Women who are seeking the best tubal ligation reversal physicians come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. It is the only medical practice or facility dedicated exclusively to repairing fallopian tubes after tubal ligations. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is widely recognized as the tubal reversal facility that has the best patient care and the highest documented pregnancy and birth rates, while offering low cost outpatient tubal reversals.

Tubal Reversal Physicians at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

Our Medical Director, Dr. Gary Berger, has specialized in tubal reversals for 30 years. He is now in the process of training Dr. Charles Monteith as a tubal reversal physician. Dr. Monteith will join the practice in July 2008, at which time he will offer low cost tubal reversals of tubal ligation. During July and August 2008, a special discounted fee of $4900 will be available to patients who schedule their tubal reversal procedures with Dr. Monteith.

Dr. Charles Monteith graduated Summa Cum Laude from Xavier University and received his Medical Degree from the University of California at San Francisco. Following a Howard Hughes Research Fellowship in molecular biology, he completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. Since then he has been a Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina Medical School. Dr. Monteith is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and has extensive experience in laparoscopic surgery and high risk obstetrics.

Explaining his decision to join Dr. Berger in practice, Dr. Monteith says, “My interest in tubal ligation reversal comes from my love of outpatient surgery and the desire to learn skills which are becoming a dying art. My hope is to be able to continue to practice tubal reversal surgery and to keep it as an option for patients who have had prior tubal ligation and desire to become pregnant.”

Low Cost Reversals of Tubal Ligation

A special discounted fee of $4900 will be available to patients who schedule their tubal reversal procedures with Dr. Monteith for July and August 2008. If you have questions or would like further information about scheduling your tubal reversal procedure with Dr. Monteith, please contact Julia Smith, RN at (919) 656-8204.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

It is truly a pleasure to be working with Dr. Monteith, who has already established a reputation as an outstanding ob/gyn physician. By the time he completes his 6 month fellowship in tubal reversal surgery with me, he will be well qualified and certified as a Tubal Reversal Physician.

Tubal reversal surgery is becoming a lost skill among doctors in training, according to an article in the January 2008 issue of Fertility and Sterility, the most influential medical journal for reproductive specialists. The article states, “The future for tubal anastomosis seems grim…and, like the Roman Empire, may be lost in Antiquity.”

The thesis of the article was that almost exclusive concentration on IVF and related reproductive technologies has decreased the training of reproductive specialists in tubal reparative surgery.

“The success of surgical tubal anastomosis is directly linked to surgical experience. With the advent of ART, surgical training has markedly declined, and there remain few fellowship programs with meaningful numbers of surgical cases. One study reported that most of the current Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellows performed less than 10 procedures and 35% of program graduates performed no surgical tubal reversals in the previous year.”

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is for Patient Care

Patients have occasionally asked me if, with the experience I have had performing tubal reversals, I was teaching other physicians to perform this kind of surgery. Since Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is a private practice dedicated to patient care - not a training institution - I have not previously taught other physicians the skills acquired over the 30 years I have been practicing as a reproductive surgeon. Having residents or RE fellows coming here for brief periods would allow only an introduction to the techniques of tubal reparative surgery. This would be insufficient for them to acquire all of the skills necessary to perform tubal reversals.

Introducing Dr. Charles Monteith

Recently, Dr. Charles Monteith, an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UNC School of Medicine, requested a mentoring relationship with me to learn the techniques of tubal reversal surgery. Dr. Monteith is a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist with 6 years of surgical experience subsequent to completing his residency at the UCSF Medical Center. He has begun assisting me in surgery and will continue to do so on selected dates during the next 6 months. Some of the patients who have come here since January 1st have already met him. With his prior surgical experience, and after an extended training period, Dr. Monteith will become certified as a Tubal Reversal Specialist and join our staff in July 2008.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

My response, therefore, to the Fertility and Sterility article is that tubal anastomosis will not become “lost in Antiquity”. Perhaps in the future, other physicians will follow the path that Dr. Monteith has chosen to learn the skills and techniques required for successful tubal reversal operations. More information about Dr. Monteith will be available in forthcoming blog posts and on the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website.

Past topics in the Tubal Reversal Blog include posts and comments about patient care at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. This topic summarizes important articles about tubal ligation and tubal reversal reported in the news during 2007.

Sterilization is Most Popular Family Planning Method
Approximately 10 million American women use the pill for contraception, while sterilization has been chosen by 15 million men and women.

One In Five Women Regret Decision For Tubal Ligation
One in five women under age 30 who undergo tubal sterilization later regret the procedure, despite the number of children they have.

Is Sterilization the Best Contraception Choice?
Women requesting a tubal ligation should be counseled regarding other long-term, reversible methods of contraception and informed that vasectomy is safer and more effective than tubal ligation.

Tubal Ligation Counseling Issues
Counseling about tubal ligation should include permanence of the method, possibility of future regret, and information about the specific techniques of tubal sterilization.

Relationship Conflict Before Sterilization
Women whose relationship was marked by substantial conflict before they underwent tubal ligation were most likely to regret the decision.

Young Age, Prodding Partner and Sterilization Regret
Young age and a prodding partner are risk factors indicating that a woman undergoing sterilization may later regret her decision.

Tubal Reversal Among Overweight Women
Overweight women’s chances of becoming pregnant after tubal reversal improve when they lose weight.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

These news reports touch on some of the issues patients talk about when they come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for tubal sterilization reversal. The popularity of tubal ligation, and the fact that many women regret their decision to have a tubal ligation, are well documented. Young age and marital conflict are risk indicators for subsequent regret. Before performing a tubal ligation, doctors should ensure that the implications of ending childbearing potential are clearly understood and discuss vasectomy as an alternative permanent method of birth control. Women undergoing tubal reversal who are overweight should be aware that losing weight will improve their chances of becoming pregnant again.

In a recent email inquiry, someone asked if it would be safer to have tubal reversal surgery in a hospital. My response - “It is much safer to have tubal reversal surgery performed at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center than in a hospital.”

Infection and Medication Error Risks in Hospitals

Roughly 100,000 people wind up with a potentially deadly infection during hospital treatment in the US each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hospital-acquired infections (also called “nosocomial” infections) are particularly dangerous, since hospital germs are especially resistant to antibiotics. One example in the news recently is the bacteria called methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Most of these dangerous bacteria are transmitted by hospital staff from other patients. In addition, hospital patients get the wrong drug one time out of five, according to a study by Auburn University.

Patient-safety incidents continue to rise in American hospitals. The largest increases involve hospital-acquired infections and post operative sepsis (overwhelming infection).

A Chicago Tribune study revealed that serious violations of infection-control standards have been found in the vast majority of hospitals nationally. Since 1995, more than 75 percent of all hospitals have been cited for significant cleanliness and sanitation violations. This report says:

A hidden epidemic of life-threatening infections is contaminating America’s hospitals, needlessly killing tens of thousands of patients each year. Nearly three-quarters of the deadly infections are preventable, the result of unsanitary facilities, germ-laden instruments, unwashed hands and other lapses.

Deaths linked to hospital germs represent the fourth leading cause of mortality among Americans, behind heart disease, cancer and strokes, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These infections kill more people each year than car accidents, fires and drowning combined.

“The number of people needlessly killed by hospital infections is unbelievable, but the public doesn’t know anything about it,” said Dr. Barry Farr, a leading infection-control expert and president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

When it comes to cleanliness and strict adherence to infection control procedures, there is no medical or surgical facility better than Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Our patients often comment about the meticulous nature of our facility. It is clean, orderly, and uncluttered. We are obsessive about this.

The idea that it may be safer to have elective surgery in a hospital is wrong. Hospitals are the right place for treating complicated medical or surgical problems, but they are not the best place for healthy people to have tubal reversal surgery!

Note

Dr. Berger was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

I received an email message today from a patient that prompted me to write about informed consent for tubal ligation. (See my previous blog about informed consent for tubal reversal.) Here is the message that was sent to me.

Hello, Dr. Berger,

You performed tubal reversal surgery on me on 10/29/07, and I just found out that I’m pregnant. Thank you so much! This is such a blessing. I filled out the report and have heard back from Sarah Meacham. I’ll make sure to follow her instructions.

I’m writing because I have a friend named Samantha who wants to get reversal surgery, but she would like to make sure she’s a candidate based on the information in her operative report. I told her that I would send it to you so you can look it over, so it’s attached. She and her husband have two cute little girls, but she agreed to the tubal ligation on the operating table after she gave birth to her youngest at the prodding of her doctor. She said that she made a terrible mistake and wants more children. And like me, no one she’s asked in south Florida will even consider the procedure that you do. When I told her about you, she was ecstatic. And now that I’m pregnant, she knows that it works!

Thank you again for the miracles you work for so many women. God bless you and your staff!

Sincerely,
Amy P.

I was glad to hear that Amy was pregnant and had recommended to Samantha that she come here for her tubal reversal procedure, but this part of the message caught my attention:

“…she agreed to the tubal ligation on the operating table after she gave birth to her youngest at the prodding of her doctor. She said that she made a terrible mistake…”

What Is Informed Consent?

Before performing a tubal ligation - an elective operation - a doctor should always obtain the patient’s informed consent. Informed consent is the process through which the patient becomes educated about the procedure - including its benefits, risks and alternatives - and makes the decision to have the procedure performed. Informed consent implies that the patient fully understands the issues, has asked any questions she has, had her questions answered, and makes her decision under no duress. Adequate time should be allowed for a patient to think about all of the issues before consenting to the operation.

Should Consent For Tubal Ligation be Made During Childbirth?

Many tubal reversal patients have told me that the first time they discussed a tubal ligation with their doctor while they were on their way to the operating room for a C-section. Some regretted their decision while they were on the operating table or when they awoke in the recovery room. Other patients have said they had a tubal ligation in response to pressure from their spouse, parents, or their doctor. Labor and delivery is not the best time to think about an issue with such profound and lasting results as surgical sterilization. This should be discussed and thought about at leisure, not during the stress of childbirth.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

Besides the doctor’s responsibilities in obtaining informed consent, the patient also has a responsibility when giving it. A tubal ligation is not an emergency operation. Having a tubal ligation is a decision that should be carefully considered and not made in haste. There is adequate time during the pregnancy for a doctor and patient to discuss the issue of sterilization. Bringing this up for the first time on the way to the delivery room is a mistake, in my opinion. A more deliberate approach to the process of informed consent by both doctor and patient would help avoid mistaken decisions, such as in Samantha’s case.

Women come from all over the world to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for tubal reversal surgery. It is natural, and appropriate, for them to ask what their chances will be for pregnancy after a tubal reversal procedure performed by Dr. Berger. This important question about the anticipated benefit should be asked of any doctor before undergoing elective surgery. When answering questions about pregnancy after tubal reversal, we provide detailed information including pregnancy rates and their supporting data.

What Is The Success of Tubal Reversal?

There is only one way this question can be answered, and it requires ongoing follow up with patients to learn the results of their tubal reversal procedures. At Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, we take this task to heart. Our nurses contact patients repeatedly during the first year after their surgery. When a patient informs us of a new pregnancy, we ask her to complete a Pregnancy Report Form. From this information, we provide a summary on the Weekly Pregnancy Reports Forum. The Weekly Pregnancy Report lists the age, date of tubal reversal, date of positive pregnancy test, method of tubal ligation, and tubal lengths after tubal repair for each pregnant woman. Additional comments about these pregnancies are shown in the Pregnancy Announcements.

Our various pregnancy information forums allow people to see the results from tubal reversal surgery performed by Dr. Berger on an current basis. The reports are not “filtered” to show only successful pregnancies. They include information about miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies as well. We want people to be fully informed about all of the possible outcomes after tubal reversal. One of our missions at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is to provide complete and accurate information about all aspects of tubal reversal surgery!

Pregnancy and Baby Testimonials

Some patients send us messages accompanied by photos after they have delivered their babies. These are spontaneous reports. Although we don’t ask patients to send us testimonials, we love receiving and reading them! They are added to the Testimonials section of our site for others to enjoy as well. Currently there are about 700 testimonial pages.

Testimonials Pages

When a patient sends us a birth announcement and photo to be added to Pregnancy and Baby Testimonials, we update an index page so that there is a link at the top of the page to the newest baby testimonial. The index page is what visitors see first when they click on any link to Testimonials. This page has brief quotes with a link to the full testimonial for each patient. We limit the index page to about 30 summaries. To see previous testimonial index pages, click the “Next” link at the bottom of the page. This will show the immediate prior group of testimonial quotes and links. Currently there are 48 testimonial index pages. To see a listing of all the testimonials, look at the Testimonials Site Map.

Our patients share so many different stories about their pregnancies and deliveries after their tubal reversal procedures. Most people don’t realize how many testimonials there are (689 as of January 13th, 2008. The testimonial number is shown in the “bread crumb” at the top left hand side of the page.) To protect patients’ privacy, only the first initial of the last name is shown. Many women include their email addresses and are happy to correspond with others about their experience here.

Pregnancy and Birth Statistics After Tubal Reversal

Since pregnancy and its outcome are the primary concerns of most women who come here for a reversal procedure, we do everything possible to obtain and report this information on an ongoing basis. This keeps us informed about the number of pregnancies and what their outcomes were after tubal reversal. It also allows us to answer questions and guide patients who are waiting to become pregnant. This takes the efforts of a dozen nurses each day, in addition to their care of patients who are preparing for and undergoing surgery. No other medical facility has undertaken this effort.

As a result of the efforts of our staff and patients, we are able to perform careful analysis and report accurate statistics regarding pregnancy rates and births rates after tubal reversal procedures performed by Dr. Berger. This is referred to as “evidence based medicine”. It is consistent with our mission, and is one of the many reasons why Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center has become known as the best place to have tubal reversal surgery.

Patients often ask when they should have a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) to see if their fallopian tubes are open after tubal reversal surgery.

When to Have an HSG

Wait for at least 6 to 12 months after a tubal reversal procedure for this test of tubal patency. An HSG carries a risk of infection and often does not give conclusive results. It is best to give yourself a chance to become pregnant rather than rushing to have an HSG. Most patients conceive within this time frame and will avoid the need for an unnecessary and possibly misleading or harmful procedure.

Preparing for an HSG

To avoid unnecessary risks, an HSG should be performed only after menstruation is over and before ovulation occurs. Having an HSG after the time of ovulation may interfere with a pregnancy - before a pregnancy test can detect that conception has occurred. To minimize the risk of infection, use a betadine vaginal douche the evening before and the morning of the scheduled procedure and ask your doctor for a prophylactic antibiotic prescription. 600 mg of ibuprofen taken one hour before the HSG will minimize its discomfort.

What to Look For in an HSG

You can ask to watch the results on the fluoroscopy screen while the dye is being injected into the uterus.

At first, the dye will fill the uterine cavity. It is essential that the dye actually enter the fallopian tubes up to the point where the anastomosis was performed. Often, this does not occur due to spasm of the sphincter between the uterus and tubes (shown by the arrows) or from mucus or calcium deposits in the proximal tubal segments.

If the dye passes through the anastomosis sites, the fallopian tubes are open. Most radiologists do not consider the x-ray to show tubal patency (openness) unless dye spills into the abdominal cavity. When this happens, the diagnosis of tubal patency is conclusive.

We often see x-rays where dye has passed through the tubal  anastomosis site, but has not yet spilled into the abdominal cavity. This is due to an insufficient amount of dye being injected into the tubes. The radiologist may mistakenly believe the tube is blocked when in reality it is open.

Send Your X-Rays To Me

In order to be certain about whether an HSG demonstrates tubal patency, tubal occlusion, or is inconclusive, please instruct the radiologist to send the x-ray films to me to interpret. Having documented the anatomy and measurements of the fallopian tube segments during tubal reversal surgery, I can compare the x-ray findings with each patient’s operative report. This allows me to give the most accurate interpretation of HSG results.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

Hysterosalpingography is a widely available procedure to examine tubal anatomy. Unfortunately, it is often performed or interpreted inaccurately. An HSG also has risks as well as discomfort and cost. It is best to wait for at least 6-12 months after a tubal reversal procedure to have an HSG. Most patients will become pregnant after tubal reversal within a year and can avoid the problems associated with HSGs. Preparing properly for an HSG and sending the x-ray images to me will minimize the risks and errors associated with a hysterosalpingram.

Why Some Patients Choose To Have Screening Laparoscopy

Tubal ligation procedures vary in the severity of injury occurring to the fallopian tubes. Although most tubal ligations are reversible, there are some cases where tubal reversal is not possible. If the operative report from your tubal ligation indicates there may be a problem in repairing the remaining tubal segments, or if you cannot get a copy of your operative report, you may be interested in the screening laparoscopy option offered at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

With this option, your surgery begins with diagnostic laparoscopy to examine your fallopian tubes. If tubal repair is possible, tubal reversal is performed immediately while you are under anesthesia. That way you do not have to undergo anesthesia and surgery on two separate occasions.

If tubal reversal is not possible, the operation is concluded with just the diagnostic laparoscopy. There is an additional charge of $1000 to add the screening laparoscopy, but with this option you will receive almost half of the total surgery fee in refund should tubal repair not be performed. The “laparoscopy package” is excellent insurance in situations when the method of tubal ligation is unknown.

Screening laparoscopy is available to patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) under 30 who are interested in more assurance regarding the outcome of the reversal surgery. It is recommended - but not required - in cases where the amount of tube remaining is questionable, such as after monopolar tubal coagulation at multiple sites along the tube.

If you have questions about the laparoscopy option, you can discuss them with Dr. Berger and the Tubal Reversal nurses during your preoperative consultation.

I recently received an email from a patient who had an ectopic pregnancy subsequent to her tubal reversal. Unfortunately, the pregnancy continued to the point of tubal rupture with the loss of the fallopian tube.

Patient’s History

I was hoping you could help me understand why my ectopic pregnancy was not detected early enough to prevent the loss of my right tube. I need to know this for the future as after my surgery I have only my left tube remaining.

I went to my doctor at approximately 3 weeks pregnant and made sure that they understood the importance of checking for ectopic pregnancy. I gave them a copy of your instructions and told them my goal is to prevent losing my tube if it is ectopic, so I told them to please check and make sure it is not ectopic. They did blood work 3 times and did a vaginal ultrasound at approximately 4 weeks and said everything was normal and the sac was in the uterus, not the tube. They did not check anything again until I spotted Tuesday of this week. I went in Wednesday and they did a vaginal ultrasound and said it was ectopic with a heartbeat and I needed surgery and my tube would have to be removed.

My tube was removed because it was starting to rupture. I never expected that to happen because I took the precautions necessary.

Can you please tell me what normal pregnancy hormone levels are for each week of pregnancy versus ectopic hormone levels?

When is an ectopic visible on ultrasound? Could this have been prevented? Was there anything else that could have been done?

Role of Serum HCG in Early Pregnancy Monitoring

HCG levels alone do not differentiate between uterine and ectopic pregnancy. The HCG levels provide the earliest evidence of whether implantation has occurred successfully (but not where it has occurred) and indicate when ultrasound examination should be able to find a gestation sac if the pregnancy is in the uterine cavity. This occurs when serum HCG reaches 1500-2000 mIU/dL. If serum HCG levels are rising too slowly, or if ultrasound does not find a gestation sac in the uterus when HCG is at the level of 1500-2000, then the pregnancy is not a normal one. It could be outside of the uterus (ectopic) or it could be an abnormal pregnancy in the uterus (blighted ovum).

Role of Transvaginal Ultrasound

A careful transvaginal ultrasound exam can detect a normally developing pregnancy in the uterus very early. It is apparent in this case that the initial ultrasound findings were not interpreted correctly. How could this occur?

An intrauterine gestation sac is a dark oval shaped area of fluid surrounded by a bright white ring or halo (the trophoblastic tissue). Probably in this case there was a small amount of fluid in the uterine cavity that was mistakenly thought to be a gestation sac. This has been described as a “pseudo-sac”. A pseudo-sac does not have the distinct white halo or ring of a true gestation sac.

In a normally developing uterine pregnancy, a follow-up ultrasound exam will show the presence of a yolk sac (the small circle within the gestation sac) within a week of the appearance of the gestation sac. If the initial ultrasound exam had been followed-up with another ultrasound scan, it would have shown that this was not a normal uterine pregnancy.

Comment

There is an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy following tubal reversal surgery. Our follow-up pregnancy statistics show that the risk of ectopic pregnancy remains constant with each pregnancy. In other words, it is the same for a first, second, third, or subsequent pregnancy after tubal reversal surgery. It is important, therefore, to monitor any pregnancy after tubal reversal early and closely.

Recommendations for early pregnancy monitoring are given on our website page entitled I’m Pregnant. Although the recomended tests were performed, the most critical one - the ultrasound exam to document the location of the gestation sac - was interpreted erroneously.

An experienced ultrasonographer should be able to differentiate between a true gestation sac and a pseudo-sac by the presence or absence of the bright halo surrounding the fluid filled sac. If there is any doubt, a repeat ultrasound exam looking for the appearance of a yolk sac should be performed.

Although ectopic pregnancy is not preventable, the complication of tubal rupture always should be. In the absence of clear ultrasound evidence of an intrauterine pregnancy, early treatment with Methotrexate is recommended. It is important to monitor serum HCG levels until the HCG level returns to less than 10 mIU/dL. This will prevent a possible ectopic pregnancy from advancing to the complication of tubal rupture.

Exchanging Information About Tubal Reversal

The Tubal Reversal Message Board is provided by Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center to allow women to communicate with each other about tubal ligation reversal. Members of Dr. Berger’s staff also contribute their insights in the message posts. Here is an example of how members help and support each other on the message board in response to a post by a new member. There are many abbreviations members use in their posts. These are explained on our website page Message Board Abbreviations.

Hello, my name Heather Jo and I live in Southern Oregon. I am 28 and already have three great kids - Chris 14, Emily 7 and Bradley 5. I am getting married on 2/29/08 to my soon to be DH Justin (who has no children yet). I had my TL on 5/9/02 after the birth of my youngest son. I hope to have more babies after my TR, which we hope to have done by the end of summer 08. I look forward to being on here and having my questions answered.

Welcome Heather Jo! We look forward to seeing you in the future. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions.    Lori RN

Welcome Heather Jo! You are in the right place to have your TR done!! Dr. Berger and the Staff at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center are the best.    Veronica

Nice to meet you Heather Jo. I wish you all the best.
ME-27
DH-21
DS-7
DD-4
TL-10/20/03
TR- shooting for March of 2008    Miranda

Hi, Heather! I hope that all goes well. We are all embarking on a wonderful journey! I am also new and am on the board looking for answers, comfort and support. Take Care,     Cora

Welcome to the board, Heather Jo! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Let me know if you need assistance with the scheduling process. Feel free to ask all the quetions you have….we are all family and the Tr sisters are great at answering questions or just making you feel welcomed.     Ericka Pamplin

Thank You for the warm welcomes. I am a little scared about the whole TR surgery. I know in my heart that I want more children. I know I’m not “done” yet. But being put under and the actual surgery scares me. I know it is worth it, and that’s why I try not to think about all that stuff. I already had my post op report sent to Dr Berger back in 2005, so this has been a couple years in the making for me. I hope to be on the post TR side of things by this time next year! Well again, THANK YOU and best wishes!    Heather Jo

It’s normal to be scared…I think we are all a little scared about the surgery and about what happens next. I’m more terrified of not conceiving than the actual surgery. I know that Dr. Berger and his staff will take excellent care of me. It’s what I have to do on my own that haunts me!!! Good luck,    Cora

Heather- I was scared about getting the TR done. Not just the surgery but everything that went with this major decision. But I am so glad that I did…I had my TR 11/19/07 and I just found out that we are pregnant! We couldn’t be more thrilled!    Jenn
TR-11/19/07
BFP-12/30/07

Congratulations. That means a lot to hear about someone having a BFP so soon after their TR. Please keep me updated! TR: March/April…I hope.    Cora

Heather Jo - Hi! My name is Jeannine. I live in Salem, OR and just had my TR last month. It was a great experience. Even my DH had nothing but good things to say about our trip, Dr. Berger and his staff and the whole surgical process. It is worth traveling across the country to do! Good luck with your journey.    Jeannine
TL 4-28-01
TR 11-16-07

It does help to hear about others having a great trip when they got their TR. I am hoping for one in March of 2008.    Miranda

CONGRATS ON BFP! Im so excited for you! I think I am going to lose my mind in this process. I know that I want this done but it seems like I’m trying to convince everyone else around me why I should. A lot of people think that it will be a big waste of money especially since I have had my tubes cut, tied, and burned. I’m sure that I’m not the only person who has had this done and that there are plenty of women who have gotten a BFP after reversing this type of TL. I’m going to plan on the end of this year for my TR. How do you send your reports to CH? What do I send exactly? You gals are great supporters by the way.   Patiently Waiting
ME-27
DH-34
DS-4
DS-3
TL-12/04

I went to the hospital where they did my TL and got a copy of what they did and then my mom faxed it over to CH. It is that easy. Some hospitals will fax it for you if you take and print out the CH release form and take it with you so they know where to send it. It does not take long before you hear back from them with where you stand. I hope this helps. I got the ok from CH. I am going to set my TR up for March 08. Hope to hear how things go with you.    Miranda

Dr. Berger’s staff is great about reviewing your records and getting back with you on your chances for success. They won’t tell you to go ahead with it if there’s no chance of a BFP.   Cora

Welcome Heather- you have made the best decision with Dr Berger. He is truly a blessing and a miracle worker. We are all for you. My surgery was quick- I was in and out of CHTRC in a matter of hours. Good luck with your upcoming marriage.   Melissa
Me: 38
TL: 10/97
TR: 1/12/06
BFP: 2/12/06
EDD: 10/25/06
DS, Brady, our miracle baby, born 10/21/06
8 pounds, 5.8 ounces
21 inches long

Thanks Miranda and Cora - you ladies have been a Godsend. I really appreciate it. I have 2 DS by my husband already but I don’t know why I stopped at 2, plus this PTLS is causing a lot of problems. I can’t wait to have this TR done.   Patiently Waiting

Patiently Waiting ~ I know what you mean…PTLS is cruel. I had said before that my husband keeps mentioning “how I used to be”…but I always strugged it off to him just being a man and us evolving. But, after hearing all the stories from other women, I am beginning to believe that I am suffering from it as well! I hope for a smooth surgery with lots of luck in March/April. I wish you all the best, too.   Cora

I have been wanting to have a TR for about 5 years now. I have 2 boys from a previous relationship and my husband has no children (well, he claims mine and treats them as his) I have talked about TR for years and my husband would never seem interested and then sometimes he would and I would get so frustrated with him thinking he just didn’t want kids with me. He finally started coming around and told me that he was scared and that he wanted to get financially stable before we had the surgery and tried to bring a new baby into the home. So, now I am closer than ever and our intentions are to schedule in March or April this year. I am working on my weight loss now as I have to lose 20 lbs to be under BMI for surgery. I know I can do it within the next 3-4 months and I am trying hard so I can have my TR and start TTC!!!!   Stephcave

Dr. Berger’s Comment

This excerpt is a good example of how women support and inform each other on the Tubal Reversal Message Board regardless of where they are from. Many women might feel they are alone in their desire to have another baby after a previous tubal ligation, but when they participate in the message board they realize that they are not alone at all.