New Study Examines Tubal Ligation Side Effects (Post Tubal Syndrome)

New Study Examines Tubal Ligation Side Effects (Post Tubal Syndrome)

The Coalition for Post Tubal Women (CPTwomen) announces the start of a
new independent long term women's initiative Global PTS Health Study
concerning the health status of women after they have had a tubal
ligation. All women who have had a tubal ligation are invited to
volunteer and participate. Enrollment is ongoing.

Tubal ligation is the number one method of birth control used by women
over age 30 in the U.S. Tubal ligation, sometimes called "tying the
tubes", is an elective surgery in which the fallopian tubes are burned
and sealed (electrocoagulation) or closed with clips or rings to
prevent pregnancy.

Pamphlets given to women from the American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists (ACOG) list the risks associated with anesthesia and
surgery in general and explain that tubal ligation is considered
permanent, there is a possibility of failure, and sterilization does
not protect them from sexually transmitted diseases. The pamphlets do
not disclose information about long term side effects (excessive
bleeding, pelvic pain, and early onset of menopause) that occur for
some women after tubal ligation. These side effects are understood and
referred to as post tubal syndrome or "PTS" by the medical community,
but the ACOG debates the reality of the condition. In their September
2003 Practice Bulletin (a guideline for obgyn physicians), "long-term
health effects of tubal sterilization or menstrual pattern disturbance
(post-tubal ligation syndrome) appear to be negligible."

"It is these negligible, untold side effects which we specifically
want to gather data about", explains Susan Bucher, the Director of the
CPTwomen. "The results are being published in 'real time' on the
Internet and will ultimately be provided to scientific journals."

"This is the only study of its kind", explains Dr. Vicki Hufnagel, MD,
"It is being supported by women who had tubal ligations and believe
they have suffered from the procedure. Our population is selective,
however, it is this population that has not been specifically
evaluated at any time."

Volunteers are provided with an ID Number to protect their identity, a
home FSH test kit that is approved for OTC use for women by the FDA,
and access to an on-line study questionnaire. Participates are only
asked to answer the study questions and provide information about
their health. The study in whole is user provided content and data
only. No medical treatments or checkups are required or provided.

The CPTwomen hope to show how the outcomes and conclusions of many of
the referred to published studies are often times presented in ways
that can be very misleading. Example: Coming the conclusion that tubal
sterilization is not associated with an increased risk of menstrual
dysfunction by collecting data from many women. Finding that some had
heavier and more prolonged menstrual bleeding, some had stopped/less
bleeding, and some had no change. The average of all shows no change
in the number of days of the average cycle, or the amount of average
blood loss. Never mind that some women completely stopped bleeding,
and others cycles became heavy and prolonged.

The CPTwomen believes that their findings will also show that many
young women who are two years or more post tubal will have elevated
FSH levels. "While some of the women may report having bleeding or
cycles, elevated FSH levels is a sign that they are not producing
enough estrogen to maintain regular ovarian function", explains Dr.
Hufnagel.

For more information about the CPTwomen, the Global PTS Health Study,
or to enroll in the study, visit http://www.Tubal.org