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Reversing a Tubal Ligation

A tubal ligation is a procedure done to make a woman sterile. With a tubal ligation, a woman's fallopian tubes are tied or blocked to prevent her eggs from being fertilized. A section of each tube is tied off and removed, leaving each tube severed into two sections. Sometimes women who have had this procedure decide later they want a baby, so the tubal ligation must be undone. This procedure, called a tubal-ligation reversal, is a choice for women who want their fallopian tubes untied and their fertility restored.

  1. Procedure

    • A tubal-ligation reversal is usually done using a microsurgical procedure through a two-inch incision between the pubic bone and the pubic hair line. In the procedure, the surgeon opens the closed fallopian tubes and reattaches the severed ends.

    Potential

    • Although a tubal ligation is considered a permanent form of birth control, reversing a tubal ligation has shown effective rates of conception after the procedure. According to tubaligation.org, 90 percent of tubal ligations are successful, meaning the tubes are opened and remain open. In addition, more than 70 percent of women are pregnant within two years of the procedure, according to fertilityanswers.com.

    Risks

    • One of the major risks for reversing a tubal ligation and trying to get pregnant is an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes, so it also often called a tubal pregnancy. According to The Center for Assisted Reproduction, there is a 3 to 5 percent risk for ectopic pregnancy after a tubal-ligation reversal. Other risks include reactions to anesthesia and infection.

    Considerations

    • Some women who have had tubal ligations opt for in vitro fertilization over a tubal ligation reversal. In vitro fertilization bypasses the fallopian tubes. Your egg and your partner's sperm are combined and inserted directly into your uterus. The decision to have a tubal ligation reversed or undergo in vitro depends on a number of considerations. In vitro fertilization does not undo the sterilization, so some women choose in vitro if they want just one more child. A tubal-ligation reversal leaves the option for more children open, but also means contraception must be used when not trying to conceive.

    Warning

    • The success of tubal-ligation reversal depends on a few factors, such as age, fallopian tube lengths and how the tubal ligation was done. For example, the best chances for success of a reversal is when the surgeon used clips or rings to tie off the tubes during the tubal ligation. Some surgeons remove a portion of the fallopian tubes during a tubal ligation, which can have an effect on the success of the reversal depending on how much of the tube was removed. Your doctor may order a hysterosalpingogram, which is an X-ray using dye to examine the fallopian tubes, before a tubal-ligation reversal.

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