A total of 48 Muntinlupa residents underwent free vasectomy and ligation as part of their family planning.
The Muntinlupa City government said the procedures were done at the Lakeview Health Center in Barangay Putatan.
Of the 48 patients, 45 women underwent bilateral tubal ligation while only three men underwent non-scalpel vasectomy.
Tubal ligation and vasectomy are permanent
A 2005 survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on “currently married women aged 15-49 years by contraceptive method currently used, Philippines,” only. 0.1 percent said male sterilization or vasectomy was used.
The free ligation and vasectomy at Lakeview Health Center in Putatan, Muntinlupa (Photos from the Muntinlupa City government)
“The no scalpel vasectomy uses a method that allows doctors to complete the procedure using a single puncture without the use of a scalpel,” according to the Advanced Urology Associates website.
Under the “conventional vasectomies, the scrotum is numbed with a local anesthetic. Then the doctor makes two small cuts in the skin of the scrotum and lifts each tube out through the incision and cuts them. The tubes are now blocked so the sperm cannot reach the penis. The doctor then stitches them closed.”
Through the no scalpel vasectomy, “the doctor numbs both the skin and the nerves to the vas deferens (‘the tubes’). Instead of making two incisions, the physician typically creates a single tiny opening with a special urological instrument in the scrotum, which is then used to gently stretch the opening so the tubes can be easily accessed. The tubes are then blocked by cauterizing (sealing them shut) and then tying off each end. With this gentle technique, there are no stitches needed to close the tiny opening. There is minimal bleeding and the 20 to 30-minute procedure is done in the office in a private, relaxing environment.”
A bilateral tubal ligation “is a surgical procedure that closes a woman’s fallopian tubes. During a natural pregnancy, an ovulated egg travels through the fallopian tube, is fertilized by sperm in the tube, and then travels to and implants in the uterus. A BTL is performed by cutting, cauterizing, or permanently blocking the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy. This procedure is effective; less than 1% of women get pregnant after tubal ligation and it does not affect hormones,” according to the Fertility Institute of Hawaii website.
After the city government posted the event on Facebook, many netizens expressed their interest to undergo the procedures.
The free vasectomy and ligation were organized by the Muntinlupa City Health Office with the help from the health professionals from DKT International.