Introduction
Understanding the possible complications and risk factors associated with the surgery is important. The surgeon will discuss with the patient before the surgery and the time needed for recovery. The surgeon needs to know the patient's complete medical history before the surgery, including all the medications the patient is regularly taking, including the contraceptive pill. Also, the surgeon might tell the patient to stop taking the contraceptive pill before the surgery.
The minor surgeries which do not involve any hospitalization have not shown a major risk of developing complications when the patient is taking contraceptive pills. But elective major surgeries need prophylaxis; otherwise, there is a double risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis and also a risk of developing pulmonary embolism. So the doctor will advise to stop taking these contraceptive pills before the surgery. Usually, they are stopped from four to six before the planned surgery.
What Is a Contraceptive Pill?
A contraceptive pill, also known as the birth control pill, is a type of birth control that is taken in the form of a pill containing hormones to prevent pregnancy. They are effective in 99 percent of cases in preventing pregnancy. This pill was taken by the women orally one time a day. Apart from pregnancy control, they are also used for regulating menstruation and also lower the risk of cancer of the ovary and uterus. However, they are effective when taken regularly at the same time of the day.
How Does the Contraceptive Pill Work?
Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by controlling the levels of certain hormones.
Contraception is attained through the following ways:
-
By either stopping or reducing the ovulation.
-
Prevent the entry of sperm into the uterus by thickening the cervical mucus.
-
Decreasing the chance of fertilized egg to attach to the lining of the uterus by decreasing the thickness of the lining of the uterus.
What Are the Types of Contraceptive Pills?
There are two types of contraceptive pills. Both work by changing certain hormones' levels in the blood. They are:
-
Combination Pills - They contain estrogen and progestin.
-
Progestin-Only Pills - They are also called “the mini pill.” They are found to be better for some women, like breastfeeding women or who had blood clots or strokes and should not take estrogen.
There are different dose packing for the pills, from 21 days packs to 90 days packs and some to even 365 days pills packets. The active pills are taken for at least three weeks, followed by two to seven days of inactive pills (hormone-free). This is called cycling dosing. There will be a menstrual period during which the inactive pills are taken.
Some brands do not provide inactive pills; they only give active ones for three weeks. For example, if a woman is taking 21-day pills, they will not be taking any pills for one week, during which the woman will have a menstrual period similar to taking inactive pills. Some brands have continuous dosing, meaning there are no inactive pills, and the woman will take active pills daily. The healthcare provider will suggest the best option for the person taking them.
What Are the Side Effects of Contraceptive Pills?
Some women can experience side effects while taking the contraceptive pill for the first time, which can get better after one or two months of taking them continuously. Report to the doctor when the contraceptive pill has some side effects. Then the doctor might prescribe some other brands of pills that might not cause the same side effects. However, the symptoms can improve and resolve once the pill is taken for a couple of months.
The side effects of contraceptive pills are:
-
Breast swelling and tenderness.
-
Irritability.
-
Mood swings
-
Abnormal menstruation (spotting between periods).
What Are the Health Risks of Contraceptive Pills?
Contraceptive pills are found to be safe for most people. The pill has been in use for almost 60 years, and there is a lot of comfort and experience with the use of them. However, only a small percentage of women take combination pills that contain estrogen and have an increased risk of developing these rare complications.
-
Blood clots.
-
Stroke.
-
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
-
Hypertension (high blood pressure).
After assessing the patient's medical history, the doctor will tell about the complications and risks of taking the contraceptive pill. For example, if a person cannot use an estrogen-containing pill, progestin-only pills can be safe and can be used.
When to Restart the Contraceptive Pill After Surgery?
After the surgical procedure, it is always better to consult the surgeon on when is the best time to start taking the pill again. In general, it is advised that the patient should wait at least two weeks after regaining full mobility and after getting the period to start with the pill again. But it can vary from person to person.
The restarting of the pill will also depend on what condition the surgery was done in and how fast the body is recovering from it. But before starting with the pill, take advice from the healthcare professional on when is the right time to start again. The other forms of contraception, such as an intrauterine device or contraceptive injections, will defer and should be started after consulting with a healthcare professional.
None of the contraceptive methods is 100 percent effective in providing contraception. However, the pill has good efficacy when taken according to the instructions. But the efficacy will decrease once the pill is not taken, and there is a risk of getting pregnant. So, it is important to take other forms of contraception before stopping the pill.
Conclusion
Contraceptive pills are commonly taken by women. Since the pill is a common form of contraception, the person undergoing surgery might not think it is important to mention to the surgeon about taking the pill before the surgery. But in case the pill is not stopped before the surgery, there are chances of developing complications. Even if the pill is not taken for contraception before the surgery, one can consider other forms of contraception to replace the pill temporarily.
