Before having a tubal ligation, most women are advised to think of it as a permanent birth control method. Although a ligation reversal is possible in many cases, not all women who have had a tubal ligation are good candidates for reversal.
In your pre-ligation reversal consultation, your physician will probably do some tests to assess the health of your Fallopian tubes, usually through the use of laparoscopy. He will also examine the post-op reports from your ligation surgery to determine the method of ligation used and also the surgeon’s notes on the outcome of the surgery to determine the likelihood of success should he attempt a ligation reversal.
Factors to be taken into account when considering a ligation reversal include:
• The ligation method used: whether your tubes were tied, cut, cauterized or otherwise blocked)
• Where in your fallopian tubes the ligation was performed
• How much viable fallopian tube is left
• Your age
All of these factors together will help the doctor determine whether you are a good candidate for the procedure.
Although the doctor’s definition of a successful ligation reversal may hinge on simply whether the fallopian tubes can be effectively repaired, you may define success by the chances of you getting pregnant following the surgery. Although conception rates after a ligation reversal are higher than the rate of conception through IVF, it is important to note that having the procedure does not guarantee that you will be able to become pregnant. The degree of pregnancy success in women under the age of 40 who have undergone a ligation reversal is somewhere between 70 and 80 percent, and conception usually occurs in the first year following the procedure. Women who undergo the microsurgery route toward ligation reversal have a slightly high conception success rate, around the 90% mark. Pregnancy rates following a ligation reversal, however, decline as the woman’s age increases.
Before you opt for ligation reversal surgery, be sure you understand all of the risks, including the risk that you may undergo this surgery and still not be able to conceive. There are physical, emotional and financial risks to consider, and all aspects of the ligation reversal should be taken into account, ideally before the tubal ligation is performed in the first place.