What is a tubal reversal?
A tubal reversal is a procedure that restores blocked or tied
fallopian tubes to restore fertility in a woman. The procedure
is called a tubal reversal because it is performed to reverse
the effects of a tubal ligation, a surgical procedure which
involves blocking the fallopian tubes (usually by tying) to
prevent pregnancy.
Who should consider a tubal reversal?
This procedure will only help you get pregnant if you and your
partner are both otherwise fertile. Also, a tubal ligation
can generally be reversed if you sustained minimal tissue
damage during the original procedure. If your tubes were too
damaged during a tubal ligation, doctors may not be able to
restore fertility.
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What are the pros and cons of tubal reversal?
The good news is that women who undergo tubal reversal procedures
generally have high pregnancy rates. The risks of the procedure
include bleeding, infection, damage to other parts of your
body, and other risks generally associated with having major
surgery under anesthesia. Fortunately, these occurrences are
rare, and the procedure is most often successful.
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What happens during a tubal ligation reversal procedure?
The operation itself takes about 1 to 2 hours on average. Some
doctors will perform the procedure in about 2 hours, while
others will try to keep it under an hour in order to minimize
operating and recovery time. The procedure can be performed
under general or local anesthesia. The actual procedure will
vary according to how your tubal ligation was performed. If
a proximal tubal opening into the uterus remains, the doctor
will probably perform a tubal anastomosis. If no proximal
opening remains (i.e. the uterus has no protruding tube segments
and only the distal portion of the fallopian tube remains),
the doctor must perform a tubal implantation, which involves
making an opening in the uterus and inserting the fallopian
tube into the new opening. The average recovery time for a
tubal reversal is 5 to 10 days.
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Tubal Reversal Cost
The cost of a tubal reversal range from $3000 to $10,000.
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