OBJECTIVE: Tubal ligation may reduce the ovarian blood flow and lead to tissue damage to the ovary. If so, this may also result in a significant decrease of the total follicular pool. We performed a long-term evaluation of ovarian reserve and function after tubal sterilization in a longitudinal prospective comparison cohort.

STUDY DESIGN: In an university tertiary-care center, 26 women undergoing laparoscopic tubal sterilization with the use of bipolar coagulation, and 26 matched control subjects underwent measurement of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, 17β-estradiol, and inhibin on menstrual cycle day 3 before (baseline) and at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 60 months after the sterilization for ovarian reserve evaluation. At baseline and 12 and 24 months after tubal ligation, women who underwent sterilization were sampled every other day across an entire menstrual cycle for follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, 17β-estradiol, inhibin, and progesterone determination to evaluate ovarian function.

RESULTS: No significant changes were observed either within or between groups for any parameter, despite the fact that a 45% and 30% increase in follicle-stimulating hormone concentration from baseline to the 60-month control was detected in tubal sterilization and control groups of women, respectively. No significant changes were observed in the mean area under the curve of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, inhibin, and progesterone per menstrual cycle at baseline and 12 and 24 months after sterilization.

CONCLUSION: This 5-year follow-up study suggests that there is neither an accelerated decline of ovarian follicular reserve nor ovarian dysfunction after tubal sterilization by electrocoagulation.