Tubal Sterilization
Tubal Sterilization
Tubal SterilizationTubal Sterilization
Tubal Sterilization, also known as female sterilization, surgical operation in which the fallopian tubes that extend from the ovaries to the uterus are closed off. The operation permanently prevents pregnancy by making it impossible for sperm to reach an egg. Tubal sterilization is almost 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and is the most popular form of birth control in the United States. About 18 percent of American women 15 to 44 years old who use birth control choose tubal sterilization. It is most popular among women from 30 to 44 years old, women who have been previously married, and black and Hispanic women.
In a woman's body, one of the ovaries releases an egg every month. The egg travels down one of the fallopian tubes to the uterus. If a sperm meets with and fertilizes this egg, the fertilized egg implants in the wall of the uterus, beginning a pregnancy. In tubal sterilization the fallopian tubes are tied and cut (known as tubal ligation), blocked with a ring or a clip, or sealed closed using an electric current to form a scar. While tubal sterilization prevents the egg from traveling down the fallopian tube and encountering sperm, the woman continues to have a monthly menstrual period.
Doctors use one of two surgical procedures to perform tubal sterilization. In a laparoscopy, a doctor makes a small incision near the belly button and inserts a laparoscope (a long, thin, lighted viewing instrument) to view the fallopian tubes. A gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide is then pumped into the abdomen to inflate it slightly so that the reproductive organs are easier to locate. To seal the tubes, the doctor may insert another device through the laparoscope or make another incision in order to cut or block the tubes. In a minilaparotomy, a doctor makes a tiny incision above the pubic bone and seals the tubes without the aid of a viewing instrument.
Either procedure can be performed using local or general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure or in the hospital with an overnight stay. A woman may feel sore, tired, gassy, or bloated for the first few days after the operation. Possible complications of tubal sterilization include infection, bleeding, injury to the intestines, and complications caused by general anesthesia. Major complications are rare, occurring in only about 1 out of 1,000 cases.
Tubal sterilization is a permanent form of birth control. Although new surgical techniques may be able to reverse the surgery in some cases, no woman should undergo this procedure with the expectation that it can be reversed. Tubal sterilizations do not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
In rare cases some women who undergo the procedure later become pregnant, usually with the fertilized egg growing outside the uterus, often in the fallopian tubes. This condition is known as an ectopic pregnancy and is potentially life threatening. An ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube can cause the tube to burst, a situation that requires emergency surgery.
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