Recovery is fast, and it does not disable us for any other type of activity in our life.
On the other hand, the risks of undergoing a tubal ligation operation are similar to those of any other similar type of operation: bleeding, infection, possible damage to adjacent organs, or problems derived from anesthesia. However, this does not mean that it has to happen in our case, since they are general risks inherent to surgical interventions , but which the doctor usually keeps under control .
There is a small risk that, even with the tubal ligation, there is a normal pregnancy, and the possibility of having an ectopic pregnancy , that is, outside the uterus , also increases . The latter would occur if the tubal occlusion has not been successful, or if the operation has been performed when the woman was already pregnant and the detection method (which is always performed before the operation) has failed. However, this occurs in a small number of cases and does not have to be a scare factor .
The biggest risk associated with tubal ligation is later regret. When the woman has already been a mother several times and knows that she does not want to increase the family (for example, if she has 3 children or more), and is close to 40 , the possibility that she will regret it decreases. However, young women, who have 1 or 2 children, and even none , are more likely to want to reverse the process in the future. That is why it is recommended that you first consult with your gynecologist and try other contraceptive methods .
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.