C'mon guys, I posted some serious information on a very serious topic. I thought it might make for some useful discussion, not just another opportunity for playground stuff. By the way, having this done makes me very sad. I really want to have more. May The Sheep Be With You
It's important to understand your choices before deciding on permanent birth control. When it comes to permanent birth control such as sterilization, both men and women should know and compare the differences, benefits and risks of vasectomy vs. tubal ligation. For most couples, vasectomy is often the safer and most simple of the two procedures. There is ample medical and personal reason why a couple might prefer vasectomy to the female equivalent: tubal ligation. Cost, Safety and Risks For women, tubal ligation involves conventional hospitalization, general anesthesia and lengthier, more complicated surgery than a vasectomy. In comparison, no-scalpel vasectomy may be completed in minutes, barely scoring the skin of the scrotum. A majority of tubal ligations are laparoscopic (intra-abdominal) procedures that require several hours of hospital recovery time and days of recuperation. The potential serious risks with this type of surgery include perforation of the intestine, infection, complications from anesthesia and even pulmonary embolism. Less serious but more frequent are the long-term side effects of tubal ligation. These include painful menstrual cycles, pelvic pain and a controversial complication that is still under study, called "post tubal ligation syndrome." Vasectomies are usually outpatient procedures performed in the doctors' office and usually take less than a half-hour to complete. There are almost no risk of serious complications and no proven long-term complications to vasectomy. Quick recovery usually allows patients to have the procedure on Friday and to return to work on Monday. When it comes to cost, a simple vasectomy is more than four times less expensive than a routine tubal ligation: Compare $2,000+ costs in a tubal ligation to approximately $500 for a vasectomy. Still, most couples may opt for tubal ligation because some couples still perceive birth control as solely a woman's responsibility. Making the Loving Choice You and your spouse can discuss these issues with your physician, however, when it comes to cost, risks and benefits, vasectomy is more often the best option-and a loving choice for husbands who would spare their wives' the greater burdens and risks of tubal ligation. http://www.vascenters.com/tubal.htm just sayin...............
What is a No-Scalpel Vasectomy? The No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) was originally developed in China in the early 1970's by Dr. Li Shunqiang. It was found to greatly reduce complications found with standard vasectomies. Over 15 million men have undergone the NSV. The No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) is unique in that there is no incision made in the scrotum. Instead, pointed forceps separate the layers of tissue and make a single opening less than a quarter of an inch in diameter in the middle of the scrotum. The procedure generally takes 15 to 20 minutes. Recovery is faster than with the standard vasectomy. Bleeding, swelling, infection and other complications are generally less. So is the amount of resultant discomfort after the procedure. In fact, one study noted up to 4 times less infections and up to 20 times less bleeding. No skin stitches are needed and scarring is minimal. Physicians require additional training for this procedure and, therefore, you may choose to ask whether your physician has experience with this procedure. For urologists, vasectomy is a natural extension of their other duties.
Based on what my obstetrician tells me, PT is over stating his case against tubal ligation, although it is a somewhat more serious procedure than vasectomy. But hospitalization is not required. It's done in the outpatient clinic of the hospital. Also general anesthesia is not necessary, local anesthesia works fine. Recovery time is about the same for both procedures, no bike rides for a few days. A TL does not require you to shave anything either. I'll tell you what though. I'm having a tubal ligation in two weeks. Afterwards, I'll post all about it for everyone's information. I'm just having local anesthesia. After having both girls without the epidural, I'm sure I can deal with any discomfort. May The Sheep Be With You
Report on my surgery Okay, I promised I would be back to tell you guys about my tubal ligation, so here I am. It was supposed to be yesterday morning, but my ob/gyn was busy with a delivery, so it was postponed until the afternoon. Michelle has always been on a demand schedule, but she's been good about nursing when I offer it to her. So I got her fed, turned her over to mama and went back to the hospital. This is not a detailed play by play, but just a summary of events. First they gave me a tranquilizer which, I guess, helped me relax. After a while, I laid down on one of those carts and they took me into surgery. I just had a local anaesthetic so some of the time was waiting for it to take effect. I was crying because I was really sad because I wouldn't be able to have any more babies so my doctor was talking to me to cheer me up a little. They put up a sheet so I couldn't see what they were doing but I just felt some pressure now and then. What he did was make a little incision and went in and cauterized the tubes. They can make a loop and tie them which is potentially reversible sometimes, but this procedure I had is not realistically reversible. I was in the surgery room less than an hour. I spent a couple hours in the recovery room where a nurse checked on me now and then. My doctor came in a couple of times to see if I was okay. I was. After the anaesthetic wore off, I felt a little sore, still do. Then, my husband took me home. No exercising or romance for about a week. I have to go back and see my doctor this afternoon, just to make sure I'm doing okay. He said if I start feeling any real pain or swelling to call him immediately, otherwise I should be alright. I have a bandage on my lower abdomen. He's going to give me some more this afternoon which are waterproof so I can shower. All in all, not really a big deal, keeping in mind that my doctor is very good and very caring. So, for your information, a first hand account of a tubal ligation.
I don't think she's doing this for pregnancy reasons. She stated "medical reasons", more commonly known as medical 'indications'. If she's having a bilateral tubectomy, he would not need to "pull out" or undergo a vasectomy to cancel the risk of pregnancy. Good luck with your procedure.
Went back to see the doctor yesterday, that is, Friday afternoon. I'm doing just fine. I'm still a little sore and tender, but it's really no big deal. Another checkup in a week and that should be it, back to normal. I'm waiting for Preacher Tony to see this and be reassured that it's really just a minor outpatient thing. But if anyone knows someone who is contemplating this, they should check around thoroughly. Not all physicians are equally knowledgeable or skilfull.
