Even after having a surgical sterilization by tubal ligation, it is still possible to have more children. Typically this begins with a tubal ligation reversal where patients have their tubes “untied”. Thankfully, tubal ligation reversal can be done with a minimally invasive surgery and a tubal reversal has a high rate of success. If you’re thinking about having a tubal ligation reversal, chances are, you have some questions.
First and foremost you’ll want to know about your chances of getting pregnant after a tubal ligation reversal. For family planning, you must understand how maternal health and age contribute to the likelihood of conceiving and delivering a child regardless of the situation. For women under 35 years of age in good health, the rates of conception and delivery are very high. Tubal ligation reversal success rates start to decline after women are older than 37, strictly due to the fact that the rate of pregnancy declines as you get older. Still, even women over 40 years of age have a great chance of getting pregnant in the first year after tubal reversal, up to 80% depending on the other factors involved for the individual patient.
The type of tubal ligation performed has an impact on the success rate of a tubal ligation reversal. The tubal reversal procedure is most successful if your doctor used Filshee clips or Rings for the sterilization, as these leave the most healthy tube that can be put back together during the tubal ligation reversal. In contrast, if the tubes have been clipped or shortened, the success rate may be slightly lower because they cause greater damage to the tubes and results in a shorter tube after the tubal ligation reversal.
Other important factors to consider are other aspects of your general and reproductive health. For instance, if you have a history of endometriosis, intrauterine fibroids, or low egg count, you may have a decrease the likelihood of conceiving and successfully carrying a pregnancy to term. Your partner’s health and sperm count will also play a role in your fertility. Consequently it may be important to see a doctor and have a full fertility analysis prior to having a tubal ligation reversal.
Although tubal ligation reversal can allow many women to conceive, the reversal does not guarantee pregnancy. Unfortunately, women who have undergone ligation and then tubal ligation reversal have slightly higher rates of ectopic pregnancy.
It is important for every woman to discuss this and the other risks and benefits of the tubal ligation reversal with their doctor to understand how it will impact their health. In some cases, even otherwise healthy women can have difficulty becoming pregnant. In those instances it may be necessary to consider IVF of in vitro fertilization.
Overall, the success rate of a tubal ligation reversal can be as high as 80%, much higher and more successful than In Vitro Fertilization.
