Tubal Sterilization - What Are the Risks?

Every year around 700,000 women in the USA will choose to opt for a surgical procedure that prevents them from becoming pregnant by some form of tubal sterilization, usually tubal ligation.  The way the procedure prevents a pregnancy is by causing the fallopian tubes to become blocked which means that in the future eggs released from the ovaries will not be able to reach the uterus.

When it comes to surgeons performing tubal sterilization on women there are several different methods they can use.  Some will prefer to tie or cut the fallopian tubes while others may opt to burn (cauterize) them.  There are even mechanical devices such as rings, clips, Essure, and Adiana which will cause a tubal blockage in order to prevent a woman from getting pregnant.

Within a five year period a certain percentage of the women who have had the procedure will then choose to have it reversed.  Just what that percentage of women who want a reversal may be is not really known as so many women actually believe that tubal sterilization is indeed permanent birth control.  This surgical procedure to fix the tubal blockage is known as tubal reversal and can be carried in one day at special tubal reversal clinics.  If you have the reversal performed in a hospital, you will probably have to stay more than one day there.  

So perhaps the first risk of tubal sterilization is the regret for having had the procedure.  However, there are other risks as well.  Just as with any other forms of surgery there are some risks associated with having a surgical procedure.  For some women the side effects may be minor, but others may suffer more serious problems such as an aversion to the medication or anesthesia.  Then there are some women who begin to suffer from issues such as bleeding or infections after the procedure have been carried out.  Granted these risks are not great but you should be aware of them as you should be for any surgery.

Another problem for some women is that there is a very small risk of becoming pregnant following it.  Although the odds of 1.43 in 100 do not seem high, this is a possibility and is often a result of the fallopian tubes not being fully blocked by the surgeon carrying out the procedure or the method used.

And if she does get pregnant after its completion there is an increased risk of her having an ectopic pregnancy.  With this particular form of pregnancy the fetus will generally develop in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus, although other configurations are possible, and is potentially very dangerous if not caught quickly.  Treatment may start with methotrexate but if that does not work, treatment can go up to and include removing the fallopian tube which may be fine (other than the additional surgery) if you really still want the permanent birth control, but not so fine if you change your mind.

As well as the medical problems we mention above, there are other risks to the women where the tubal sterilization hasn't been carried out correctly.  These women are at great risk of other important organs within the body becoming damaged, so choosing a surgeon with lots of experience of doing these procedures is crucial.  Ideally the woman should be looking for ones who have 5 years or more experience of carrying out these types of procedures.