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Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome - What Can Be Done

As a means of contraception, tubal ligation surgery has been used on millions of women in just the U.S. itself over the years. When researching this method, one can't help but come upon stories about Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome. Women who suffer from this after effect of the surgery relate awful examples of the symptoms that they suffer. A basic search on the web on the topic will lead you to horrible story after horrible story.

For those women who suffer from Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, also called PTLS, there is a long list of possible symptoms they can have. Upon researching this topic, one can find a popular list (seen on several websites) of 35 possible symptoms. Within the personal stories, most women seem to suffer from terrible mood swings, longer and/or heavier bleeding during periods, weight gain or inability to lose weight, awful PMS, problems sleeping, low to no sex drive, migraines and very severe, even crippling, abdominal pain. Cramps is too wimpy a word for what these women report.

As if the above wasn't enough for these ladies to suffer through, they have to suffer further ignominy from their doctors and medical staff. Most doctors do not believe ptls even exist. One such doctor calls it a "medical myth" in an interview. So these women suffering these symptoms will be met with derision and suggestions of seek counseling and use anti-depressants. At the very best, they will be told to just learn to live with it.

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.

This is why our quoted medical myth doctor suggests that women about to undergo a tubal ligation surgery should go off birth control pills several months before the procedure. I'm guessing that the supposed age-related factors are something you just have to live with. However, I'm not sure these suggestions will do much to help those women who were pregnant and had their tubes tied upon having their child. Obviously no birth control pills were being used prior to the surgery. Nor do the "age related factors" seem to have any application to those women still in their 20's and experiencing these problems.

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.

Even if a better consent form and counseling were available, it still won't help those who have had the surgery and are now suffering the effects of post tubal ligation syndrome. You could try the options talked about above like birth control pills or a hysterectomy. Or you could try a tubal ligation reversal surgery. In a study conducted by Dr. Berger of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center on the women who have come to him and complained of having the symptoms of ptls, 90% saw a reduction in their symptoms. You can read the stories yourself at http://forums.tubal-reversal.net/ where the ladies are happy to help as well as nurses who provide information.

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.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

To learn more concerning how tubal reversal surgery has provided relief to the women with post tubal ligation syndrome who have gone to Dr. Berger, visit his forum at forums.tubal-reversal.net/ and learn for your self.

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