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TUBAL LIGATION (surgical
sterilization)
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| What is
"tubal ligation"? |
Tubal
ligation is a surgical form of sterilization.
It is a permanent form of birth
control. During the surgery, the
fallopian tubes are blocked; this
can be done by tying, sealing, or
attaching a ring or clip to them.
This procedure can be performed postpartum
(at time of cesarean section or within
48 hours after vaginal delivery) or
as an interval procedure (performed
six weeks after delivery or at any
time not related to pregnancy). Postpartum
tubal ligation is performed through
a small incision under the navel.
Interval tubal ligation can be performed
through a small bikini type incision
or by a technique called laparoscopy.
During laparoscopy, the doctor uses
an instrument-like telescope, called
a laparoscope, to look at the pelvic
organs and to block the fallopian
tubes. |
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| How does
tubal ligation work? |
| Tubal ligation permanently
blocks the fallopian tubes so the egg cannot
move down the tube and the sperm cannot reach
the egg, therefore pregnancy cannot occur. |
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| How effective
is tubal ligation? |
Tubal
ligation is 99.20 effective. If a
woman does get pregnant after sterilization,
there is a greater chance that it
is a tubal pregnancy. Failure of
the procedure is more likely if a
woman is relatively young, because
younger woman are more fertile than
older women. |
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| Am I a
good candidate for tubal ligation? |
Tubal
ligation is ideal for those women
who are certain they wish no further
children and need a reliable contraceptive
method. If you are considering tubal
ligation, you and your partner should
discuss vasectomy, a sterilization
procedure performed on men. Compared
to female sterilization, vasectomy
is simpler, safer, less expensive,
and more (99.9%) effective. It is
performed under local anesthesia by
a urologist. |
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