Side Effects of Getting Tubes Tied

About Tubal Ligation

Although commonly called getting or having your “tubes tied,” this procedure is technically called tubal ligation. There’s a lot to tubal ligation – more than can be covered here, but the following is a basic overview with some other resources for further reading and research.

Having your tubes tied is a form of female sterilization or almost-permanent birth control. This is a procedure that is commonly noted as being almost 100 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. During a tubal ligation procedure, the fallopian tubes are cut and then sealed or blocked. This procedure prevents the fertilization process and thus prevents pregnancy. The procedure can sometimes be reversed, but a reversal is expensive and not always successful, so it’s wise to be sure before you have one that this is what you want. Additionally, few doctors are experts at tubes tied reversal.

To learn more, read the article Is It a Good Idea to Get My Tubes Tied or take a look at the monetary costs involved.

The Side Effects of Getting Tubes Tied

There are various side effects of getting tubes tied. Some can occur during or soon after the procedure while some affect your future fertility. When looking at the side effects, it’s not enough to look at the short term because people do change their minds about having their tubes tied. Whether or not you think you might change your mind later on, it’s still better to have all the facts lined up.

Following are some common side effects of having your tubes tied:

It’s a Surgical Procedure

Anytime you have surgery of any sort, your body is at risk for infection and other side effects. The actual percentages vary and the risks can be anywhere from almost non-existent to very high, but there are always surgical risks. Another risk is uterine perforation (a uterus tear). Lastly, the procedure could be done incorrectly, which is a surgical error that will need to be resolved and requires another surgery.

Most of the time, problems like the ones above will not occur during a basic tubal ligation. One issue that may increase your risks is if you’ve had a cesarean section birth, pelvic infection, or other pelvic area surgery in the past because these can cause scarring, which increases risks during a tubal ligation.

Procedure Side Effects

There are various methods of female sterilization, but common side effects of getting tubes tied can include swollen stomach due to gas that collects during the procedure, nausea, cramping, bleeding, blood clots, and, once in a while, shoulder pain. All procedural side effects are usually mild enough to be controlled with over-the-counter pain medication like Advil.

Future Side Effects

Future side effects can occur after the procedure has been done and is healed, such as menstrual cycle problems like heavy cramping or irregular cycles. In the cases of properly completed tubal ligation, menstrual cycle problems are the only commonly reported future and ongoing side effect. That’s not bad as far as surgical procedure side effects go.

Pregnancy

Various sources report that pregnancy after tubal ligation is rare but does happen. About 18 in 1,000 women report a pregnancy within 10 years of having their tubes tied. The complication here is that women who become pregnant after having their tubes tied are at a greater risk for an ectopic pregnancy. Furthermore, women can experience problems becoming pregnant if they have a tubal reversal after having their tubes tied, so that’s something to consider as well.

All of the above side effects are rare when it comes to tubal ligation because, in general, it’s a safe procedure.

To learn more about the risks and side effects of having your tubes tied, talk to your doctor. A full health examination is always recommended before undergoing this surgical procedure and your doctor will be able to discuss any side effects that may relate to your personal health..