Healthy Considerations

Among the methods of stopping conception available to women is the method of having their tubes tied. Along with the normal surgical risks a woman undergoing this procedure has to be aware of, there is the addition of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome. Looking around the Internet will provide you with story after story of the painful and embarrassing experiences of the women who suffer it.

For those women who suffer from Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, also called PTLS, there is a long list of possible symptoms they can have. Upon researching this topic, one can find a popular list (seen on several websites) of 35 possible symptoms. Within the personal stories, most women seem to suffer from terrible mood swings, longer and/or heavier bleeding during periods, weight gain or inability to lose weight, awful PMS, problems sleeping, low to no sex drive, migraines and very severe, even crippling, abdominal pain. Cramps is too wimpy a word for what these women report.

As if the above wasn’t enough for these ladies to suffer through, they have to suffer further ignominy from their doctors and medical staff. Most doctors do not believe ptls even exist. One such doctor calls it a “medical myth” in an interview. So these women suffering these symptoms will be met with derision and suggestions of seek counseling and use anti-depressants. At the very best, they will be told to just learn to live with it.

One possible treatment these poor women will receive is to be put back onto birth control pills. Considering they went through the tubal ligation surgery instead of using birth control pills, they don’t seem to be coming out ahead. But there are some doctors, and given how many times this seems to be the treatment given most doctors, are of the opinion that what these women are suffering is due to going off birth control pills or to age. Sometimes the women are told they will just need to get a total hysterectomy. Has anyone wondered what that implies?

Our doctor quoted above, the “medical myth”, says women should be removed from birth control pills several months in advance of the actual tubal ligation surgery. This will given them a chance to see what their periods and pms are really like without the hormones of the birth control pills. If the problems stem from age, I suppose you are just going to have “to learn to live with it.” But this advice does not seem to be pertinent to the women who were pregnant and get the tubal done at delivery or shortly thereafter. Nor does the age cause seem to relate to women who are in their 20′s.

Informing women about to undergo the tube tying surgery would be one thing that should be done. Most have no idea that ptls is even a possible complication to the surgery. Mostly they are told that there is a chance for an infection, hemorrhage or a problem related to the use of general anesthesia as you would have in any surgery. What is added for this particular surgery is the additional complication of an ectopic pregnancy. This information is from the FDA’s own website. The “Coalition for Post-Tubal Women” is trying to accomplish a change in the consent form. Better counseling about this possibility would be good as well but since many, dare I say most, doctors believe this to be a mythical syndrome, who knows if it will ever happen. At least let them know so they can do their own research and make their own decisions if this is something they want to risk.

While better information prior to the surgery would be good, it doesn’t help those who have already done it. For these women, there are the actions mentioned above which can be done such as going onto birth control pills, having a hysterectomy or just learning to live with it no matter how much it may impair their lives. One more option that some women don’t even know is available is to have a tubal ligation reversal surgery done. In the stories shared by women on the Internet, this latter surgery has brought much relief.

Going to the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal forum will lead you to threads that address the issue of ptls. Women come asking if a tubal ligation reversal will really help them. Those who respond answer in the affirmative talking about all their previous symptoms and how they now have relief or improvement. An added side benefit is the possibility of now having another child though some say they don’t even care about that since the relief from post tubal ligation syndrome is so great.

Related posts:

1. Tubal Ligation Reversal Surgery Questions Answered
2. Tubal Reversal Cost – Getting The Right Answers
3. Reversing Tied Tubes – Who Should You Call?
4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
5. How to Obtain a Free Vasectomy Reversal

Written by Sandra Wilson