Risks in Surgery for Female Sterilization

I am writing today, to inform women about the unknown dangers that can be faced while in surgery for tubal legation (sterilization).

I recently went in for surgery to have my tubes tied; everyone who I had spoken to about this operation informed me that the surgery was quite safe and that the risks were minimal.

I was prepped for surgery and had said goodbye to my husband and was very excited about the operation. I went into the O.R and was anesthetized when I woke up my gynecologist was standing over me telling me “I had played up in surgery”, he then went onto tell me that the surgery was not complete that they had performed the curette and had started to put the gas into my stomach and at this point my heart beat become dangerously low and I then stopped breathing and had to be revived by means of electrical paddles.

At the time I was unaware of why this occurred I was told that I had what is known as a vasa vagal.

There were many ideas thrown around about why this occurred and how to prevent it from happening in further surgery.

I was booked into have the surgery redone in 4 weeks and words cannot describe the fears that had haunted me the week prior to surgery, just in case something went wrong I wrote letters and emails to all that I cared for and loved and who had shaped my life to tell them how I felt about them and played particular attention to my husband and children.

I went into to surgery and went through the same routine, I woke up and again there was my gynecologist standing over me telling me “It happened again”, at that point I started to wonder how long I could go on cheating death, he then went on to tell me that they got me back steadied my heart rate and pushed on through surgery, and it was a complete success.

I asked him if he knew why this had happened, he went onto explain that I suffer with a sensitive cervix and as soon as they went into do any work there I would suffer a vasa vagal.

He went onto tell me that if I had further surgery in this area I would have to be aware of the risks.

It has been 3 months since surgery and I am very happy that I had it done but the risks associated with this surgery make me still to this day second guess myself whether I made the right choice to have it because it was long and difficult road to recovery, and the fear of dying was the most horrifying situation I have ever been in.

It is my opinion that it is far easier for the male to have sterilization than the woman.