Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome - How to Relieve the Pain

by: SandraWilson
Total views: 7
Word Count: 844

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.

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.

These symptoms are bad enough for the women and their families suffering through them. But this is not all they face. In trying to find out what is wrong with them, they endure many tests from doctors leading to various different diagnoses even for the same woman from the different specialist she may visit. When none of their "fixes" bring any relief, the women have to face being told either to learn to live with it or be prescribed antidepressants as the symptoms are all in their heads. We even have one doctor calling ptls a "medical myth" on MedicineNet so, of course, these women are not actually suffering from anything "real".

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.

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

A further review of the site for Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal reveals a forum where many threads can be found addressing the issues of PTLS. It seems women ask if tubal reversal is the best way to take care of the symptoms. In every case I read, other women answer in the affirmative describing how much improved their lives are in all respects, including the possibility of having another child. Even those who have not become pregnant are rejoicing just because of the relief they are getting from post tubal ligation syndrome, myth or not.

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  

More Articles from: Women's Issues