Monday, November 30, 2009

All About Tubal Ligation Reversal

Many women are undertaking tubal ligations on the understanding that the procedure is reversible. What every woman needs to understand, though, is that the tubal ligation operation is not reversible in every case… and the results if it weren't able to be reversed would be heartbreaking. In many cases it is successful -- today we are looking at tubal ligation reversal and how it works.


Success Rates
The statistics differ according to the populations sampled, of course. What is important to understand before comparing tubal ligation reversal success figures is that the chance of a woman younger than 30 trying to have a baby is around 85% in one year. The chance of success for a woman older than 30 trying to have a baby is around 80% in one year. Don’t compare the success figures to an assumed 100% success rate in the general population -- it won’t give you an accurate picture.

One set of figures
A set of figures collected by a gynecologist are as follows. Percentages indicate women in the sample who became pregnant within 12 months of their reversal operation:
For tubal ligation reversal when the patient is younger than 40:
Clipping - 85-90%
Cut and tie - 55-70%
Diathermy (burning) - 75-90%

For tubal ligation reversal when the patient is older than 40:
Clipping - 40-45%
Cut and tie - 30-35%
Diathermy (burning) - 35-40%

In vitro fertilization
If the man and woman are otherwise healthy, and especially if they have had healthy children before the reversal, in vitro fertilization is quite a reliable method of achieving pregnancy. However in most areas across the world this will not be covered by public healthcare, and many private insurers also do not cover the cost.

Alternatively, you can bypass the reversal altogether and go straight to in vitro fertilization.

Guide to Kegels for Stress Incontinence

Kegels are one of the most important things a woman can do for her reproductive health. They are right up there with quitting smoking, sticking to a healthy weight and keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum. Many women have good intentions, but aren’t sure if they are doing the exercises correctly -- it is a difficult exercise to illustrate! Today we give you a step by step guide to doing Kegels to help reduce stress incontinence … and perhaps improve your sex life along the way.

Finding the muscles
The standard way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to try to stop the flow of urine in mid-stream, next time you go to the toilet. However, do not do all your Kegels this way! It is likely to cause bladder or urinary tract infections as much as cure your stress incontinence.

Preparation
You should empty your bladder first for best results from your muscles. Sit or lie down -- whatever makes you comfortable. Eventually sitting will be easier, as you are more likely to do Kegels while sitting and doing something else.

Technique for curing stress incontinence
Many women do hundreds of fast, light Kegels -- this is not useful for either stress incontinence or preventing prolapse. You should alternate between:

* Sets of 10-15 very strong, fast Kegels to improve the muscle's aerobic fitness
* Sets of five to ten very strong Kegels held for as long as possible, to help improve the muscle's anaerobic fitness (stamina)

Keep pushing yourself to improve -- when you can easily do sets of ten, start doing sets of twelve. Then move up to sets of fifteen, and then move to two sets of twenty.

Concentrate first, automate after
Eventually you will want your Kegels to become automatic. It is not possible for our brains to actually focus on two things at once … so make sure you focus on your Kegels while you are setting up your routine. When you eventually feel that they are automatic enough for you to do them while concentrating on other tasks, you will be more likely to maintain correct technique. Remember that bad technique can sometimes increase the likelihood of developing stress incontinence.

When to do Kegels
If you associate Kegel time with a particular task, you are more likely to remember to do your exercises in the long run. For example:

* Do you watch the news every day, or another TV program regularly?
* Do you have a break from work for sit-down lunch?
* Do you check your email before going to work in the morning?
* Do you stand at the counter chopping vegetables for dinner every night?

These are just some suggestions -- but the key to Kegels success and stress incontinence

Monday, November 9, 2009

Avoiding Myths About Hysterectomy

Why is it that intelligent, educated women, when faced with a surgery like hysterectomy, sometimes fall victim to myths passed along by friends and family? Here's a common-sense strategy for dispelling the myths and facing your surgery armed with the best information.

Step One: Collect Your Questions
Rather than panicking when your doctor mentions hysterectomy as an option, take the time to build your list of questions. This is your body, your surgery and your future, so slowing down the process long enough to have your questions answered is a good first step.

One mistake some women make when faced with hysterectomy is to rush about asking the women they know who've had the surgery about their experiences. While we all like to know what to expect, finding a balance between the stories our friends tell and good, solid medical advice can help us to make better decisions.

Write down the things that concern you. Are you worried about hormonal changes? Do you know what to expect post-surgically? Does the prospect of pain have you panicky?

Your friends and family members may be well-intentioned, but try to avoid getting caught up in horror stories about their hysterectomies. Medical issues women face, from
pelvic pain to tubal ligation, aren't always experienced the same way.

Step Two: Go to the Best Source
A good OB/GYN practitioner is engaged enough with patients to want to make sure their questions are answered. Armed with your list of questions, got to your doctor and learn what you need to know.

Hysterectomy is a major surgery, and certainly shouldn't be taken lightly. That's why it's essential to ask your questions before you take the next step. You may have plenty of people offering "advice" about whether or not to have this procedure, but only you, with the help of your health care practitioner, can decide what's best.

Step Three: Make an Informed Decision
After speaking with your doctor about your options and having all your questions answered, you can now make a decision that makes sense for your life. No need to shun well-meaning friends when they rush to share their hysterectomy experiences, but keep in mind their lives, bodies and surgeries may be very different from your own.

Whether or not you go forward with having a
hysterectomy, talking it through with a caring medical professional is the best way to gain the knowledge you need. Make a decision that you can live with based on facts, and use your network to provide emotional support. You'll find it's much nicer having the support of old friends rather than basing such an important decision on the tales they might have.