After completing a family, many couples decide to undergo sterilization, a permanent method of birth control. A tubal ligation is a surgical procedure performed on females to prevent them from becoming pregnant. Occasionally, circumstances may change, making you decide you want to have more children. An operation to restore your fertility may increase your chances of pregnancy.
Tubal Ligation
Your fallopian tubes provide a pathway for the sperm to meet the descending egg. A tubal ligation works by closing off the fallopian tubes. During a tubal ligation, your doctor may use electrical current, small tubes, rings or clips to seal your fallopian tubes. This sterilization procedure is highly effective, resulting in a success rate near 99 percent.
Reversal
If you decide you want to get pregnant after a tubal ligation, a tubal ligation reversal procedure may help you realize your dreams of future motherhood. This procedure involves the surgical removal of the blocked portions of your fallopian tubes and the reattachment of the healthy separated ends of the tubes. In successful surgeries, this procedure helps to create a continuous tube that allows conception to occur.
Pregnancy
Not all tubal ligation reversals restore fertility. The method your doctor used during your sterilization procedure plays an important part in the outcome of your reversal procedure. Your chances of getting pregnant are greater if your sterilization involved the use of rings or clips, rather than cauterization.
Success Rate
The success rate for opening up fallopian tubes that had been closed during a tubal ligation is about 75 percent. Even when a reversal results in open tubes, other factors may limit your ability to become pregnant, however. The reversal procedure also poses certain health risks, including damage to your blood vessels, bowel and bladder, as well as complications from anesthesia and infection.
Considerations
When deciding to get pregnant after a tubal ligation, consider many factors, including the cost and the health risks involved in tubal ligation reversals. Women who conceive after a reversal procedure may have a greater chance of experiencing a tubal pregnancy or a miscarriage. Talk to your doctor about other pregnancy options, such as in vitro fertilization, a procedure that bypasses the closed fallopian tubes by implanting fertilized eggs directly into your uterus.
