The ureters are the urine tubes that run from the kidney to the bladder. Bladder and ureter injuries are rare with tubal ligation, occurring only 3 to 5 times per 1,000 cases. These include perforation and thermal injuries. In most cases, these injuries are treated with antibiotics and the placement of a plastic tube, called a catheter, into the bladder for 7 to 10 days. Rarely, these injuries require switching to an open operation. This would involve a urologist placing thin tubes, called stents, into the tubes leading away from the bladder, called ureters. This could also result in a repeat laparoscopic surgery at a future time. Sometimes, an injury may not appear at the time of the operation, but may show up later. This may require another surgery to repair the damage.