Diagnostic Laparoscopy Before Tubal Reversal: A Recap
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.
January 12th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
This option of having a screening laporosopy is beneficial if no records are available to you. If you do not have any records of technique used for your ligation a screening lap will be to your advantage. Dr. Berger wants the best result for all his patients. It is really a great “insurance policy” to have the screening lap if no records are available. Why go through all the surgery and disappointment to find you didn’t have enough tube to work with? This can be determined prior to having a laparotomy.
January 12th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Many of our patients would like to have more of an assurance regarding the outcome of their tubal reversal, even when the tubal ligation operative report is available. Although it is never required, this option will allow Dr. Berger to assess the tubes prior to the reversal.
No one can offer a guarantee with surgery or pregnancy, but this option is a little like insurance, providing the opportunity for a partial refund if the tubes are found to be too short to repair.
January 13th, 2008 at 8:08 am
I think that this is a wonderful option for patients. This gives patients whose situations are somewhat unclear or a little more damaging a chance to have the tubes assessed by Dr. Berger before going through the actually surgery. By having Dr. Berger perform the laparoscopy, not only is he the one assessing the tubes, but if the tubes are repairable, he can move straight to tubal revesal surgery. The other advantage is that the patient is put to sleep only once. This is yet another example of Dr. Berger exceptional commitment to his patients.
January 13th, 2008 at 10:23 am
What some patients do not realize is that if they opted to have just a screening laparoscopy surgery with their local GYN doctor it would probably cost them about $4,000.00 out of pocket (since it would be an elective procedure and most likely not covered by insurance). Dr. Berger allows patients to add the screening laparoscopy on for only $1,000.00 additional. Plus, patients who have the screening laparoscopy procedure just prior to reversal at our facility do not have to have two separate surgeries. This means only having general anesthesia one time and getting everything done at once. Another plus is that because Dr. Berger is a tubal reversal specialist, if he is the one performing the screening, then the patient is sure to get the very best interpretation whether her tubes are repairable or not. A doctor performing the screening who is not a tubal reversal specialist actually may tell a patient her tubes are not repairable when in fact, Dr. Berger would be able to repair them!