What Are the Benefits of a Tubal Ligation Reversal?

Many women receiving a tubal ligation do so with ease, knowing that the procedure is later reversible. Sometimes, however, later comes sooner than expected. Some women experience post tubal ligation syndrome, a condition that comes with several symptoms similar to those of menopause. Relief from this condition and the ability to have more children aren't the only benefits for a tubal ligation reversal, however.

Advantage Over IVF

• IVF or in vitro fertilization is the primary alternate for pregnancy after the original tubal ligation. However, the IVF can be expensive, taking more than one procedure to have a successful pregnancy. A tubal ligation reversal is one procedure. Afterwards, you can have more than one try at more than one pregnancy, with nothing but the cost of the prenatal visits to worry about. Women using IVF must also deal with the medications required to stimulate egg production. These hormones are a tedious part of the IVF process that many women would rather avoid. A tubal reversal is the solution. If the reversal is unsuccessful, however, you can always try IVF treatments.

Success Rate

• According to the Infertility Center of Saint Louis, tubal ligation reversals are more successful than women may expect with a success rate of 95 percent in the procedures they've performed. The clinic performs the surgery laproscopically. A successful pregnancy after the surgery offers a lower success rate of 75 percent for the physicians at the Chapel Hill Reversal Center. The success rates offered by both clinics reflect the national average. However, these rates drop tremendously when patient is over the age of 40. In fact, gynecologists and obstetricians do require serious consideration when performing the surgery on women over the age of 35.

New Surgical Techniques

• Tubal ligation reversal surgery is no longer an open cavity procedure. Doctors now perform laproscopic surgery, performed through a small incision and using microsurgical tools, mini camera and video screen. The microsurgical approach allows for better connection of the severed tubes because the intricacies of the small pieces are easily viewed. General anesthesia is still used, but the recovery time in the hospital has been cut form weeks to a few days. Some women can return to work the next week.