Related topics: •  Contraception •  Vasectomy: Is It For Me?

It's an operation designed to make a woman sterile. If you're certain that you don't want to have any more children, you can have your Fallopian tubes closed off to prevent your partner's sperm from making it to the egg. Because this surgery is difficult to reverse, most states require a 30-day waiting period before you can schedule it, so that you'll have time to be sure of your decision. Most insurance companies will cover at least part of the cost of the procedure, which can run you up to $4,000.

Getting your tubes tied used to mean that the surgeon had to open up your abdomen to reach the Fallopian tubes. These days it's usually a much less invasive outpatient procedure. You may be given a local, regional, or general anesthetic. After inflating your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas, the surgeon makes a small cut in or just below your belly button and inserts a narrow tube with a light and a tiny magnifying glass on the end. This tool allows the surgeon to find your tubes without opening you up. He or she can then close them off by burning or clipping them shut with another tool inserted through a small cut in your abdomen. You'll need a few stitches to close up the cuts. The procedure generally takes about 30 minutes.

You'll probably be up and around within 8 hours, but you may feel some pain in the days following surgery, so take it easy. (See your doctor if the abdominal pain or swelling gets worse instead of better.) You should give yourself a week before you start exercising or having sex again.

Another recently developed method of tubal sterilization doesn't require an incision at all. In this method, called Essure, two tiny metallic coils are inserted into the fallopian tubes by going through the vagina, cervix, and uterus. Once the coils are positioned, they cause tissue to grow, blocking the tubes and preventing any eggs from getting through. It takes about three months for the coils to become effective, so another form of birth control must be used during that time. Essure costs about $1,200 to $3,000 and must be performed by a doctor who has been properly trained in the procedure.

No. The procedure has no effect on your hormone production. You'll still ovulate each month, only the egg will never reach your uterus. You'll also continue to have menstrual periods.

Unfortunately, no. About 2 out of 100 women will get pregnant during the first 10 years after their tubes are tied. (An egg has less chance of slipping through if you have your tubes closed by cauterization, or burning.) If you do become pregnant, be sure to see your doctor right away; there's an increased risk that the egg will be implanted in your Fallopian tubes or abdomen, rather than in your uterus.

In some cases, but don't count on it. Reversals are expensive ($5,000 to $10,000), and insurance companies rarely cover them. They're also much more complicated than closing or cutting the tubes in the first place, and your chances of being able to conceive after a reversal are uncertain. Tubes that were closed by cauterization can't be reopened, because the heat destroys their delicate lining and seals them closed.

References

First published August 3, 1999
Last updated May 21, 2008
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

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