My Tubes Are Tied: Is a Tubal Reversal Out of the Question?

At the time, having your tubes tied made sense. But your life has changed and you want to have more children — now you want to know: Is a tubal reversal out of the question?

A tubal ligation reversal is possible, and it makes an affordable fertility option that can help you grow your family. At CARE Fertility in Bedford and Fort Worth, Texas, our reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialists are experts at treating all types of infertility, including reversing sterilization procedures.

Here’s how a tubal reversal works and who might benefit from the procedure.

About tubal reversal

Tubal reversal is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a surgical procedure that reverses a tubal ligation, unblocking the fallopian tubes so sperm can reach a released egg for fertilization.

Our fertility team uses minimally invasive techniques when performing a tubal reversal procedure, reducing postsurgical pain and recovery time. We perform tubal reversal at our onsite surgical center; the procedure itself takes 1-2 hours, and you go home the same day.

We recommend following the procedure easily, but most people resume their usual activities within a week or two. Pregnancy rates following a tubal reversal vary, ranging from 50% to 80%. 

Candidates for tubal reversal

We complete a thorough evaluation to determine if a tubal reversal makes a good option for you. We only perform the procedure if we think you have a good chance of getting pregnant after surgery. 

Many factors influence your chances of pregnancy, including:

• Age: Chances of pregnancy decrease as you get older
• Gynecological history: Endometriosis or uterine fibroids may affect fertility
• Partner’s fertility: Unhealthy sperm reduces chances of conception
• Tubal ligation procedure: There’s greater success with reversal in women who had clips or rings to tie their tubes
• The length of the fallopian tube: The procedure requires an adequate amount of tubing to reconnect the open ends

We don’t recommend tubal reversal for women who had nonsurgical procedures that involved placement of blocking devices (Essure® and Adiana®) into the fallopian tube. These devices are no longer used because of complications like abdominal pain, tears in the fallopian tubes, and pregnancy.

Other fertility treatment options

Though tubal reversal is a viable option for some, our goal is to give you the best chances of a successful pregnancy. 

If you’re not a candidate for tubal reversal, we may recommend in vitro fertilization (IVF). Due to improvements in technology and treatment, IVF is a safe and effective infertility treatment that gets good results. 

Our team of fertility experts is at the forefront of treatments, developing techniques like effortless IVF™ that cut costs in half, making IVF more accessible and affordable. With effortless IVF, we place the fertilized egg in an INVOcell that incubates in a woman’s vagina instead of the lab. 

Our goal is the same as yours: to help you grow your family. Tubal ligation reversal is an affordable infertility option for women who want more children after having their tubes tied. 

Are you considering a tubal reversal? Schedule an appointment with our specialists by calling the office near you or requesting an appointment online today.