My Sterilization Experience: Part 1
In 2016, I had a bilateral salpingectomy procedure (removal of Fallopian tubes) as means of permanent birth control (sterilization). I kept a journal of my experiences from the first doctor appointment, through the surgery, my entire recovery process, and a five year post-operation check in. I'm sharing these journal entries here as a resource for anyone considering a similar sterilization procedure. This journal is broken down into four parts:
Part One: An introduction + What is a bilateral salpingectomy?
Part Two: The consultation process + insurance questions
Part Three: Surgery day and the first week of recovery (with incision photos)
Part Four: Recovery, from week 2 all the way through to one year post-operation (with healed scar photos)
I hope this is helpful to you or someone you know. If it is helpful, AWESOME. If you have questions about any of this, worries, anxieties, need advice, or just want to shout hello, email me! I’m ALWAYS happy to hear from people who are considering this or somewhere on their sterilization journey. I will answer ANY question and I will be a sounding board for any anxiety. I will be your cheerleader if you need one. I will hold your hand across the distance. Just reach out, anytime. I’m here to support you on your journey.
WHAT IS A BILATERAL SALPINGECTOMY?
Salpingectomy refers to the surgical removal of a Fallopian tube. Bilateral means the removal of both Fallopian tubes. People get bilateral salpingectomies for several reasons like ectopic pregnancies, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, and of course, sterilization. For sterilization, this procedure is now more commonly preferred over tubal ligation (having your tubes tied) because it lowers your risk of ovarian cancer by 30% (which can form in the Fallopian tubes).
HOW IS A BILATERAL SALPINGECTOMY DONE?
Bilateral salpingectomies are usually done using laparoscopy where your surgeon uses instruments inserted into very small incisions in your lower abdomen to cut out and remove your Fallopian tubes. This typically happens in a hospital setting under general anesthesia and is typically an out-patient procedure (you go home a few hours later).
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR HORMONES AFTER STERILIZATION?
Absolutely nothing! Your hormones are not affected by this at all and will stay exactly the same. You will NOT go into early menopause as a result of the procedure. A quick explanation: Your ovaries produce your eggs AND your hormones. An ovary typically releases one egg each menstrual cycle (ovulation) and that egg travels down the Fallopian tube to await fertilization. A bilateral salpingectomy removes your fallopian tubes so that your eggs cannot travel down the tubes and come into contact with sperm to be fertilized.
Your ovaries (and thus your eggs and hormones) remain inside your body, intact. They will continue to release hormones just like they always have. And you will continue to ovulate and release an egg every menstrual cycle. But instead of the egg traveling down your Fallopian tube, it will simply dissolve and be reabsorbed by your body.
AN INTRODUCTION
A little bit about me for some context. I am a cis-gender woman. I'm a resident of Massachusetts, in the United States. I am employed full time. I am fully insured under Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Blue New England through my employer. I am happily married to a child-free spouse (we were dating at the time of my surgery). At the time of my procedure, I was 36 years old and had been on and off hormonal birth control for the last twenty years of my life. That’s a lot of birth control!
BIRTH CONTROL HISTORY
I have taken Depo-Provera, Ortho-Tri Cyclen, Ortho-Tri Cyclen Lo, Ortho Cyclen, and Sprintec. I have experimented with different brands due to the wide and unpredictable range of side effects that come with hormonal contraception. At the time of my procedure, I was on Sprintec and I had been experiencing intense, crippling migraines. These migraines included ocular auras (halos of light in my vision) that sometimes left me partially blind for hours.
I'd been living with hormonal birth control for much of my life because the thought of going under anesthesia and having surgery was frankly terrifying. Swallowing a tiny pill once a day seemed like an easy trade off. However at this point in life, the side effects were becoming unbearable and I worried the migraines could lead to a blood-clot induced stroke, which is a possible, but rare, side effect.
So, while I was absolutely terrified of surgery, I was even more terrified of having a stroke. And I was physically, emotionally, and mentally fatigued at the notion of spending the next fifteen years of my life dealing with shitty side effects. It would also be a huge relief to never have to worry about forgetting a pill and the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. Two decades of my life had been punctuated with slight anxiety once every twenty eight days. It's no way to live.
POLITICAL CLIMATE
And the final factor in all of this, the one that really motivated me to speed up the process, was the potential risk of losing access to affordable birth control and abortion services in the event of a sweeping post-election political upheaval. Conservative politicians are so very desperate to dismantle the ACA (that provides me and millions of others with free birth control) and there is a massive push to overturn of Roe vs. Wade (the landmark legal case that legalized abortion care) which would strip millions of people of bodily autonomy. I refuse to let someone else dictate what I can do with my (and every person’s) body.
FIRST STEPS
So the road to sterilization began. The first step was to call my primary care physician to initiate the conversation. This was pretty nerve wracking, but I managed to make the phone call.
