Tubal Reversal Surgery

Sometimes, your family building goals can change.
We have the expertise to help you reach them.

 

Options After Tubal Ligation

Women who have previously had a tubal ligation ( also called tubal sterilization or having your tubes tied), may experience a change in life circumstances and wish to become pregnant again. These patients do have the options to achieve pregnancy, including restoring fertility through tubal reversal surgery or using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for IVF treatment. At Mid-Iowa Fertility, our experienced physicians are committed to providing excellent care at an affordable price to help you grow your family.

Tubal Reversal can be a more affordable option, but there are a number of factors patients should consider when choosing between this surgery and IVF. The first step is to schedule a consultation with our expert reproductive endocrinologists, and we will help you to determine whether tubal reversal is a good option for you.

“I had my tubes tied after we adopted 3 teenagers and got pregnant with our youngest son. A year later, I regretted it. I had a tubal reversal by Dr. Young. I had one open tube after the surgery. It took us two years and one miscarriage to conceive on our wedding night. Baby Daxx is now 6 months old. Even if we had never gotten pregnant, the tubal reversal fixed a lot of the issues I was having with my own body. Best choice I ever made for sure.”

-Emily Anne Hanshaw

Emily Anne Hanshaw

Baby Daxx

What is Tubal Reversal Surgery?

Tubal reversal is a surgical procedure to repair and restore a woman’s fallopian tubes that have been previously ligated (tied) so that she can become pregnant.

“Our physicians are among the top providers for tubal surgery in the nation!”

Mid-Iowa Fertility is proud to be one of few locations in Iowa where tubal reversal surgery is offered and our physicians are among the top providers for this surgery in the nation, with more than 40 years of combined experience! In fact, Dr. Young developed the advanced microsurgical repair technique that has enabled Mid-Iowa Fertility to achieve high success rates with this treatment.

What is the process for Tubal Reversal Surgery?

Step 1: Health Assessment

At your initial consultation, your fertility specialist will review your medical history and details of your past operation. If the male partner has no previous children, we will also perform a semen analysis to assess sperm quality. for tubal reversal include the normal risks of surgery including infection, bleeding, damage to the bowel or bladder, and death from anesthesia. These risks are quite small compared to a more major surgery such as a hysterectomy. There is also a slightly increased risk for a tubal pregnancy after a tubal reversal procedure, so if a menstrual period is missed, the patient should immediately obtain a blood pregnancy test known as a quantitative hCG level. If this is positive, then this result should be followed up in 48 hours with another blood test and then an early ultrasound examination to make sure the pregnancy is in the uterus (womb) and not in the fallopian tubes.

Step 2: Procedure

Tubal reversal is a short (1-hour) outpatient procedure that we offer at one of two local surgery centers. At Mid-Iowa Fertility, our microsurgical repair (mini laparotomy) technique utilizes microscopic magnification to operate through a small “bikini cut” incision. Sutures are placed covertly under the skin and do not require removal. Our microsurgical repair technique gives you the best chances of success; although some clinics offer this procedure laparoscopically, current data on that technique are not promising.

Step 3. Recovery

Following the procedure, you will be discharged with a prescription for medication to manage any pain. Patients typically recover within 10 days, however, they should restrict lifting anything heavier than 20 pounds for 4 weeks.

Step 4. Follow Up

Patients may begin trying to become pregnant immediately after surgery. Regardless of your pregnancy status, we always follow up with patients 4 weeks after surgery (via telehealth or in person) to assess your recovery and review next steps in your family building plan.

Success Rates after Tubal Reversal

High pregnancy rates (up to 90%) are consistently reported after microsurgical tubal repair and virtually all the pregnancies occur within the first year after surgery. Factors that impact your individual chances of success with tubal reversal surgery include tubal length (after the procedure); the patient’s age and BMI; and the sperm quality of the male partner. The type of surgical technique used for ligation can also affect tubal length (and therefore impact your chances of success), however, many pregnancies are conceived after any type of tubal reversal.

Costs & Coverage

This surgical procedure is not covered by insurance, so patients are required to pre-pay the full amount. Our financial specialists will meet with you to discuss all associated costs as well as financing options for this procedure. Patient costs include our initial consultation fee ($185) as well as the physician’s fee for the procedure ($4,200). Patients are also responsible for additional fees from the surgery center for this procedure and post-surgery recovery, as well as for anesthesia services.