Tubal sterilisation -- a practical option
Indian Medical Tribune 4(15): 1
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0971-488X PMID: 12179202 Document Number: 299923
The sexual sterilization of males and females is a leading method of birth control in the US, and tubal ligation may be a practical option for women in India. Considered a permanent form of contraception, tubal ligation may be chosen to limit family size, to avoid passing on an inherited diseases, or to preserve a woman's health which may be endangered by pregnancy. Tubal ligation is commonly performed by laparoscopy, in which a slender viewing tube is passed through a tiny incision near the navel. The tubes are then sealed with electric current, a clip, or a band through another incision. Minilaparotomy is also commonly used and involves viewing and sealing the tubes through a small incision in the abdominal wall. The rate of complication with either procedure is only 1/1000. Tubal ligation has no effect on a woman's hormonal production or other pelvic organs. The failure rate may be slightly higher than the previously estimated 1%, but tubal ligation remains a highly effective form of birth control. Attempts to reverse the sterilization procedure are costly, and success can not be guaranteed.