What is Tubal Ligation Surgery?
Tubal ligation is a permanent contraception method for females. It is a surgical procedure which involves cutting and tying of ends that are formed after cutting the fallopian tube in order to prevent pregnancy.
A female egg is made and matures in the ovaries. From ovaries it gets released into the fallopian tube, where the egg meets the sperm and gets fertilized. If the sperm is not present to fertilize the egg, the egg goes from the fallopian tube to the uterus. In the uterus, the egg disintegrates and sheds out of the body during menstrual blood flow.
In order to prevent the fertilization of egg and sperm, the fallopian tubes are need the blocked, so that the egg never reaches the uterus and then even if the sperm is present there and fertilization between the egg and sperm happens and a zygote (forms after the sperm and egg fertilizes together) never reaches the uterus for a fetus to grow and develop.
Tubal ligation is a permanent method of birth control in women, however, according to statistics, 1 in 200 females who went through tubal ligation surgery to get pregnant even after they went well.
The surgery is also reversible to some extent or in some cases. It can be done by reasoning about the fallopian tube. However, only in 50- 80- percent cases only, the reversing of the tubal ligation surgery went successful and the women gets able to conceive a baby normally and without any complications.
Pregnancy After Tubal Ligation Surgery: Is it Even Possible?
YES! Pregnancy is possible even after getting tubal ligation surgery. There can be multiple reasons for it like:-
- The fallopian tube grew back after the surgery and formed a clean path for egg, sperm or zygote to travel freely in the tube and also to reach the uterus.
- The surgeon who performed the tuba;ligation surgery did the procedure wrong or didn’t follow the guidelines rightly.
- If the woman was already pregnant at the time of the surgery, then the surgery won’t be of any use in that case. It can then only prevent the pregnancies that can occur later on in the patient’s life.
Another condition that can cause a pregnancy in a female even after she has done the tubal ligation is ectopic pregnancy. It is the condition in which a fertilized egg gets attached to the walls of the fallopian tube, as it is not able to reach the uterus and start to develop a pregnancy there. That is why tubal ligation surgery increases the risk of a female to develop an ectopic pregnancy.
Fallopian tube is not the right space for a fetus to develop, thus this can cause a lot of damage to the female’s body, rupture the fallopian tube and cause internal bleeding and even can be fatal to her if not treated on time.
What are the Possible Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy Even After Tubal Ligation Surgery?
The signs and symptoms of pregnancy after tubal ligation surgery are similar to that of normal pregnancy. These are the signs if a female is pregnant even after the tubal ligation surgery:-
- cravings for certain foods and aversions to others
- tenderness in the breasts
- missed menstruation
- unexplained fatigue
- nausea
- frequent urination
While the normal uterus pregnancy shows these signs, the symptoms due to ectopic pregnancy are not this normal and are a lot dangerous for the female. Ectopic pregnancy shows these signs and symptoms:-
- light or heavy vaginal bleeding
- abdominal pain
- sharp pain in the pelvis
- a sensation of pressure on the pelvis
- heavy vaginal bleeding
- severe pain in the abdomen or pelvis
- loss of consciousness
- pain in the left shoulder
- a feeling of lightheadedness
Thus, it is very important to keep a check on your body and how it is coping with the surgery and showing any reaction after it. With this, keep observing your body for any sign or symptoms of pregnancy, especially the ectopic pregnancy signs. Ectopic pregnancy can be fatal for the female and can cause a lot of damage to her body. The first and most important thing to do is to consult a gynaecologist or any other medical specialist to get the initial diagnosis done or to get a suggestion for a certified and experienced gynaecologist.
What are Some Risks and Complications that can Happen Due to Tubal Ligation Surgery?
There are some risks and issues that can occur during or post surgery in a female’s body.These complications are:-
- infection at the incision site
- separation of the wound
- incomplete healing, which can result in the tubes growing back together
- allergic reaction to general anesthesia
- significant blood loss
- injury to an organ during surgery
There are some lifestyle factors and previous health conditions too that can increase the chances of these sider effects to occur more that includes smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, previous abdominal surgery, heart issues, lung issues, etc.
Therefore, it is best to first make sure that your body is fully well and right for this surgery to take place.
