What surgical procedure involves clamping or severing a woman's fallopian tubes?

The surgical procedure that involves clamping or severing a woman's fallopian tubes is tubal ligation. This operation is primarily performed as a form of permanent contraception, effectively preventing eggs from traveling from the ovaries through the fallopian tubes, where fertilization would typically occur. By interrupting this pathway, tubal ligation ensures that sperm cannot reach an egg, thus preventing pregnancy.

In contrast, a vasectomy is a male sterilization procedure, where the vas deferens is cut or blocked to prevent sperm from mixing with semen. A hysterectomy involves the removal of the uterus, which may be necessary for various medical reasons but does not specifically target the fallopian tubes. Endometrial ablation is a procedure aimed at removing or destroying the uterine lining to treat abnormal bleeding, and it does not involve the fallopian tubes. Therefore, the specificity of tubal ligation in relation to the fallopian tubes makes it the correct choice.