Can a Tubal Ligation Be Reversed?

Having your tubes tied is meant to serve as a permanent form of birth control, and it has a remarkably high success rate. But if you had your tubes tied and then changed your mind about having children, you have options. At the Atlanta Body Institute, we may be able to reverse your tubal ligation and increase your chances of conceiving.

Are you a candidate for tubal ligation reversal?

Reversal of your tubal ligation can be a great option if you decide you want to have a child, but it’s not right for everyone. A lot depends on the type of tubal ligation you had and the health of your fallopian tubes.

We are more likely to be able to reverse your ligation if you had your tubes tied with clips or rings, or if your tubes were cauterized, or burned, with minimal scarring. A successful tubal ligation reversal typically requires at least three inches of healthy fallopian tubes to improve your chances of a successful pregnancy.

We also take into consideration your age, health, and fertility, as well as your partner’s fertility, before deciding to go ahead with the tubal ligation reversal. Our goal is the same as yours: to help you get pregnant. And if there are other factors at play that may also affect your ability to conceive, we may recommend an alternate route to pregnancy.

The reversal procedure

If it turns out that we can reverse your tubal ligation, the surgery is performed at the surgical center. The procedure takes about two hours and you can go home the same day.

To keep you comfortable, we perform the tubal ligation reversal under anesthesia. The surgical expert then makes two small incisions in your abdomen, cuts out the sealed portion of your fallopian tubes, and reattaches the ends carefully with very fine dissolvable surgical sutures. We close the incisions and monitor you closely as you wake up from the anesthesia before we send you home.

We recommend you take it easy during the healing process, which takes about one to two weeks. This means you may need to take time off work so you can get plenty of rest. As your discomfort subsides, you can slowly ease back into your usual routine.

We provide very specific instructions on how to take care of yourself following your tubal ligation reversal to improve healing and prevent complications. We also schedule a follow-up after the procedure to examine the incisions and make sure you’re recovering properly.

What are my chances of pregnancy after the reversal surgery?

The likelihood of getting pregnant after a tubal ligation reversal varies from woman to woman. Your health and your age are prominent factors, which is why we take all of that into consideration before recommending surgery. In general, a reversal of tubal ligation is successful 45-85% of the time. Most women with a successful reversal get pregnant within the first year.

If you’re having a difficult time conceiving after your tubal ligation reversal, you might want to consider other fertility options such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is when the egg and sperm are combined outside your body and then placed in your uterus.

To learn more about the reversal of your tubal ligation, give us a call or schedule an appointment online for an evaluation and discussion of your options.