Women come from all over the world to A Personal Choice for tubal reversal…or reversing their tied tubes.
Most want reversal so they can conceive more children. Others want reversal to feel more complete again. Many of these women tell us they just want to ‘feel whole again’.
A few women have experienced worsening problems with their menstrual cycles (periods) or debilitating symptoms that cannot be easily explained.
Many of these women have been dismissed by their health care providers and told it is ‘all in your head’ or ‘you are just getting older’.
These women often report new physical and psychological symptoms after tubal ligation.
These symptoms have often be referred to as Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome or PTLS.
Symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome
There are many symptoms attributable to PTLS. The most predominant symptoms are:
• Menstrual pattern changes
• Painful periods
• Hot flashes
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Insomnia
• Decreased sex drive
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Joint pain
• Skin and/or finger nail changes
• Memory changes
Does PTLS really exist?
The existence of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome has been very controversial within the medical community.
Early research papers suggested some sterilized women (women who had their tubes tied) had abrupt changes in bodily symptoms after their surgical procedures. These physical and mental changes were called Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome.
PTLS has been widely talked about by both women and medical professionals. Currently, PTLS information, advice, and ‘expert’ commentary saturate the internet. Conspiracy theories are prominent. Some people even believe sterilization is being forced upon women and there is a conspiracy, or lack of serious medical counseling, regarding the symptoms of PTLS.
More recent medical research has demonstrated women do have changes in their menstrual patterns after tubal ligation; however, these changes are not as dramatic or as widespread as have been suggested in the past.
Observations from Dr Monteith Tubal Reversal Medical Director
Dr Monteith A Personal Choice Raleigh NC
Dr Monteith is a tubal reversal expert and the Medical Director of A Personal Choice Tubal Reversal Center. He provides sterilization reversal (tubal ligation reversal surgery) to a large number of women from across the world. He also counsels and treats a substantial number of women who attribute their worsening menstrual patterns to their tubal ligation procedures. These women report a multitude of PTLS symptoms.
Dr. Monteith likes for his patients to be well-informed. Since women seeking relief of PTLS represent an increasing percentage of the patient population he cares for, he would like to dedicate a series of informative blog articles discussing the concept of PTLS. More specifically, he would like to discuss the common medical reasons for new symptoms noticed after tubal ligation, current understanding about PTLS, and common psychological conditions which can mimic PTLS.
Read Our PTLS Article Series
We have a 14 article series on Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome, also known as PTLS. This is the first article in a fourteen part series.
The second article in this series is Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome: Past and Present.
Readers can also view patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal surgery.
In our PTLS series we featured the stories of two of our previous reversal patients. Each patient’s story is listed below:
If you would like to see our updated patient comments about PTLS then visit: PTLS And Patient Self Reports
Editorial Comment
The decision to add a series of articles about Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome on the Tubal Reversal Blog was prompted by requests from our tubal reversal patients.
Most doctors have been taught that PTLS does not exist, much to the exasperation of women who are suffering from symptoms that began after their tubes were tied.
For physicians: Can tubal ligation cause problems?
This series of articles will allow individuals to report about their personal experiences and case histories. Articles from the medical literature will also be reviewed and discussed.
Hopefully, this approach will help explain the discrepancy between what individual women have experienced and what medical doctors think about this complex subject.
