Understanding the Tubal Ligation Recovery Process

Are you considering tubal ligation as birth control? Have you ever wondered what tubal ligation recovery is like?

More than 700,000 women in the United States undergo tubal ligation each year. It’s a common procedure, but any surgery comes with some risks and even more questions.

Talk with your doctor about any specific concerns you may have. But in the meantime, learn more about the tubal ligation healing process here!

How is Tubal Ligation Performed?

During a tubal ligation procedure, your doctor will remove or block your fallopian tubes. This eliminates the path an egg would take from your ovary to your uterus. It is 99% effective at preventing conception.

Tubal ligation is almost always done with a laparoscope. Your doctor will make one or two small incisions near your navel. To make it easier to maneuver the instruments, the doctors inflate your abdomen with a small amount of gas.

Your doctor then removes or blocks your fallopian tubes. They close the incisions, and that’s it!

Some women choose to have tubal ligation immediately after childbirth. In this case, the doctor uses a local anesthetic on your abdomen and completes the procedure. In other instances, doctors prefer stronger anesthesia.

This could mean light sedation, or it could mean general anesthesia. Talk to your doctor to find out which option is best for you.

How Long is the Tubal Ligation Recovery Process?

How long is recovery from tubal ligation? The recovery process for tubal ligation is usually brief, but it depends on how the procedure is done. Your pain level is also considered.

If you have the procedure after childbirth, you can usually expect little discomfort. If you have the procedure under general anesthesia, you may feel moderate pain after you wake up.

Tubal ligation recovery time relates more to the anesthesia than the actual surgery. Some people recover quickly from anesthesia, while others need more time. But tubal ligation is almost always an outpatient procedure.

This means you can go home soon after surgery, usually within a few hours. Your doctor will prescribe medicine for pain and tell you how to care for your incisions.

Your medical team will tell you to rest and take it easy for a few days. You should avoid heavy lifting for a week.

Check with your doctor, but your tubal ligation healing process should be complete in about seven days.

When Can I Have Sex?

After patients ask about the tubal ligation reversal cost, the next question is usually, “How soon can I have sex?”. Your doctor will discuss this with you before the procedure.

You can continue your normal sex life when your doctor gives you the okay. But you shouldn’t have to wait longer than one or two weeks. Your doctor may suggest backup birth control until they can be sure the tubal ligation procedure was a success.

Tubal ligation is a big decision, and it’s best to have all the facts before you proceed. Tubal ligation recovery is just one of the topics we’re covering. Check back with us for more information about this procedure!