How it Works

Of course, tubal ligation is one of the safest forms of birth control. At WCJC, your safety is our highest priority, and we will give you detailed after-care instructions to ensure you can heal promptly and properly.

Tubal ligation is an outpatient procedure, which means it does not require you to be admitted to a hospital.

Whether or not your insurance covers tubal ligation will depend on your carrier and your medical history. If you are concerned about the cost of tubal ligation, first contact your insurance provider to determine your coverage for this treatment. From there, you can contact our office for more information.

While you may resume some normal activities after tubal ligation, it’s best to stay mostly at rest for 1 to 2 weeks after your treatment. This may even be up to 3 weeks depending on what type of tubal ligation you opt for.

After tubal ligation in Kansas City, most of our patients report very few severe side effects aside from mild-to-moderate abdominal pain.

Most of our patients find the tubal ligation procedures we offer at WCJC to be tolerable. If you are concerned with pain management during or after tubal ligation, we can recommend or provide a mild over-the-counter medication that should help.

After a thorough exam and separate tubal ligation appointment, we may recommend coming back for a follow-up appointment 2 to 4 weeks after your procedure to ensure proper recovery and communication.

The providers at WCJC prefer to fully understand your medical history and have conducted an exam before we perform a tubal ligation. For more information about what we need to perform the procedure, please don’t hesitate to contact your WCJC provider.

• You may feel some chest, shoulder or abdominal discomfort for a few days. This discomfort results from the gas that was introduced in the abdomen during surgery. Your body will absorb this gas after 24 to 48 hours. For relief, you may apply heat to your abdomen or lie flat.
• It is important to take a stool softener such as Colace® while taking narcotic pain medication such as Percocet or Vicodin. Please purchase a stool softener before your surgery.
• You may take “over the counter” pain relievers that do not contain aspirin such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®). Do not exceed the daily recommended dose.

Note: If the pain is not relieved by pain medication, becomes worse or you have difficulty breathing, call our office.

• Laparoscopic incisions are closed with skin adhesive, which may have a bluish/shiny appearance on the skin and/or with subcutaneous (under the skin) suture.
• Inspect your incisions daily.
• A small amount of blood or clear drainage from the incisions is normal and not a cause for concern.
• Bruising around your incision sites is common and not a cause for concern.
• Your incisions may be itchy for a few days. This is part of the normal healing process.
• As your incisions heal, they will change in color and may become numb for several weeks.
• If you have small dressings or Band-Aids, they may be removed in 24 hours.
• If you have steri-strips (small adhesive strips) in place, they will peel and fall off. If they do not fall off in 10 days, carefully peel them off.
• If you have stitches, they will dissolve on their own.

Note: If you notice any redness, heavy drainage, or bleeding from your incisions, call our office.

• You may resume the diet you had prior to surgery.
• Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.

• For the first several days after surgery, the bowel is usually less active. You may not have a regular bowel movement right away depending on your pre-op bowel prep or pain medication use.
• Narcotic pain medication (Percocet, Vicodin, hydrocodone or oxycodone) will increase constipation. Regular bowel movements may be less frequent.
• If constipation should occur:
  • Drink more fluids
  • Continue to take a stool softener such as Colace® until constipation resolves
  • Take a mild laxative such as Milk of Magnesia®

• Mild abdominal swelling can occur following surgery due to the slowing of the bowels and gas used to distend the abdomen during surgery.
• Swelling of the hands and lower extremities is common due to fluids given during surgery.
• Swelling of the face can occur due to positioning during surgery.
• If you have swelling of the calves that is persistent or associated with redness, call our office.

• It is normal to feel tired for a few days after surgery. Listen to your body and do not overdo it.
• We encourage walking immediately after surgery, as tolerated. You should NOT be bedridden after surgery, as continued movement will prevent prolonged recovery times due to “deconditioning.”
• If you could climb stairs un-aided prior to surgery, you may resume climbing stairs on discharge home.
• No strenuous activities such as heavy lifting (greater than 10 pounds or a gallon of milk), pushing or pulling for six weeks.
• You should avoid abdominal exercise until six weeks following surgery.
• Do not drive while taking prescription pain medication or if your level of discomfort could inhibit your ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.
• You may return to work after 2-6 weeks, provided that heavy lifting is not a job requirement. Recovery times vary from patient to patient. Your doctor will make recommendations based on your specific case.
• You may shower the day after surgery and take a bath after six weeks. You must also wait six weeks to go into a swimming pool, hot tub, or the ocean.

• Light vaginal bleeding, spotting or brown discharge after surgery are common due to the intrauterine instruments used during surgery.
• Surgery can alter your menstrual cycles. Your first cycle could occur early or late. If your cycle is more than seven days late, you should take a home pregnancy test if you have been sexually active.

Note: If you have heavy, bright red vaginal bleeding, call our office. Bleeding that fills a pad in one hour is considered heavy bleeding.

Avoid placing anything in the vagina for two weeks (i.e. tampons, douching and sexual intercourse).

You should schedule a follow-up post-operative appointment at two weeks and at six weeks.

You should call your WCJC office if you are experiencing…

• A fever higher than 100.4º F
• Increasing pain not controlled by pain medication
• Inability to eat or drink without vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Inability to empty your bladder
• Redness and tenderness at the incision site, or a large amount of drainage
• Heavy, bright red vaginal bleeding, or foul smelling discharge. You can expect to have a small amount of reddish-brown colored discharge for up to two weeks. Do not be alarmed by this.

If you feel you need to be seen urgently, please go to the Emergency Department where your surgery was performed so that our physicians may care for you.

Any questions regarding your surgery or post-operative recovery should be directed to the staff at the Women’s Clinic of Johnson County rather than your Primary Care Physician.