Tubal Reversal Surgery Restores Fertility After Ligation

By Pierrette Martine


Every year many women decide to have tubal ligation surgery performed as a permanent means of contraception. Many of these same women will later regret this decision because they change their minds about having more children, and will wish to have it undone. Fortunately, tubal reversal procedures are available to accomplish this and offer a relatively good success rate.

When a tubal ligation is done, the two fallopian tubes which act as a passageway through which the egg moves from the ovary to the womb, are either cauterized, cut, or closed off with clamps. Reversal attempts to perform the opposite action, by rejoining the remaining section of tube back together so they can once again facilitate conception. Various factors will determine how successful this operation will be.

The method the surgeon used to ligate the tubes plays a key role in determining if reversal is possible. It is important that the fimbriae are intact, these are funnel-like structures which guide the mature egg into the tube. The length of the remaining segments of the tubes also matters, as the greater the length the better the chance of a successful outcome.

Any woman who is interested in undergoing this procedure will need to meet with a gynecological surgeon who can perform it. During this consultation, the doctor will answer the patient's questions and give her a clear explanation of what the surgery entails. Most often a preliminary assessment of the tubes will be needed in the form of an ultrasound or a dye test called a hysterosalpingogram.

Generally this procedure is most successful in women who have only had a minimal amount of tubal tissue removed, or have had them clamped. If the ligation was performed immediately after childbirth and the woman is younger, this also increases the likelihood of a successful operation. If there are shorter tube lengths or scarring, the chances of success are somewhat lower.

The patient will be given a general anesthetic and will therefore be unconscious during the procedure. A laparoscope, which is a lighted tube that illuminates the pelvic cavity will be inserted through a small incision in the navel. A second incision will be made just above the pubic bone through which the surgeon can access the tubes and either unclamp them or stitch the segments back together using microsurgery.

It will normally take about two to three hours to complete the procedure. Most women will only require a few hours rest and they may then go home the same day in most cases. Mild discomfort may occur, which can be controlled with an analgesic prescribed by the doctor. A second dye test may be done after a few months to make sure the tubes are open and functioning normally.

The individual success rate of the tubal reversal surgery is determined by such factors as the woman's age, fertility of both partners, skill of the surgeon, and how much scarring is present in the pelvic region. It can be anywhere from 40-85 % effective in most cases. Most women who will conceive will do so within a year of the procedure.




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