It is Time to Replace Postpartum Tubal Ligation with Bilateral Salpingectomy

Postpartum sterilization is a popular and effective method of contraception in the United States. As of 2012, postpartum sterilization was performed after 10% of all hospital deliveries, which equated to approximately 400,000 procedures annually [1,2]. Sterilization can be conveniently performed at the time of cesarean delivery or in the immediate postpartum period after a vaginal delivery [1]. Advantages include the technical ease, the one-time use of anesthesia in the case of a patient receiving an epidural during labor, the utilization of a current hospitalization, and the increased compliance, especially in low-income patients [3].