Tubal ligation, also known as female sterilization, is a procedure available for women who thought that they never wanted to have children, so they have had their tubes tied up.

However, for one reason or another they may have changed their minds and decided that they want to bear children again, hence can consider tubal reversal.

tubal reversalThe recent scientific and medical advances have allowed women to change their minds and conceive children again, even after they have gone through surgery to be unable to do so.

Tubal reversal actually has a higher pregnancy rate as compared to in vitro fertilization, which is another option women can do if they have had their tubes tied.

If you are looking into tubal reversal, here are some facts about the procedure:

  1. Not every woman is a candidate for the method; you must first consult your fertility specialist or gynecologist before trying the method out.
  2. Your ability to undergo the procedure will be evaluated on factors such as:
    1. The method of ligation in sealing off your fallopian tubes (cauterization, cutting, or blocking)
    2. How much of your fallopian tube is left
    3. The location of the sterilization in your fallopian tube
    4. Your age
    5. The overall health of your fallopian tubes
  3. Tubal reversal is a short surgical procedure usually lasting anywhere between two or three hours. The procedure will involve making your fallopian tubes functional once again by unclamping them, reattaching them, or by implanting a part of it.
  4. Although it is a short procedure, recovery time for tubal reversal will take four to six weeks, including about a week spent in the hospital for monitoring. This is important because, although side effects are rare, they are possible. Side effects of tubal reversal may include: bleeding, internal infections, damage in the surrounding organs, and complications with anesthesia.
  5. Depending on the equipment and experience, some hospitals and doctors can perform tubal reversal as an outpatient surgery in just an hour. This type of procedure is microsurgical and is not yet widely available, so you may want to research on hospitals and doctors if you prefer an outpatient method for your procedure.
  6. The success rate for tubal reversal is about 80%, so this could be the option of your choice if you decide that you want to bear children again. However, many factors could also determine one’s success rate, and age is one of the most important factors. The success rate would also be higher for women who are aged 40 years and below. The time for being able to conceive would be about a year after surgery.
  7. Complications for pregnancy after tubal reversal may include an ectopic pregnancy, so if you have conceived successfully after the procedure you may want to clear it up with your doctor and consult on the possibilities of an ectopic pregnancy and how to deal with it.

When choosing a doctor to perform the surgery, you may also want to inquire how many of the procedures he has done, to be sure of his knowledge and expertise in the area.