The surgical procedure that involves blocking or sealing the fallopian tubes to prevent the passage of eggs is:

Appeared in: BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025

Explanation

Tubal ligation is a permanent surgical method of female contraception, also known as female sterilization.
The procedure involves blocking, cutting, or sealing the fallopian tubes to prevent the egg from traveling from the ovary to the uterus.
This blockage ensures that sperm cannot reach the egg for fertilization, thus preventing pregnancy.
As seen in the provided image, instruments are used to sever and seal the fallopian tube, which is the hallmark of this procedure.

Option B: This is the surgical removal of one or both ovaries. It is a more extensive procedure than tubal ligation and is not the primary method for sterilization.
Option C: This is the surgical removal of the uterus. While it does result in sterility, it is a major operation performed for significant uterine pathology, not as a standard contraceptive procedure.
Option D: This is a male sterilization procedure. The question describes a procedure performed on the female fallopian tubes.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Surgical Methods of Sterilization as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in patient counseling before sterilization, ensuring the patient understands the permanence of the procedure, failure rates, potential risks, and alternatives like long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).
Informed consent is critical. The nurse must verify that the patient is making a voluntary and informed decision without coercion and understands that the procedure is intended to be irreversible.
What if? If a patient asks about reversing a tubal ligation, the nurse should explain that reversal surgery is complex, expensive, not always successful, and carries a higher risk of subsequent ectopic pregnancy. This reinforces the importance of certainty before the initial procedure.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key action described in the question stem: 'blocking or sealing the fallopian tubes' to prevent egg passage.
Next, analyze the options, which are all names of surgical procedures related to the reproductive system.
Recall the definitions of each term. 'Tubal' refers to the fallopian tubes, and 'ligation' means to tie or block.
Match the definition in the question to the most appropriate term. 'Tubal ligation' directly describes the action on the fallopian tubes for contraception.
Differentiate this from oophorectomy (ovary removal), hysterectomy (uterus removal), and vasectomy (a male procedure) to confirm the correct choice.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Surgical Methods of Sterilization
Stem keywords: surgical procedure, blocking, sealing, fallopian tubes, passage of eggs
Lead-in keywords: is
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Gynecology Williams p. 120-150

E6 Obstetrics Williams p. 90-95

Practise the full BTSC Staff Nurse 1 August-2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.