Tubal ligation questions...

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Tubal ligation questions...
6
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 2:09am
Greetings,

I'm hoping I have the correct board for these questions..

I'm currently pregnant with my third child. My husband and I have decided this is enough for our family. I'm wondering if anyone has gone through tubal ligation? I've been doing some research, I've yet to ask my own doctor about it. The only information I've found is a little frightening.

I'm wondering what the procedure involves. I'll want to have it done when the baby is born, so there won't be two hospital stays within a short period of time. The information I've read says it involves a small cut, near the navel, about 2" in length. Does anyone know, or has gone through, a way that doesn't involve cutting me open?!? My first was near 11 pounds at birth, even still, I avoided a c-section like the plague because I'm scared of surgery and all it could entail.. infections, extended bleeding, etc.

So if anyone could help with this information at all, it would be greatly appreciated.

~Debbera

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 7:33am
Hi Debbera,

I too have avoided surgery like the plague...and my biggest baby was 11#13oz (born unmed vaginally)...so I'm willing to *suffer*...lol!!

Anyway, we have 6 kids from age 1-21 (I am 44), and we too want to be done. I originally scheduled a TL this past summer, but cancelled because though it is NOT a difficult surgery...very routine, we couldn't accept even the small risk of complications in our life right now (my husband is in a new tenure track position *equates to probation* at Univ of AR). I carry too much load of home stuff to chance me having any laid up time. Also, because I am obese it raises the risk factor as it is more difficult to lift the abdomen with the gas when it is heavy, therefore increasing the difficulty of visualizing internal structures safely/clearly.

Not sure if these random thoughts helped you. Maybe you would be able to consider a different method that is *easy* and OK for nursing moms like the IUD. I understand it can be inserted within hours of childbirth. I have decided to check it out myself. I have heard (from my docs) that doing a TL like weeks to months after childbirth is a better option (it's done as outpatient surgery you know.) I have seen studies that suggest the body is more likely to try to heal from the TL while it is recovering from birth...guess it may depend on the type you have...but apparently it may raise the potential for failure.

Best wishes,

Sandy

Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 8:41am
I had a TL 18 months ago, and I had a very good experience. I think it is an excellent choice under the right circumstances, namely that a couple has decided they have had all the children they are going to have and they are 100% certain (or as close to it as you can be) that they don't want any more, even if one of the spouses dies or one of the children dies - *and* if the wife is not being pressured into doing it but is offering to do it herself. I think it's also a good idea if you normally heal quickly and have no history of female "complications."

The procedure was a very simple outpatient procedure. I was given a little light anesthesia before being knocked out. There are 2 incisions, a 1/2" one at the edge of my navel which you can't see at all, and a lateral one near the top of the pubic hair (they shaved off the top 1/2" of hair to make the incision, so you can't see that either - I think it was 1-2" wide). My OB doesn't tie or cut tubes, she burns them with an electrical current. The post-op recovery was quick. I was slightly nauseous from the anesthesia for a couple of hours, and my abdomen was all puffed out for a few days. My OB likes to do the procedure on a Thursday, so you have 3 days post-surgery before going back to work. The scars healed quickly. The operation is effective for birth control after you have your next period.

I would caution you on a few things. First, think of TL as something *permanent*, not something that can ever be changed. Too many women think, "Oh, there's surgery to reverse it later if I need to." Those surgeries are rarely successful. Second, I personally think it is a bad idea to make any decisions about future children when you're hormonally influenced, i.e. pregnant, post-partum, or breastfeeding. I don't know about you, but I haven't always been entirely rational during those times, and you should be rational when making a decision that affects the rest of your life. Third, find out from your doctor what procedure she uses when doing a TL and then ask her questions - don't rely on the internet. Finally, don't schedule your TL for when you're delivering your baby "because they're already in there." It's a separate procedure, and it is easy to recover from. The convenience of doing it while you're already in the hospital is a very small thing when weighed against the possibility of having made the wrong decision because you were hormonal and the reality of how simple the procedure is and how easy to recover from later.

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 10:31am
If you're thinking of sterilization but scared of the risks of a tubal ligation, then have you considered the Essure non-surgical method? It's a very simple procedure, no surgery or cuts, and done in an office while you're awake. They go through the cervix and put little coils into the fallopian tubes, and then scar tissue grows over them. It takes about three months before it can be relied on, although this must be verified first. Most women who get this done can return to their normal activities immediately without a recovery period. In addition, it has a better success rate than tubals. They say it's success rate is 99.8%, although to this date, no woman who has been told her procedure was successful and could be relied on has ever gotten pregnant. Tubal ligation has a success rate of 99.5%, which is not as good.

http://www.essure.com/

Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 10:48am
Just a note, my OB, who is quite progressive, will not do Essure because she feels there isn't enough data on long-term effects of having the coils inside the tubes.

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Thu, 10-14-2004 - 11:02am
My husband was worried about the lack of long term data when I was considering it, but the Essure site says that the materials in the coils have been used extensively for blood vessel grafts and heart valve replacements, so I figure we would know for sure if those materials weren't safe. I ended up not being able to get Essure though. There were absolutely no doctors on my insurance in my area who were doing it yet. My doctor said they had plans to start offering it within the next year, but I went ahead and got a Mirena IUD instead which I've been very happy with. I might look into Essure again in 5 years, or I might just get a new IUD then.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Mon, 10-18-2004 - 4:00pm
I am in the same situation as you. I am pregnant with #2, and I can't take birth control pills becuase they make me sick. I went to the doctor on Friday, and asked him about TL. He gave me a big spill about making sure it was the right choice because it is fairly permanent. He suggested an IUD or a vasectomy for my husband. I have heard horror storys about IUDs, and a am a little leary of vasectomy. My father had one that failed, and now I have a teenage brother.

After he gave me the alternative spill, he told me what the TL right after delivery would entail. He said he would do the surgery the day after delivery because my uterus would still be around my belly button. He would make a very small incision in my belly button and cut sections out of my tubes. He said as far as TLs go having one right after delivery was the easiest and less evasive. I would have to stay in the hospital another 24 hours (two full days total with delivery and surgery), and recovery would involve maybe a little more pain or uncomfortable feeling during the next week or so. He didn't think it would be much more than regular recovery from delivering a baby.

I hope this helps. I dread the thought of surgery, but this seemed less evasive and easier on me because I will have my mother, my grandmother and MIL taking care of household things for the first couple weeks after having our second. It just seems like the right thing for my husband and I.

Sherry