Making Tubal Reversal Comfortable For The Patient

The Best Surgical And Anesthetic Techniques

Tubal reversal surgery traditionally has been a major in hospital operation with several days of hospital stay. This is due to surgical techniques that result in post-operative pain and disability. These can be avoided. Postoperative pain after abdominal surgery is due primarily to injury to the muscles and other tissues that occurs when using standard surgical techniques. For example, abdominal retractors (metal instruments that pull back on the skin and muscles to provide wide exposure for viewing the pelvic organs) cause reduced blood flow to tissues during the entire time they are being held apart by the retractors.

In my experience with over 6000 outpatient tubal reversals, the operation is best performed using no retractors at all, just the surgeon's fingers which are the gentlest of all instruments.

Traditionally, surgical packs (large gauze pads) are placed into the abdomen to push the intestines away from the pelvic organs. These are unnecessary in most cases.Most surgeons don't think about how to minimize the pain of surgery. Instead they prescribe strong pain killers afterwards that make the patient sleepy and often unable to move take care of themselves. Since the traditional approach results in hospital care, this doesn't seem to be a problem (from the surgeon's point of view).

It is better to avoid techniques that cause pain and inject a local anesthetic in all areas where surgery is performed (including the skin). These steps allow patients to awake in comfort and be alert since they won't need repeated doses of narcotic medications.

These are some of the methods that I use that make tubal reversal comfortable as outpatient surgery. Making the surgery comfortable avoids the need for hospital care and reduces the cost to the patient.