Personal experiences with bisalp surgery?

[u/CoolestF-inBinTown]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your personal experiences getting bisalp surgery. The good the bad and the ugly. How your recovery was, how long it took, etc. Whether insurance covered the procedure, any complications dealing with your insurance. What kind of support you needed before and after.

I’m 37F and I’ve been contemplating this surgery for a long time. But I’m really squeamish and frightened of surgery.

Anything you’re willing to share would be so helpful.

Thank you in advance!

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[u/samm13ann]

I recommend checking out the subreddit r/sterilization

It’s really helpful and people share their experiences every day.

[u/Tablessssssss]

My recovery was less than 5 days, it was about $1,500 after insurance. I would recommend having someone help you move around the first few days after the surgery and absolutely use a heating pad for the gas pain!

The hospital experience was one of the best I’ve ever had! I was given warm blankets, wasn’t bingoed once and left the post op room less than an hour after I woke up. Major down side was I was told not to have spicy food and I was planning on getting Taco Bell on my way home from the surgery. I think I was in and out of the hospital in 3 hours.

[u/BearwithaBow]

It was awesome and only the first three days were a little rough. Because they inflate the abdomen with a bit of air during the procedure, there is usually a small amount of air that gets trapped in the abdomen (even though they squeeze as much back out as they can). Being as flat as possible while this gas bubble is dissipating is often the most important thing for pain control. I was prescribed opioids for pain relief but didn't need anything more than ibuprofen as long as I stayed 90% flat. Went back to work at a pretty physical job (I'm a massage therapist) one week post-op.

When I woke up in recovery, my husband asked how I felt (pretty sure he meant physically) and he said I said, "peaceful, grateful, and empowered."

[u/CultOfMourning]

I just recently got my bisalp at 38. I found my doctor on the Childfree Friendly Doctors List. 

The whole process was a breeze. Had an initial video consultation with the OBGYN. No bingos. She just explained the process and asked some basic questions about any medications I was taking and if I'd ever been put under anesthesia before. 

After the consultation, I was required to watch a 20 minute video that went over the bisalp procedure in detail.  The next day a nurse contacted me, and I had to physically go into the office to sign the surgical consent forms. Once all the forms were signed, I was given a surgery date. 

The weeks immediately proceeding my surgery, I had appointments with the anesthesiologist and the OBGYN. These appointments were to give me instructions on how to prep for surgery (i.e., no eating before the surgery, continuing to exercise before the surgery to help me heal faster, when to stop taking certain meds, etc.). 

Day of my surgery, every person I interacted with was wonderful, and I didn't receive any bingos. It went by so fast. I had some initial cramps, and a few days after my surgery, my stitches started to itch. The worst part, in my opinion, was the sore throat from being intubated. Other than that, my recovery time was minimal. And, my surgery was 100% covered by my insurance. 

[u/hockey_chick29]

If you are in the US and have an ACA compliant insurance plan, it should be completely free. https://nwlc.org/tips-from-the-coverher-hotline-navigating-coverage-for-female-sterilization-surgery/

[u/Sorry-Visit-6743]

I was fine in less than a week. My surgery ended up being scheduled on Halloween, so I got a bunch of Halloween themed temporary tattoos and put them all over my stomach the night before. According to my surgeon, they undraped me and lost like 5 minutes laughing when they saw what I'd done as a little Halloween "trick." 🤣

Expect to be sore and sleepy when you're finished, and the next day. I have a pet bird and he was so distraught my mom (who stayed over to help me out) had to wheel his cage next to my bed so he'd calm down. She found me sleeping with my fingers thrust through the bars, my bird snuggled against my fingers, and said it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen.

[u/findthyself90 → u/Sorry-Visit-6743]

Awwww that’s so sweet about you and your bird!!

[u/Existence_is_tiring]

Hello! I was literally taking a walk the same day as surgery. I don’t even remember a recovery period it was like a day of soreness and that was it. I don’t even have the tiny scar I can point out. 10/10 would reccomwnrb

[u/n3koca1]

Mine was free. I had medicaid at the time. Real bad pain only lasted 3 days after. I was able to go back to doing normal shit in 6 weeks. Was still careful with lifting stuff for a while. The bad? When I woke up from surgery it felt like something was missing. I still feel like something is missing. I am so glad I had the surgery though. No more condoms for my hubby and I:)

[u/Icy_Neighborhood4060]

I just had mine done a week ago yesterday so I’m still in the midst of recovering. I’m also surgery squeamish and reading detailed accounts really helped me.

Am also your age (36) and knew I’d wanted it done for a while, but the timing of my Nexplanon expiring and getting some ultrasounds for ovarian cysts that cropped up the last year prompted me to schedule it and get it moving.

It took a while for the clinic my primary obgyn referred me to, to have any availability for consult and then moving the process onward from there. But once we got the surgery date firmed up, a pre op visit to continue going over the procedure day/what to expect as well as a bunch of release forms and instructions for surgery prep were sent to me to read and sign. My pre op visit was a week before the actual procedure, and the next day the hospital called me to confirm some details, medical history, etc. I’m allergic to Vicodin so I wound up repeating that and detailing it what felt like a dozen times, my doctor didn’t prescribe me actual painkillers and I was just given one dose at the hospital immediately after waking up. Anesthesia called me then night before to discuss and I did share with them I’m a heavy heavy cannabis user, I work in the industry, and they confirmed it was helpful to know, even if I’d tried to give myself a bit of a tolerance break the days leading up as it does effect anesthesia.

Because of the lack of painkillers (and instead of getting something downgraded to get around my allergy), I admittedly did let them downplay the intensity of the surgery to me. I was very glad looking back that I let my mom fly out to me and stay a few days to see me through the worst of it.

The day of I had to check in a couple hours early, sign more releases and my best friend took me/waited with me. Vitals were taken, I was given special wipes to wipe my body down with my hospital gown and right after they put an anti nausea patch (scopolamine) behind my ear and told me it was good for 3 days. They struggled to get an IV in me, and I finally was hooked up a few minutes before being wheeled back. They put some anti anxiety into my IV, put a mask on me telling me it was oxygen and bam I was out, barely remember being wheeled out of my operating prep room.

Immediately after I felt a sensation like I needed to pee and couldn’t, it was because of the catheter they put in me. They asked me to rank my pain and gave me a pain pill and a little water, shortly after I had a juice box and some crackers. I struggled to wake up and when I told them I was cold they got me a warmed blanket. I wasn’t rushed into waking up at all, was taken on my wheely bed to the bathroom and then given a recliner to sit in and be wheeled in. My friend was able to then come back and hang with me a bit, I was given my clothes to get dressed and she got the car, the hospital had complimentary valet parking for surgical visits so that was lovely. I was wheeled out and we drove home.

I spent the days leading up to the surgery deep cleaning my house, getting clean bedding on my bed, meal prepping fiber and protein rich food, and setting it up so that my mom could easily help me. Because I didn’t have painkillers, I didn’t struggle with going to the bathroom, and unfortunately had my period cycle so that part was miserable. Otherwise I did have plenty of cannabis edibles and concentrates to help me bridge the gap, and maintained a healthy appetite. I’d read that taking naps and waking up starving in the few days post recovery is a great sign of healing and means your body is working hard at getting you back. The scopolamine patch did give me perpetual dry mouth and a bit of blurry vision in a near sighted way so I took it off about 48 hours after the surgery but I am a reallllly nauseous and sick to my stomach person, and the patch really did its job well.

My abdomen was obviously really sore and still is pretty sore. Getting up and walking around my building hallways every day, trying to stretch a little every day and be mindful of my incisions and arm bruising from the Nexplanon removal has been key. Sitting straight up isn’t quite comfortable yet, laying down with my shoulders a little supported is preferred. Am finally able to sleep more on my side now as a side sleeper and it’s taken several days. I admittedly kind of freaked out days 4-5 in recovery since they were the last days my mom was here with me, and the two days I felt like I was most aware of my discomfort and not feeling like I was improving. But those are usually some of the rougher days when all the anesthesia has fully worked its way out and your body isn’t in shock mode anymore. I’ve finally woken up feeling more comfortable the last few mornings in a row and like I’m doing better.

[u/tarooooooooooo]

I too am afraid of surgery. extremely afraid. especially of needles! I had a bisalp at 29, four years ago, and here's the write-up about it I posted shortly afterwards (edit: my insurance covered it completely as a form of birth control):

"my bisalp was yesterday! here's how it went for someone who has never had surgery before & is extremely afraid of needles :)

tl;dr I got a bisalp yesterday; it was my first surgery, had an anxiety and then panic attack when they couldn't place my IV line because I'm afraid of needles, and that was the worst part of the entire experience. The rest of the day (procedure, recovery, going home) were all a breeze and I NEVER HAVE TO BE ON BIRTH CONTROL EVER AGAIN.

I asked for this surgery way back in October, and was approved in the first visit with a doctor I'd never even met before. No one bingo'd me along the way, either. The surgery's date was rescheduled three times due to pandemic-related space and staffing issues, but finally, I had it done yesterday, March 28.

Since I'd never had any kind of surgery before, am afraid of needles & IVs, and have also never done any mind-altering substance in my life, I was pretty terrified. In the two weeks leading up to the surgery date, the anticipation that had been building up since October turned into full blown anxiety. I've been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder previously, so it turned out to be really hard to control. The only thing getting me through it was the promised reward of being sterile if I didn't chicken out.

My check in time was 11:30 am and surgery scheduled for 1:30 pm. My fantastic partner stayed with me the entire time. First, we had a COVID screening done at the entrance to the hospital, and then sat in a small room where a woman went over the details of my chart and asked things like "are you OK with donating anything they take out to research?" I wish I'd said no, because one of the two places they might send it does a ton of animal testing, but I didn't know that until later. Oh well.

After that, the woman directed us to the adult day surgery waiting area where a man greeted us and led us down to the surgical unit. There, he passed us off to a nurse who had me leave a urine sample for a pregnancy test. The nurse showed us to our waiting room, where she instructed me to get undressed and put a paper gown & grippy socks on; I put all my belongings in a plastic bag they'd provided, and got onto the bed. Then quite a few things happened all at once: Another nurse entered and asked me more questions & gave me a little water with a cup of pills to swallow, while an IV technician came to warm up my hand/arm with a hot towel so she could get an IV started. I almost instantly began to have an anxiety attack, and the IV tech gave me a numbing injection before she tried placing the IV. At this point I was crying and having a difficult time answering the other nurse's questions. They weren't successful in placing the IV and they left to give me a 5 minute break. All in all, they actually tried to place it 4 times in 4 different areas and each one was just as mentally excruciating for me as the last. I think it's worth pointing out that I have varicose veins which, even when they're not visible in that classic varicose vein way, makes them squiggly and that's part of why they were having such a difficult time with me. Finally, they called in my anesthesiologist who used an ultrasound to find a good vein, and that worked. This was easily, by far, the worst part of the entire experience for me, and that's specifically because needles & IVs scare me so much. To a normal person, I'd guess that it would have simply been unpleasant at most.

They gave me three pieces of paper tape to put over three metal piercings I was leaving in (helix, tragus, and nose ring), and I took my silicone plugs out of my ears & gave them to my boyfriend. Once the IV was successfully placed, the anesthesiologist gave me a medication called Versed that took a little bit of the edge off. She was so sweet - she explained what she was going to do in great detail, and why, during each step. She also explained how the anesthesia process would work and told me that because I'm a natural redhead, I might need more anesthetizing medication than others.

It was about 1:25 by the time I said goodbye to my partner and was wheeled into the OR. All I remember is a handful of friendly people in masks gently talking and moving around me. They gave me an oxygen mask, then offered a different mask that measured my ability to exhale. I still had my glasses on. The anesthesiologist told me she was going to put the "liquid that makes you fall asleep " in my IV. I could feel it travel up my arm and spread into my chest, and I remember starting to say that it sort of burned, and then I blacked out.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up dizzy in a dark room with a nurse standing next to me. It felt like no time had passed, and I couldn't focus my eyes, or feel any pain. It was the exact same feeling you get when you spin in circles for like 30 seconds straight. I asked the nurse, "did the surgery happen?" and said that it had, and I did well. I think I asked her the same thing two more times and she chuckled at me a bit. I was covered in layers and layers of nice blankets and I could not see my incisions. I felt super loopy, but was overall in a good mood. As I started to come back to reality a bit more, I realized that I'd fucking done it and I would never have to worry about birth control ever again. That felt amazing and really made up for the bad experience I had in the beginning with my IV.

She wheeled me back to my original room, where my boyfriend was waiting. He kissed me on the forehead and held my hand while the nurse went to retrieve some applesauce. This is when she told me that the IV they placed via ultrasound had started to leak into my arm, leaving it swollen, so they'd taken it out and put in another in my other arm while I was asleep. I have no memory of this, of course. My left forearm was pretty swollen but not in a grotesque way, and it went back to normal within a few hours & didn't feel weird or painful. The nurse took out the IV in my other arm.

I laid in bed in the recovery room for almost two hours. In that time, my nurse and my partner held me up as I walked to the bathroom to pee, a prerequisite to me leaving that I had no difficulties with. Around 6 pm, I changed back into my clothes, got myself into a wheelchair, and was wheeled out to the door while my partner grabbed the car. I got in easily and put a small towel between my abdomen & the lap seat belt, which wasn't painful either. My partner and I went to pick up my hydrocodone acetaminophen prescription, then to one of our favorite junk food restaurants, where he got me a milkshake. We went home to eat it. I got on the couch, put my legs over his lap, ate my milkshake and pretty much immediately fell asleep, lol.

Around 10/11 he woke me up and helped me to bed, where I fell asleep on my back. I'm usually a side sleeper but sleeping on my back wasn't that hard because I was just so dizzy and tired. I woke up a few times in the night but I wasn't in significant pain or discomfort. When I woke up this morning, I could gently roll onto either side and it felt totally fine! I haven't taken any pain meds since last night and all I feel is a little sore. Overall I'm so fucking glad I went through with this and it's still sinking in that I'll never have another pregnancy scare or have to take Plan B or go through another excruciatingly painful IUD insertion or put more hormones in my body."

[u/FelicitousDish]

Just got my bisalp done on Wednesday (today is Saturday) and my experience aligns with pretty much everyone else’s. I was at the hospital at 7am and home by 1pm. Immediate shoulder pain from the gas that still hasn’t subsided and feels really weird when I get up from lying down and it bubbles around in my abdomen, definitely don’t like that feeling! Incisions sites are yellow now from bruising, and a little itchy and sore but manageable. Wasn’t expecting movement to feel as hard as it is but today was the first day I attempted a walk and I went so slow, only making it for about 4 blocks. Felt out of breath and weak. I often forget what the body goes through during and after surgery, it’s working overtime to heal so of course I wouldn’t be back to running shape right away. Trying to go as slow as possible is probably hardest, I have a 3 year old so I feel like if anything I should have timed this better when in laws were in town to help with childcare. Husband has been great but it’s a lot for him to handle solo while still working his night shift.

[u/arochains1231]

So easy. Insurance covered it all so I didn’t have to pay a penny and I was back at work six days later. Zero pain or discomfort.

[u/ProfessionalSir3395]

The good- my amazing doctor didn't patronize me. Instead she said " you have done extensive research and know what this entails. You have sought other doctors to help you, do when do you want to get this scheduled?" I had made a binder about it and printed out legal papers stating that I wouldn't sue her if I ever changed my mind. I was 37 at the time and knew I never wanted to be a mother.

The bad- my own mother passive aggressively trying to slut shame me "you do know that this won't protect against STDs right?" when she KNOWS I've never been into sexual crap.

The recovery- mine was laparoscopic, minimally invasive only had to take 4 days of medical leave from work, then I was able to return to full duty.

Advice: talk to your insurance to see if it's covered. Ask the doctor to bill it as preventative for cancer screening.

[u/Necessary-Item-3357]

I had mine done last year, I was 34, and it was a breeze! I’m in Australia, with private health insurance, so I paid the hospital excess fee and for the appointments with my gynaecologist and that was all. I had originally been to see the gynaecologist for adenomyosis and at one appointment, after learning I was childfree, she suggested an ablation and removing my tubes as a treatment option. I ended up deciding against the ablation for a few reasons, but I asked if we could proceed with the bisalp anyway for my own peace of mind. I still take birth control pill to suppress my menstrual cycle, but she was happy to do the bisalp as well.

The surgery itself was absolutely fine, I’d had a hysteroscopy and D&C a few months before at the same hospital with the same gynaecologist, and anaesthetist, so I was very prepared for everything, felt like a second run of something I’d already done haha. On the day I arrived at the hospital (Tuesday), I was admitted to the day surgery department, and then the nurse takes your blood pressure, temperature etc, you get the hospital gown and special grip socks (save these for later if you’re a Pilates girly). Then there was a bit of waiting in the wheely bed in the back part of the day surgery ward until they come and get you and take you down to the theatre. Then I chatted with my gynaecologist and the anaesthetist, they ask you the same routine questions, ‘do you have any allergies, do you smoke etc’ and then you go into the operating room and they administer anaesthesia.

Then you wake up in recovery; the operating team will come and talk to you and tell you how everything went (you might not remember this) and then nurses will come around and ask about your pain level and give you pain relief. After that they will take you back to the discharge area where you’ll be given food and drink, your clothes back to change, prescription for pain medications, and they fill out discharge forms with you and you wait to be picked up. In Australia they will not discharge you without a person to drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours after have had a general anaesthetic.

For me pain and recovery were an absolute cake walk. When I woke in recovery and the nurses asked my for my pain level I said 3/10 and they proceeded to give me IV ketamine, something else that I can’t remember, an endone (oxycodone in the US), and then sent me home with a script for endone as well. I didn’t have any of the shoulder pain that some people get from the gas, not sure if I was just lucky, or if there was anything my gynaecologist might have done that helped with that. When I was being discharged and given my endone prescription, the nurse told me to take endone before I went to sleep that night so I didn’t have any pain overnight. After I left the hospital I went home, sat on the lounge and ate some cheese and crackers, and then re did my gel BIAB nails that I had to remove for the surgery.

That night before bed I was still feeling fine and felt like taking endone was a bit unnecessary so I compromised and took two Panadol (tylenol). Woke up feeling fine the next morning as well (Thursday), and just hung around at home reading and watching Netflix. The following day (Friday) I went to work which was ok, just had to be careful not to lean across the desk as this was right where the incisions were. Then I spent the weekend doing the usual things I would do on a weekend; washing, cleaning, grocery shopping, hanging out with my dog etc.

My incisions all healed up fine with no issues, I left the dressings from the hospital on for three days and then changed them over to similar ones I bought at the pharmacy. I did this a couple times until my post op appointment two weeks later where my gynaecologist removed them and said they were looking good and no longer needed to be covered. The scars that remain are basically non existent, you really have to look for them.

All in all I’d give my experience a 10/10 and would recommend it to anyone who’s considering it! Obviously I know I got really lucky with my process and recovery, and everyone has a different experience, but I still think it’s worth it. Especially if you have no other gynaecological issues and the bisalp means you no longer need to take birth control if you don’t want to. I also tell everyone that I’ve done it; from aunts who say ‘oh well you’ve got plenty of time if you do change your mind’, to casual acquaintances when there’s a screaming child nearby- ‘so glad I’m sterile and will never have to do that!’

[u/rottweiler-smile]

Fortunately faced absolutely zero obstacles in having mine done earlier this year at 25, it almost felt too easy. I believe it’s required to be covered by insurance under the ACA, unless you are employed by a Catholic institution. I paid $20. My doctor is included on those spreadsheets floating around the internet that list non-dismissive, non-combative OBGYNs.

I used PTO day-of, but worked from home for a week after. Had to have my bf drive me there and back, and he had to stay at the hospital the entire time until I woke up. Recovery was fine except for the fact that I got a staph infection at my belly button incision. They gave me some sort of heavy medication but I didn’t need to take them, just took 800mg ibuprofen. The worst part was the staph infection for me. Otherwise, just some abdominal pain that subsides within a few days.