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You had tubal ligation (or "tying the tubes") surgery to close your fallopian tubes. These tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus. After tubal ligation a woman is sterile. This means you can no longer get pregnant.

Your surgeon probably made 1 or 2 small cuts in the area around your belly button. Then your surgeon inserted a laparoscope (a narrow tube with a tiny camera on the end) and other instruments into your pelvic area. Your tubes were either cauterized (burned shut) or clamped off with a small clip, a ring, or rubber bands.

You may have many symptoms that last 2 to 4 days. As long as they are not severe, these symptoms are normal:

• Shoulder pain
• Scratchy or sore throat
• Swollen belly (bloated) and crampy
• Some discharge or bleeding from your vagina

You should be able to do most of your normal activities after 2 or 3 days. But, you should avoid heavy lifting for 3 weeks.

Follow these guidelines after your procedure:

• Keep your incision areas clean, dry, and covered. Change your dressings (bandages) as your doctor or nurse told you to.
• Do not take baths, soak in a hot tub, or go swimming until your skin has healed.
• Avoid heavy exercise for several days after the procedure. Try not to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds (about a gallon jug of milk).
• You can have sexual intercourse as soon as you feel ready. For most women, this is usually within a week.
• You may be able to return to work within a few days.
• You may eat your normal foods. If you feel sick to your stomach, try dry toast or crackers with tea.

Call your doctor or nurse if you have:

• Severe belly pain, or the pain you're having is getting worse and does not get better with pain medicines
• Heavy bleeding from your vagina on the first day, or your bleeding does not lessen after the first day
• Fever higher than 100.5 °F or chills
• Pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint
• Nausea or vomiting

Also call your doctor if your incisions are red or swollen, become painful, or there is a discharge coming from them.

Sterilization surgery - female - discharge; Tubal sterilization - discharge; Tube tying - discharge; Tying the tubes - discharge

Mishell DR Jr. Family planning: contraception, sterilization, and pregnancy termination. In: Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 14.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Sterilization by laparoscopy. ACOG Education Pamphlet AP035. February 2003. Accessed February 18, 2009.

Updated by: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.