Women who have had their fallopian tubes sealed (ligated) by clips, rings, or fulguration to prevent pregnancy, and now regret their decision and want to conceive again can get their fallopian tubes reopened via a surgical intervention called tubal ligation reversal.
Before delving deep into surgical reverse of a tubal legation, let’s take a look at tubal ligation surgery. What exactly is it?
What is Tubal Ligation?
Medically known as tubectomy, tubal ligation (or tying the tubes), is a form of permanent birth control (contraception) in which a woman’s fallopian tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus are cut or blocked off to stop her from getting pregnant.
Each fallopian tube is 4-5 inches long and 0.2-0.6 inch in diameter. Also called oviduct or uterine tubes, these are the tubes through which the egg (ovum) released from the ovary travels to the uterus. This is the tube that transports male sperm to the egg for fertilization.
In the tubectomy, a gynecologist cuts or seals of the fallopian tubes with clips, clamps, or rings through a small incision, approximately 1 cm long, made in the belly. After the surgery, the movement of the egg to the uterus is disrupted and the meeting of sperm cells and the egg is blocked, which ends the woman’s ability to get pregnant.
By some estimates, more than 650,000 tubal sterilizations are performed in the United States every year. Although many women voluntarily choose to have tubal ligation but some young women begin to regret their decision later in life and wish to pursue the surgery to reverse the tubectomy.
Tubal Reversal Surgery
Reanastomosis, the medical term for tubal ligation reversal, is a surgical procedure to reopen or reconnect the previously clamped or separated fallopian tubes so that the woman can get pregnant again.
In the surgery, a gynecologist carefully reattaches the separated parts of the fallopian tubes, allowing free passage for the male sperm to travel up the tubes to join an egg for fertilization. For the surgery, your doctor will make a small incision near the navel to gain access to the fallopian tubes and expose the lumen (opening of the tube). Using a microscope, the doctor will reconnect the two lumens of the tubes with microsurgical sutures. After the surgery, the female patient restores fertility and her ability to conceive naturally.
The surgery is usually performed laparoscopically and takes one to three hours to complete.
Who Can Benefit from Tubal Ligation Reversal?
Tubal ligation patients who still have a large proportion of healthy tubes can get their fallopian tubes reattached successfully. Those who had only small section of their tubes removed during tubal ligation can seek reversal of the procedure. Also, the reversal surgery is more likely to be successful in cases where the tubes were originally blocked by clips or rings.
Risks
The tubal ligation reversal carries some potential risks, including excessive bleeding, infection, an injury to a blood vessel from surgical instruments, damage to nearby organs (bowel or urinary systems), and reactions to anesthesia. There are chances that the untied fallopian tubes re-block due to scar tissue that may form at the site of the surgery. Very few chances are that the tubal reversal patient’s pregnancy will be ectopic, a complex pregnancy condition where the fertilized egg implants somewhere outside the uterus, usually inside a fallopian tube.
Recovery
Since the surgery requires smaller incision, it may take a week or more to recover from the surgery. Most patients are up and back to work sooner, since the pain following the procedure is minimal and recovery is rapid. Following your doctor’s after-care instructions and precautions carefully can speed up recovery from the surgery.
pregnancy (Third trimester)
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