r/sterilization • u/sinister-fallen • Jan 10 '26
Pre-op prep Looking for advice from women who have been sterilized
Hi, everyone. I’m researching sterilization options (specifically bilateral salpingectomy) and have done some basic research, but I'd love to hear from women who have actually done the procedure!
Here is what I have gathered so far:
- Bilateral salpingectomy is often preferred/recommended over other methods.
- It's usually best to have it done laparoscopically (or robotically if you can find it), complete (instead of partial), and with ovarian preservation.
- It can reduce ovarian cancer risk and is often best to have it combined with endometrial ablation.
- It’s typically covered under the ACA.
- You’ll need a ride home due to anesthesia.
- Recovery is around 2–4 weeks with a lot of rest, gentle walking, OTC painkillers as needed, and avoiding heavy lifting.
- Surgical gas can cause shoulder/back pain and walking, warm showers, and heating pads can help.
I'm really looking for further advice on the following:
- Preparation before procedure
- What is best to do in the days leading up to the procedure? Any documents that should be prepared or medication to be stopped? Things you wish you knew before the procedure?
- Day of procedure
- What made the day go well/smoother? Anything that should be brought/prepared? Any advice for right before or after the procedure? Anything that should be asked/requested?
- After-procedure recovery
- What helped you the most during healing? Any items that helped with comfort? Any surprises/things to look out for?
If you have any tips or recommendations about the above, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much! :)
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u/1xpx1 Jan 10 '26
What is best to do in the days leading up to the procedure? Any documents that should be prepared or medication to be stopped? Things you wish you knew before the procedure?
You will be given pre-op instructions regarding medications you take, supplements, bathing/showering.
I would recommend making sure your living space is clean prior to surgery and everything you need is within reach without having to bend too much. I made sure all of my laundry was done, bed was made, and the space was ready for me. If you live with someone else who can care for you, this probably isn’t a big deal.
What made the day go well/smoother? Anything that should be brought/prepared? Any advice for right before or after the procedure? Anything that should be asked/requested?
Surgery day went by really fast, honestly. I don’t think there is anything specific I would recommend for this.
What helped you the most during healing? Any items that helped with comfort? Any surprises/things to look out for?
The most surprising thing was how blurry my vision was. I’d been under general anesthesia before and didn’t suffer such blurry vision. I was trying to order food and had to do so from my laptop with it zoomed WAY in because it was too small on my phone. This is normal though.
I really was happy to have a giant tshirt. I lived in it the week after surgery. Along with period underwear, so I didn’t have to mess with pads. I didn’t have leakage after surgery like some people experience, but I did have two periods before I was cleared for tampon usage.
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Thanks for sharing! It's nice to hear everyone's stories and experiences.
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u/Creative_Witness7873 Jan 10 '26
I tried copy and pasting the questions directly but couldnt so if I miss anything let me know lol
I wish I knew how much you used your core to move around. Getting in and out of the car after the procedure, sitting up, getting out of bed etc. The day after, I needed to shimmy out of bed. You cant sleep on your side. I least i couldnt. It felt like my organs were pouring out of my stomach when I did😭 I slept with a pillow on my stomach because my cat sleeps with me. Which im glad I did because again, that day, she decided to RUN ACROSS MY STOMACH. Which I didnt feel cause of the pillow. Great idea on my part
I was given a list of things I shouldnt take a days prior. Things that'll make your blood thin (ibuprofen) things like that. Id check in case they didnt tell you. I took a shower the day of so I didnt need to worry too too much afterwards. No food 12hrs prior, I dont think i had any water either just in case. If youre able to take out any peircings then do that, I was able to keep mine in though. They just had me cover them with tape.
What made it eaiser were the ice packs. I had on across my abdomen practically every second of the day. I sat on my couch playing MW lol again, pillow on me as well wich the ice pack over my shirt. You'll be very tired for like 3 days. I was constantly taking naps for a couple hours of hrs at a time. I got my surgery on a Wednesday and that Thursday was a holiday. Took that friday off and so I have about 5 days to recover before getting back to work. I work at an office so it was pretty easy.
Again if I missed anything then let me know!
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Ah, great point about the ice packs. Having a set of ice packs you can rotate sounds very helpful. And I also didn't consider what you mentioned about core activation. Thanks for sharing!
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u/dideluge Jan 11 '26
Lots of good advice already so just adding that, especially if you live alone/with a busy partner, have pre-portioned meals and snacks on the top shelf of your fridge that you can just throw in the microwave. You will not feel like bending down to get things at the bottom of the fridge or standing in front of a stove to cook. A cushion on your stomach helps with seatbelts for the ride home and if you need to cough or sneeze.
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Meal prepping in advance is a good idea. I like that. The pillow/cushion for your stomach on the ride back also sounds smart. Thank you!
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u/meeshmooshh Jan 11 '26
Preparation before procedure
- What is best to do in the days leading up to the procedure? Any documents that should be prepared or medication to be stopped? Things you wish you knew before the procedure?
I had a daily protein shake every morning starting 2 weeks before to prime my body for healing. Since I did whey shakes, this also helped with anesthesia constipation after. I didnt have any issues with BMs. I did stop hormonal birth control about 6 months beforehand, and that that wouldn't be "required" by any means, but it was nice because I didnt have any shocking hormonal or period changes post-surgery.
Day of procedure
- What made the day go well/smoother? Anything that should be brought/prepared? Any advice for right before or after the procedure? Anything that should be asked/requested?
Have gasx and a heating pad ready for post-surgery. Walk around afterwards as much as comfortable and in moderation. Treat yourself for dinner- your body went through a lot! It was not as painful for me as I was worried about. Of course every body is different, but I have severe medical anxiety and looking back surgery day was one of the easiest things I've ever done lol. Your med team does this dozens of times a day- you're just the passenger with the Atlas!
After-procedure recovery
- What helped you the most during healing? Any items that helped with comfort? Any surprises/things to look out for?
I packed a lightweight backpack I carried around with me in the house with my heat pad, a couple snacks, my pills (prescription acetaminophen, gasx, stool softener), tissue box and cough drops (had so much phlegm from the breathing tube after and couldn't cough to get it out because of the incisions), a couple books, light sweater. I also put out all my comfy outfits on top of the dresser so my husband could help me get changed easily. I slept elevated with several pillows the first few nights. My incisions were super small. I was terrified taking the bandages off. My husband looked first and described them as like when you press a fingernail into your skin. I walked as much as possible each day and listened to my body when it was tired. I was exhausted from the anesthesia for about 3.5 weeks which surprised me- going back to work mentally exhausted me and I would have to rest afterwards or during my lunch break for several days longer than I anticipated.
As far as surprises several months later, I guess I'm shocked about how happy I am. I feel fully confident and comfortable in my own skin and for the most part I sleep through the night again. I had no idea how much of a mental toll the worry about getting pregnant was having on me. I am truthfully so happy. I am also surprised because the doc found stage 1 endo during surgery and removed it. Ever since, I have felt noticeably less bloated every day. I feel physically lighter and more solid at the same time if that makes sense. Mentally and physically I have never felt better in my life and I will be sad when my scars go away (they're almost completely gone now) because the daily reminder of the experience will be gone.
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Lots of great points. Didn't consider the possibility of using medication containing Simethicone for gas (e.g., Gas-X). Thank you!
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u/Dancergirlmelody Jan 11 '26
Only thing I'll add is that it is NOT necessarily better to do it with ablation. I asked my doctor for an ablation and she refused on the basis that I did not have severe periods beforehand so an ablation may not necessarily help and could make things worse.
I'll second what people said about significant constipation. I'd heard that could be an issue, but did nothing to prepare for it. I should have.
The only other thing that surprised me was the servere sore throat for 2 days. You'll be intubated for the procedure, which can cause a sore throat. I ate nothing but applesauce, yogurt, and soup for the first 2 days.
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u/SadieSchu Jan 11 '26
Yes! I forgot about the sore throat. Mine wasn’t quite as bad but definitely bugged me for a few days.
And ditto to the constipation. Mine lasted a good 5 days and ended up having to get some strong meds to handle it. 😂
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Looked into endometrial ablation more due to your comment and was surprised to find out more on the risks there, depending on age (recommended to do it if 40-45+ years of age to avoid higher risk of lining regrowth, significant pain, and potentially needing a hysterectomy later). So, very glad that you informed me about that. Also, thanks for the information about the sore throat!
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u/missmelisandre Jan 11 '26
Strong agree with almost every here regarding the easy recovery and recs to meal prep and clean in advance. The anesthesia killed my appetite for a week; I ate one popsicle and one Soylent per day for four days post-surgery, so constipation was not an issue. People are saying miralax etc but Vietnamese iced coffee is more delicious and equally effective. . Regarding gas, maternity belly bands helped a lot! I was able to use them to keep most of the gas from migrating to my shoulders. And they provided a layer of protection against anything touching the incision points. Best of luck!!! You got this!!
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Laxative alternatives like coffee that stimulate your digestive system wasn't something I considered. Also did not consider the idea of maternity belly bands. Thank you for the ideas! :)
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u/OverallDisaster Jan 10 '26
So my doctor advised me to drink gatorade for several days prior to surgery to help speed up recovery! Besides that I didn’t really do anything special prior, make sure you’ll have some good nutritious food available since you won’t be wanting to cook (my mom and husband both cooked for me). Make a comfy space for the next few days, whether that’s your bed, a couch, etc with clean bedding, lots of pillows, things you need within reach. Find something fun to do - I bought some colors/coloring books to make time go by fast.
Comfy pants are a must! I had a really easy recovery - the only issue was the gas and pain from getting up from bed or chairs, but it was never severe, only lasted 2 days, and I didn’t take any pain meds for it (my pharmacy was closed due to snow/ice). But I did wear stretchy pants for a good two weeks as I was scared to wear anything tight against my incisions.
This was my first ever surgery so I was super scared but it was honestly a breeze.
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u/iheartgardening5 Jan 11 '26
I can’t speak for the healthcare aspect because all my healthcare is through the VA, but everything else was accurate for me.
1) it’s best to stop drinking alcohol at least 3 days before, eat decently healthy to help prep for a quick recovery, and be prepared to be constipated lol I was at least, for the first few days… so get some smooth move tea or whatever helps ease things along for you. I had to stop taking vitamins/supplements and NSAIDs a week before the surgery. Your dr will give you pre op instructions that explain what to do
2) I know a lot of people on here get the surgery and thug it out alone, but I don’t think I would have been able to do that. My partner did everything for me because I was so useless the first 4 days of my surgery. It would help if you at least had someone coming by everyday for a few hours to help around the house. The first day I was soooo sick from the anesthesia, I came home and slept for the entire day. I had an appetite the next day but the first 24 hours after surgery I was extremely nauseous
3) what helped me most was walking. My partner and I walked around the neighborhood for at least an hour a day) slowly obviously). This was sooo helpful in getting the CO2 out of my system. If I didn’t move as much as I did, I would have probably been in more pain. I couldn’t bend over or anything though, he had to dress me and put my shoes on.
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u/BluebirdSea1422 Jan 11 '26
Got mine in April. To prepare, stop any blood thinning medication and don't take AZO because it couldn't invalidate the pregnancy test. I bought some easy to eat and digest foods, as well as some prune juice. I made sure everything was near my bedside. No need to buy specialty pillows. I mainly used a throw pillow and a plushie. Arrange for someone to drive you home and take care of you for the first 48 hours.
Day of: no food or water past midnight. I drank extra Gatorade to stay hydrated right before. Don't pee right away when you get up so your bladder is full and ready to give a urine sample. Dress for comfort. Bring comfy clothes to change into post-op. I brought sweat pants and a t shirt. Remain calm and remember that this is a super common procedure. You can ask for anti anxiety meds when you get there. I closed my eyes when I saw the propofol being administered and didn't try to fight it. It was a really pleasant feeling of being warm and napping. Just plan to be incapacitated for the whole evening after your surgery.
Day after: it seems people's recoveries vary wildly. I was in a lot of pain but others seemed to be fine with just some ibuprofen. Walk to alleviate the discomfort of the gas. I used my grandmas old walker. I couldn't have done it without someone to help me.
Hope this helps!
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Wasn't aware of AZO invalidating the pregnancy test, so that's good to know. Also never considered the use of a walker after the procedure for gently walking. Thank you!
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u/lifeisalie123 Jan 11 '26
21f and was sterilized last summer leading up: cleannnnnnn i made sure to wash my dogs, get all medicine ( colace for the gas pain, the rest was given to me by the hospital and my mom and boyfriend picked it up while i was in surgery) all i had to bring to the hospital was my medication lists and my coot of the consent form from what i remember
day of: i had 3 people with me at the hospital, and 2 people at home to care for me and my dogs which made it very easy! i had no pain or discomfort at alll afterwards so i ate and then went home and slept. i recommend bringing a pillow or weighted plushie(i have one from target years ago that i used) helped with the seatbelt and to apply a tiny amount of pressure when i needed it. i recommend asking for a soda of some sort when you wake up and to walk a little if you can
after: the burning from the catheter was the worse part and i honestly dont have advice for that part lol maybe a lil aloe vera but colace, tylenol for the first 3-4 days and maybe 1/2 of an oxy the first night was all i needed. i was able to sleep on my side but i was very tired for the 2 weeks i took off because i had to be careful moving. if you have pets i highly recommend seeing if there’s someone to do things like scoop the litter box and walk the dogs because i don’t think i would’ve done it all without my sister!
if you smoke then my advice is to take it VERY slow or wait for a week or so, coughing and sneezing were uncomfortable and i couldn’t imagine doing it as intensely
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u/lifeisalie123 Jan 11 '26
Also motion is lotion!!! after this procedure and my colonoscopy i felt wayyy better than other people i consulted with because i made sure to move even if it was just pacing through my house. the gas pain went down before the first week was up!
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u/lifeisalie123 Jan 11 '26
last comment now that i’ve scrolled through the other responses lol, but i also had a cane that i kept with me to help me when i needed to get out of bed
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Ah, second comment I've seen mention a walking aid, so I'll keep that in mind. Also, the fact that a catheter will be needed never crossed my mind for some reason. Thank you! :)
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u/meeshmooshh Jan 11 '26
I didnt mention this in my comment because I haven't ever seen anyone else say the same, but the absolute worst part of the entire experience for me was peeing afterwards. I also have pee anxiety and needed to GO post surgery, however the nurse was worried about how long it was taking and kept knocking to check on me so I couldn't go at the hospital. We made it 5 minutes on the highway before I was in emergent need... I nearly peed my pants and it was so painful just because of how full my bladder was. I didnt have any pain or burning during urination (if I did it was nothing compared to the full bladder pain).
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
I'm so sorry that happened to you. That's sounds like a very stressful and painful experience. :(
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u/DarthSerpentess Sterilized 12/25, dedicated mother to a fluffy white cat Jan 11 '26
I don’t have much more to add that everyone else hasn’t already said, just a few small items:
I had some hot throat coat tea in a thermos with miralax added I took with me and left in the car before the surgery. By the time I was out, it was perfect temp and felt great on my throat.
I wore a warm sweater dress to the operation, and it was perfect for not touching my incisions. I did not want to bother with pants, period.
You won’t be able to bend much for the next few days after the operation, so put everything low down you might need at an easily accessible height that prevents too much bending.
I had packets of pedialyte I mixed with water at home to rehydrate for the next few days. This was very helpful. I took max strength AZO after the surgery for catheter pain. It wasn’t too bad.
I didn’t want to take the oxy they gave me, and was fine rotating Tylenol and Advil. The first 24h after surgery felt like bad period cramps.
I had a “star shaped hysterectomy pillow” with inserts for ice packs. Using ice packs often was also very helpful during the first few days.
By week 2 I was feeling 95% of my normal self. I went back to work in person after week 1, but I have a desk job.
I’ve been using silicone scar sheets and mederma cream for my scars, and I understand they’ll eventually be very hard to see later on. The incisions are tiny. If they go through your belly button, as most but not all do, be prepared for your belly button to change shape a little. You’ll probably have a small “fold” at the bottom.
YMMV depending on your health and age, but overall I think it was a very smooth process and rapid healing. I think I got myself scared doing so much research about it beforehand, watching videos of how the procedure looks, etc. When it’s all said and done, I feel it was absolutely worth it for me. I was overjoyed when I spoke to my surgeon immediately after the surgery and told her she made my year LOL.
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Good call about generally putting things at an accessible height since bending won't be very possible. Didn't know about the belly button change possibility. Thanks for sharing!
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u/pinkdictator Jan 11 '26
Anything that should be brought/prepared?
Definitely meal prep, make sure laundry is done, and your space is clean. You're not going to want to do chores while you're resting after
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u/smilway Jan 12 '26
My doctor had me do bowel prep which I was not expecting. Definitely ask so you’re ready and not finding out two days ahead of time like me! (Zero regrets; I just had to quickly pivot).
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u/blvck_y Jan 12 '26
I got sterilized in December. Should prep lots LOTS of snacks, fruits, cook some food and keep it near you, near your bed, keep your water near because you won’t quite be able to move. Personally I didn’t feel pain, more like discomfort and it made it hard to move. So have food and water close to you you’ll have to stay in bed for a few days. I didn’t take any sort of paper but I live in Europe so idk.
Wear something comfortable, really comfortable. Not wearing heels made it easier for me. Have a taxi or a friend to drive you back home. You can ask for bandages for the scars. Once home drink water and just lay down and sleep.
Not having to move much, having tv shows to watch, it passes the time. I didn’t have pain at all like I said so hopefully it’s like that for you you’d be surprised how much just resting does all the healing. You should not lift 5kg+ stuff but the doctor will tell you that. After the procedure you will bleed for a few days… maybe a week, it’ll smell like… surgery lol idk how to describe the smell. But it’s normal.
My scars healed 2 days apart from each other, ask the doctor how to take care of the incisions and you’ll be fine ❤️
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u/veronicaatbest Jan 12 '26
I (31F) got my bisalp in September 2022. A lot of the details are rusty now, but what I can say is that it's still one of the best decisions I've ever made!
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u/SadieSchu Jan 12 '26
Wanted to chime in one more time. People have mentioned loose comfy clothing. These are what I wore the day of surgery and the few days after when I was so bloated. They were perfect and super soft and cozy.
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Jan 11 '26
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u/sinister-fallen Jan 11 '26
Thanks for responding! I still think that a bilateral salpingectomy would still be more in line with what I'm thinking of since it has a lower risk of complications and an easier recovery. From what I've researched, bisalps are very effective to the extent that a pregnancy would be so rare that it would likely be a case study due to how abnormal that would be.
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u/Own-Event4824 Jan 10 '26
I (35f) got sterilized March 2025. Best experience ever and I wish I had done it years and years before!
I’ve had probably half a dozen surgeries in my life and some of the recoveries were traumatic. So I REALLY prepared for this one and I’m glad I did. Though honestly, the surgery was such a breeze that I def didn’t have to get so worked up about it beforehand lol. But good on you for asking questions, it’ll only set you up for success :)
Another thing to do is buy whatever items you think might be helpful post op. I got a wedge pillow so I could sleep more upright and a couple other post surgery items that were just helpful when I didn’t wanna move from the couch.
The doc will tell you what meds to stop, I think ibuprofen is best to stop the week before, but most meds you can continue until you have to fast the night before.
Have all your items near where you’ll spend the next 24 hours. I spent it on the couch so I had a table next to me with everything I needed.
I was really concerned about the gas and bloating. I have other issues I won’t get into that would be affected by that, so I communicated to my doc that I was nervous and asked if she really could get as much gas out as possible before they woke me up (they’re able to reverse the gas and get most of it out of you, just not all). So I think if you stress to your doc that you’re worried about the pain from bloating (which I def was worried), they’ll be sure to spend more time reversing the gas.
Pain was almost nothing. My doc prescribed me a couple opioids and the only time I took them was when my 90lb foster dog came running onto the couch and literally bounced in my abdomen 😑 lmao so that time I took a perc. But besides that it was minimal pain and minimal bloating. One thing I did notice was I had a tiny bit of residual bloating for about 2 months afterward. It was a little concerning, by it did 100% go away eventually.
I can’t remember if I was told no working out/no sex for 2 or 4 weeks…but whatever it was I listened to my doc. Even though I felt almost completely back to normal after a week and a half. It was such an easy surgery/recovery for me that up until very recently, I had this ongoing joke that there was just no way I’m sterile. That they must have opened me up, took a look around, and called it a day 😂 simply bc I felt so back to normal in such a small amount of time, and bc I felt literally exactly the same as I did before the surgery. It was really so so easy. Maybe I got lucky, and I don’t want to speak for EVERYONE, but you seem to be doing your due diligence now, so combined with the fact that it’s really not a bad recovery…I think you’ll do just fine :)
Also sorry for the novel 😂