Patient education: Tubal ligation – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is tubal ligation? — Tubal ligation is a form of birth control that prevents pregnancy permanently. It is also called "having your tubes tied." For this procedure, a doctor cuts, blocks, clamps, or seals the fallopian tubes (figure 1).

How long it takes for you to recover, and what you need to do, depends on the type of surgery you had. If you had minimally invasive surgery, you might be able to return to your normal activities sooner. With open surgery, it usually takes longer to recover.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

For the first 24 hours after surgery:

●Do not drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery.

●Do not make any important decisions or sign any important papers.

●Do not drink alcohol of any kind.

You should also:

●Take all of your medicines as instructed.

●Take non-prescription medicines to relieve pain. Examples include acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve). These can be used instead of opioids.

●Use a stool softener to help prevent constipation, if needed. This is a common problem if you take opioid pain medicines. Follow all instructions for taking your pain medicines.

●Your doctor might instruct you to avoid putting anything in your vagina for 2 weeks. This includes vaginal sex.

●Your doctor might instruct you to use pads for vaginal bleeding for the next few weeks. If so, do not use tampons or a menstrual cup. It is normal to have some vaginal bleeding for up to a month or so after surgery.

●Take showers instead of baths for a few weeks after surgery. Also, avoid swimming and going in hot tubs during this time.

●Take care of your incision – You might have stitches, skin staples, surgical glue, or a special skin tape on your incision. If you had minimally invasive surgery, you might have more than 1 incision.

•Keep your incision dry and covered with a bandage for the first 1 to 2 days after surgery. Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to keep your incision dry.

•Once you no longer need to keep your incision dry, gently wash it with soap and water whenever you take a shower. Do not put your incision underwater, such as in a bath, pool, or lake. This can slow healing and raise your chance of getting an infection.

•After you wash your incision, pat it dry. Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to put an antibiotic ointment on it. They will also tell you if you need to cover it with a bandage or gauze.

•Always wash your hands before and after you touch your incision or bandage.

●Increase your activity slowly – Start with short walks around your home, and walk a little more each day.

•Avoid heavy lifting, sports, and swimming for at least a week or 2. If you gave birth just before your tubal ligation, you might need to avoid these activities for a longer time.

•Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to avoid these or other activities.

●Be aware that if you had minimally invasive surgery, you might have some pain in your shoulder. This is from gas that the doctor put into your belly during surgery. Walking and moving around helps reduce the gas and ease your pain.

●When you can have sex again, use condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections.

What follow-up care do I need? — The doctor will want to see you again after surgery to check on your progress. Go to these appointments.

If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will usually want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks. Some stitches absorb on their own and do not need to be removed. If the doctor used skin glue or skin tape, it will fall off on its own. Do not pick at it or try to remove it yourself.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if you:

●Have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills

●Have redness or swelling around your incisions

●Have nausea or vomiting for more than 2 days after going home

●Have trouble urinating or a burning feeling when urinating

●Are not able to have a bowel movement for 3 days

●Are bleeding a lot from your vagina, or are soaking more than 2 pads per hour

●Have swelling in your leg or arm that is worse on 1 side than the other

●Notice vaginal discharge that is yellow or green, or has a bad smell

●Feel short of breath

More on this topic

Patient education: Tubal ligation (The Basics)
Patient education: Permanent birth control for women (The Basics)
Patient education: Choosing birth control (The Basics)

Patient education: Permanent birth control for females (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Birth control; which method is right for me? (Beyond the Basics)