Can You Get Pregnant After Tubal Ligation?
Posted On: Monday, July 5th, 2010
Can you get pregnant after tubal ligation?
This is a frequent question from visitors to our Tubal Reversal website and Tubal Reversal Blog. There are several common reasons for asking this question after tubes have been tied. So if you have had a tubal ligation, have missed a period, and have found yourself asking the question,
“Can I be pregnant after my tubal ligation?”, then this article is for you and the answers may surprise you.
Is Pregnancy Possible After Tubal Ligation?
Pregnancy is possible after tubal ligation. Tubal ligation procedures are intended to be permanent and effective. Although tubal ligation procedure are highly effective at preventing pregnancy, pregnancies can occur after the fallopian tubes have been blocked. Tubal ligation procedures do have failures and pregnancy can occur after a tubal ligation.
Failed Tubal Ligation
A tubal ligation can fail in three ways: the fallopian tube may be missed during tubal ligation surgery and the tube may not be closed at all, the tube may form a fistula (new opening), and recanalization (rejoining of the tubal lumens) can occur.
Most times the fallopian tubes will be closed after a tubal ligation; however, if a patient has severe scar tissue it may be much harder to identify where the fallopian tubes are located. A fistula is a small opening which may remain after the healing response has been completed. This allows sperm to get through to fertilize and egg but the egg may have a harder time finding the small opening and getting back into the uterus. Recanalization occurs when the tube is not adequately closed and the tube reopens after the tubal ligation.
What Are the Chances of Tubal Failure?
The largest study to date on tubal ligation failure is the CREST study. This study found that tubal ligation failures do occur and can be as high as 3% depending on the method of tubal closure. Tubal ligation failures occured more often in women who had Hulka clip procedures and in younger women. These are the failure rates in the CREST study for the different methods of tubal ligation:
Unipolar Coagulation 0.8%
Unipolar Coagulation 0.8%
Tubal Ring 1.8%
Interval Partial Salpingectomy 2.0%
Bipolar Coagulation 2.5%
Hulka Clip 3.7%
Can You Have a Pregnancy After a Tubal Ligation?
Pregnancy can happen after a tubal ligation. A pregnancy after a tubal ligation is considered high risk because there is a greater likelihood the pregnancy will be ectopic (tubal). If a woman becomes pregnant after her tubes have been tied, she should see her doctor immediately to be evaluated for an ectopic pregnancy. Some post tubal ligation pregnancies will be inside the uterus but a large portion (30-40%) of them will be outside the uterus and in the tube. This is condition requires immediate evaluation and appropriate treatment.
Can You Have A Baby After A Tubal Ligation?
The possibility of pregnancy after a tubal ligation is very real for many women who have had their tubes tied. The chances are higher among women in their twenties and among women who have had Hulka clip tubal occlusion. The reality is women who have had their tubes tied can become pregnant after the procedure. If you have become pregnant then you should see your doctor immediately to be evaluated for a tubal pregnancy. If you want to be pregnant and have a baby then you should not rely on the failure of a tubal ligation to achieve this for you. Many women will find better and safer success in becoming pregnant after a tubal ligation though tubal ligation reversal surgery or IVF.
Submitted by Dr. Charles Monteith
August 30th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Thanks for answering the question about pregnancy after tubal ligation.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Raushinda – Tubal ligation can fail to prevent pregnancy. If this happens, the risk of ectopic pregnancy is high. You should find out from the hospital if your pregnancy test was positive there. If so, you should be under the care of a doctor who is knowledgeable about possible ectopic pregnancy and its diagnosis and treatment.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I did not get my period for this mouth. but its been three yrs since i had my tubal ligation. so i took two home pregnancy tests and they both came back positive how is that right? so i went to the hospital for help and they would not tell me nothing i still have not got my question answered yet can some one please help me?
July 22nd, 2010 at 8:35 am
I got my tubes tied the day I turned twenty-one. I had three kids by then and a really bad relationship. Thing is nobody told me the pain I would feel from this change. My period is irregular, when I finally get my period I have cramps and not just in my stomach but in my back like contractions, to the point where I am in tears on the floor, and cant get up. I know you are probably thinking I am over doing the description of pain but really the cramps are like labor all over again. I now get blood clots, and I am always fatigued, and the mood swing I get sometime I don’t even know who I am. I want to get my tubes untied but I cant afford it and health insurance does not cover it. Will I have to go through this pain for the rest of my life or will it dissipate?
July 15th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
[...] Pregnant After Tubal LigationHow to get pregnant after a tubal ligation? The answers are by tubal failure, IVF, or tubal reversal surgery.Tubal failures are not common and a large number of these failures [...]
July 11th, 2010 at 2:54 am
When I met my husband, before I had a chance to tell him that I had four children from a previous marriage, he informed me that he wanted five children. He added that they did not all have to be his- some could be adopted- but that he had always dreamed of having a house full of children. I don’t remember if I told him then or if I waited a bit longer…
Later, when we began discussing marriage, we came to an agreement: as I was an LPN working my way towards MSN, we would not pursue having a baby until I was completely finished with school. That was two years ago.
Last spring, my husband lost vision in his right eye for about two weeks. Once vision recovered, he then lost sensation to the left side of his body- from his neck to his toes. It took six months to recover, and he still has no feeling from his left elbow down. In march, he began having “episodes” which he described as “being in a slow motion fog”. These were followed a month later by excruciating headaches and vision loss in his left eye. When the neurologist began asking questions, he recalled a two month episode seven years ago where he lost feeling in both feet and some mornings could not walk.
A month ago he was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Since he already has some damage and the disease is active, we decided now was the time to start planning for a baby, rather than wait five years. So I scheduled an appointment with a fertility specialist in my area. We have a sperm sample (two actually) safely frozen in the case that the medicine (which he will begin in August or September) interferes. And we were planning to move forward with the in vitro process (which my doctor convinced me was the better option) in January…
UNTIL I received an email from an instructor who had recently cared done a study on PTLS. She recalled complaints I have had since my tubal in 2006: severe ovulation cramps, severe menstrual cramps, change in menstrual patterns, fatigue, GI problems, mood changes, HOT FLASHES, etc. I think it was the hot flashes (abnormal for a 29 year old) and the site of me doubled over in ovulation pain that made her think of me. She suggested (not even knowing of my husband’s diagnosis or our new hurry to onceive) that I look into tubal ligation reversal. Thus I began my research which led me to this site. I have discussed with my husband and plan to begin the process this very week, obtaining records and setting up a prepayment account.
I have been very encouraged by all of the testimonials here and look forward to soon posting a birth announcement!
July 6th, 2010 at 10:35 am
We have discussed this question about getting pregnant after tubal ligation amongst female friends. It is good to discuss the different types of tubal ligation with doctors and ask about the efficiency of the procedure. After reading this article I will definitely share this information with friends who have had the procedure & haven’t believed me when I have said that pregnancy “could” happen.
July 5th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
This question about conceiving after tubal ligation does seem to come up quite often. Having it answered by Dr. Monteith is enlightening for women who have had tubal ligations.
July 5th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
The illustration shown, of the tied and cut tubal ligation method, is just one of several types of sterilization procedures. It is helpful in describing tubal ligation or getting one’s “tubes tied”.
July 5th, 2010 at 9:14 am
Good information for those women desiring to become pregnant after a tubal ligation.