When a woman finally and irrevocably decides not to have more children, one way to not worry about a possible pregnancy is a ligation of the fallopian tubes. Since this method is, in fact, female sterilization, for carrying out such a procedure, only the desire of a woman to apply to her is not enough, it is necessary that she meets the following criteria:
- had 3 or more children;
- had 2 children and was older than 35 years;
- was older than 40 years;
- had health problems that are a contraindication to pregnancy and childbirth: disorders and malformations of the circulatory, respiratory, nervous and genitourinary systems, blood diseases, malignant tumors, etc.
Ligation of fallopian tubes: consequences
The basis of this method of contraception is the artificial creation of obstruction of the fallopian tubes, by bandaging, clogging or clamping them with the help of special clips, as a result of which the meeting of the egg with the sperm and subsequent fertilization become physically impossible. Ovaries are not exposed to any influences, that is, in fact the woman remains a woman in all manifestations: she still continues to menstruate, women's hormones and eggs are being developed, sex drive does not disappear anywhere, only the ability to conceive a child is lost. It must be remembered that this method of contraception is irreversible, and if through time a woman wants to experience the joy of motherhood again, then she will have to use the methods of IVF for this. In very rare cases, after the dressing, self-repair of tubal permeability and pregnancy may be possible, but the probability of such an outcome is negligible. Therefore, when choosing such a method of protection, a woman must be informed of the irreversibility of the tubal ligation, the presence of adverse reactions and complications after surgery, and the possibility of other methods of contraception. When making a final decision, it is necessary to take into account the stability of marriage and the health of children, because very often a woman thinks about a new pregnancy after entering into a new marriage or losing a child.
How is the tubal ligation done?
Before the operation of the tubal ligation, the woman will have to sign her consent and undergo a pre-operative medical examination.
There are several ways of performing tubal ligation surgery:
- Abdominal - a laparotomy or a mini-laparotomy. The incisions are made in the lower abdomen, the operation is under general anesthesia, and stay in the medical hospital lasts at least 7 days.
- Vaginal - colpotomy. The incisions are produced in the vagina, leaving no postoperative scars, but the risk of infection is significantly increased. After the operation for 30-45 days, it is necessary to abstain from sexual activity.
- Endoscopy of the peritoneum is the method most widely used. The operation is under general anesthesia, and all manipulations are carried out through small incisions at the navel level. Tying of pipes is carried out by means of clamps from metal or
plastic, and the lumen in the tubes is closed, cauterizing it by electrocoagulation. - Endoscopy of the uterus is a relatively new way of ligation of the fallopian tubes. With this intervention, sterilization occurs by closing the orifices of the fallopian tubes using microtips from plastic.
Like any surgical intervention, ligation of the fallopian tubes can lead to complications and side reactions: allergic reactions to anesthesia, bleeding, blood infection, respiratory failure, ectopic pregnancy or incomplete tube blockage.