Tubal ligation, often referred to as "having your tubes tied," is a surgical procedure in which a woman's fallopian tubes are blocked, tied, or cut. This procedure stops eggs from traveling from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes, where the egg is normally fertilized by a sperm.
Why It Is Done
A tubal ligation or tubal implant placement is a permanent method of birth control. Only consider this method when you are sure that you will not want to become pregnant in the future.
Permanent birth control is a reasonable option when you:
- Do not want to have children in the future, no matter how your life may change.
- Have a partner who also does not want children in the future but does not want to have a vasectomy.
- Have also considered other methods of birth control and do not want the side effects, risks, or costs of those methods.
- Have health problems that would be made worse by pregnancy.
- Have a hereditary condition that you do not want to pass on.
- Do not have any medical conditions that would make having surgery dangerous
What To Expect After Tubal Ligation Surgery
After a tubal ligation, you will most likely go home the same day. Your surgeon will give you instructions on what to expect and when to call after the surgery.
- You may have some slight vaginal bleeding caused by the movement of your uterus during the surgery.
- If you had a laparoscopy, your stomach may be swollen (distended) from the gas that was used to lift your skin and muscles away from your abdominal organs so the surgeon could see them better. This should go away within a day or so but may last longer. You may also have some back or shoulder pain from the gas in your abdomen. This will go away as your body absorbs the gas.
- You can shower 24 hours after the surgery, but avoid rubbing or pulling on your incision for at least a week.
- You can have sexual intercourse as soon as you feel like it and it does not cause pain, which is usually 1 week after surgery.
- Be sure to rest for a few days (or at least 24 hours) before beginning to resume your normal activities. You should be able to resume all activities within a week.
- No backup method of birth control is needed after the surgery.
- A follow-up exam in 2 weeks is usually scheduled.
How Well It Works
Tubal ligation and tubal implants are not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Tubal Ligation
There is a slight risk of becoming pregnant after tubal ligation. This happens to about 5 out of 1,000 women after 1 year. After a total of 5 years following tubal ligation, about 13 out of 1,000 women will have become pregnant.
Pregnancy may occur if:
- The tubes grow back together or a new passage forms (recanalization) that allows an egg to be fertilized by sperm. Your doctor can discuss which method of ligation is more effective for preventing tubes from growing back together.
- The surgery was not done correctly.
- You were pregnant at the time of surgery