How to "Fix" Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome | Women's Issues

By SandraWilson
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Tubal ligation has been used by millions of women in the U.S. alone as a means of preventing more conceptions. One possible after affect is called Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome which causes the women who suffer it some quite horrible experiences. These experiences can be read on the web by just doing a search on the subject.

Want to know what the symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, or ptls, are? Well, a search will bring up a list of about 35 possibilities. Some say these are problems you can have with any type of surgery and that may well be true of some of them. However, the ones most commonly found in the stories of the sufferers are very heavy bleeding and/or longer periods, stronger pms symptoms, migraines, weight gain or inability to lose weight, terrible cramping to the point of being bed ridden for some and little to no libido. Some women even complain of thinning hair and terrible mood swings that have caused relationship problems.

Perhaps what is even worse for these women are the responses from their doctors and surgeons when these symptoms are brought to light. They range from a "there's nothing wrong and so you'll have to learn to live with it" attitude to outright telling these women it's all in their heads and they need professional counseling. One doctor has been quoted as saying that PTLS is a "medical myth" on medicinenet.com.

Many women are told they need to go on birth control pills or even undergo another surgery to "correct" whatever is wrong up to and including a hysterectomy. If you need to be on birth control pills, what good did it do to have a tubal ligation in the first place? However, you will find in the medical literature that many doctors believe the problems found after the surgery are actually caused by the women going off birth control pills and other factors related to age.

One doctor is quoted as saying that women should be removed from birth control pills well in advance of the tubal ligation surgery in order to allow their bodies to return to norm. The thinking is that this would let the ladies know what their condition, related to PMS and menses, prior to having the surgery. Who knows what the answer is for the "age related" problems? Learn to live with it? But these don't address the ladies who have the tubal done at the birth of the last child they wanted. And the age related cause does not address the young women in their 20's or, in my opinion, the ones in their early 30's who are having problems with ptls either.

Another way to help with these effects and syndromes would be a better notification of potential complications before the surgery. Even the government's FDA website only lists the following as possible "rare" complications from the surgery: infection, ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhage and problems related to the use of general anesthesia. No mention of the effects that so many women suffer from PTLS. Maybe a more informative consent form would stop some women from going through with the surgery. At least they would be better informed with a consent form that included PTLS which is what the "Coalition for Post-Tubal Women" is trying to accomplish.

However, for women who have already undergone tubal surgery, there has to be other action taken. These can include, as mentioned above, going onto birth control pills, having a hysterectomy or having a tubal ligation reversal surgery performed. By getting a tubal reversal ptls symptoms seem to be reduced for about 90% of patients. That's the results of a study Dr. Berger of the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center cites at http://press.tubal-reversal.net/2008/post-tubal-ligation-syndrome.html

The women on the message board at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center and in stories you will find there will tell you how they have felt better and had a return to their old lives by having a tubal reversal surgery. No more suffering from post tubal ligation syndrome at best for the vast majority of the ones who have suffered from it. Perhaps, given the particular circumstances of any woman of course, a tubal ligation reversal is the best answer for someone suffering from ptls. Talk to your doctor, or better yet, discuss this with Dr. Berger's staff.

About the Author

If you want to know more about post tubal ligation syndrome and the chances of relief of its hurtful conditions that can be brought about by tubal reversal, please browse the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website at http://www.tubal-reversal.net

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