Tubal Reversal Blog ‘endometriosis’

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center offers an excellent  alternative to in vitro fertilization (IVF) - namely, tubal surgery to untie tubes and correct tubal blockage. If you have had your fallopian tubes tied (tubal ligation) or have blocked tubes and want to become pregnant, then tubal surgery may be the best treatment for you.

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This article profiles a patient who came to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for reversing tubal ligation at which time she was found to have ovarian endometriosis.

Travel from California

The patient and her husband traveled from Monterrey, California for tubal ligation reversal. She is 44 years old and is a banker. She has two children from previous marriage, ages 12 and 15. Her husband is a meteorologist. He has two children from a previous marriage, ages 16 and 18. They moved from Texas to California and have been married together for 1 year and 3 months. Together, they desire a child of their own.

IVF Evaluation

Prior to traveling to visit us, they had a consultation with a reproductive endocrinologist near where they live. They expressed dissatisfaction with their consultation because they felt the doctor only wanted to offer them in-vitro fertilization (IVF). They did consider IVF but decided the procedure was not for them. During the preoperative consultation they specifically stated:

“We wanted to have a baby as God intended it.”

They did their own search for tubal reversal doctors and chose to come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center because we specialize exclusively in reversing tubal ligation. They felt their chance for a successful reversal procedure would be best at our center.

Preoperative Evaluation and Surgery

She was a healthy person and denied any known preexisting problems or menstrual abnormalities.  We reviewed her tubal ligation operative and pathology reports that described at least 3 cm removed from each fallopian tube. We discussed their expectations and the risks and benefits of tubal reparative surgery.

During her surgical procedure and upon entering the abdominal cavity, we discovered brown fluid suggesting the presence of endometriosis. Close inspection of the right ovary revealed endometriosis inside of it and partially involving the right tube.

We removed the endometriosis and repaired the right tube. The left tube and ovary were normal. The left tube was repaired without difficulty.

She did well during the surgery. In the recovery room, we informed her and her husband of the unexpected endometriosis and the successful repair of both fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis can be suspected in most patients based on a careful evaluation of a menstrual history. Many women with endometriosis will have extremely painful menstrual periods. Menstruation can be so painful patients may require large amounts of pain medications, miss time from work, or will have pelvic pain which drastically affects their  personal lives. Many women give a history of severe pelvic pain, especially with intercourse and will plan their sexual activity based on their menstrual cycles. Many patients, like this one, can have minimal or no symptoms of endometriosis.

We could not have predicted this patient’s endometriosis in advance because of her absence of preexisting symptoms. Fortunately, we were able to successfully reverse her tubal ligation and remove the endometriosis at the same time.

We wish her well on her trip back to Monterrey California and hope a healthy pregnancy will be in her near future.

Rebecca’s experience with Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome in her own words…

My name is Rebecca and I am 45 years old. My husband’s name is Dana and he is 47.

I have a BA in Elementary Education. After teaching, I chose to stay at home the past twelve years with my daughter. I have home schooled her for the past 7 years. At the present time, I design and sew costumes for ballets and other performances.

My husband has a BS in Industrial Engineering. He works for a non-profit organization. He works as a liaison between the government and manufacturers that hire individuals with disabilities, in particular those who are blind.

We have been married for 26 years. We have four children. Two sons, ages 25 and 22 and two daughters ages 23 and 12. We have a grandson (4) and granddaughter (2) by our daughter, who is married to a wonderful man.

I had the tubal ligation in 1995 after the birth of my daughter. Just prior to this pregnancy I had a miscarriage. This put a scare into my husband. It was a pretty nasty miscarriage and although the next pregnancy was fine, he was concerned for my health and future pregnancy’s in addition to the age factor. I had my daughter at the age of 32. I did regret the tubal ligation. I felt I had interfered with God’s plan for my life. However, this I had come to terms with.

I found Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in 1999. However, I did not read the message boards because I thought it was selfish of me to even think of spending that kind of money (for reversal surgery). The thought of a tubal ligation reversal went to bottom of the priority list. Life went on for the next 12 years. I finally began reading the boards and realized how many other women had suffered what I had and that there was hope by having a reversal.

I was approximately 33 when the symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) began to show up. It is only after researching PTLS and reading my journals I realized my symptoms were very similar and often times identical to many other women out there. When the symptoms did show up I did not realize what the “condition was”. I thought what I was going through was part of the aging process.

The first thing to go was the desire for intimacy. This included a diversion to intercourse. I was unable to produce any signs of arousal, including cervical mucus. Intercourse became painful and had never been so before.

Doctors told me I had endometriosis, when in fact I did not.They also told me it was because of my tipped uterus. Not so. A tipped uterus has nothing to do with arousal. I told myself it was age, and the fact that I had born four children.

My moods became very erratic. I would blow up at the least little thing. Then moments later I would be fine. I would get depressed and have no desire to be around people.

This was not me; I love interaction and being around people. The saddest part about the erratic mood swings was the very real possibility that my husband may get fed up with me and all we had would be lost. It felt as if I had no control over my emotional state of mind, as if my world was crumbling and the only way to fix it was to take anti-depressants. This was not an option for me.

I began to get migraine headaches prior to my menstrual flow.

Severe headaches. They would last up to four to five days. I had never had headaches. My hair began to fall out. That began happening almost immediately. Again I thought that was normal.

Although I was very active, I began to put on weight around the age of 35. I began to get night sweats. One moment I would be cold then sweating profusely. My joints began to ache. I got unexplained joint pain. I was even diagnosed with tendinitis at the age of 35 (I do not play tennis). My doctor could not figure this out.

My menstrual cycle stayed at 28-day cycles, lasting about 7 days. Typically 3 days heavy 4 days light. However, they also began to be much heavier for longer than 3 days, and I began to experience spot bleeding. I would believe my cycle was over and then I would begin to bleed again about 3 days past my cycle. I didn’t say anything to the doctor; I was too concerned he would say I needed a “hysterectomy“. Or they would tell me that I was preparing to go into menopause. My friends even had me convinced that I was in the early stages of menopause.

I had been told for so long that everything that was happening to me was because of early menopause; I have a tendency to question if PTLS is real. That is why when I read the stories on CHTRC’s message boards about PTLS; I came to realize it is real…

Rebecca’s after surgery story can be viewed on the following blog article entitled Rebecca After Tubal Ligation Reversal.

CHTRC Series of Worsening Menstrual Problems After Tubal Ligation

This is the eleventh article in our fourteen part series on PTLS and associated medical conditions. Our first article, Pain After Tubes Tied: Symptom of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome?, reviews symptoms associated with PTLS.

Our next several articles will continue to present patients who have suffered from worsening menstrual, physical, and emotional symptoms after surgical sterilization procedures ( women who had their tubes tied).

We invite readers to join our Tubal Reversal Message Board and discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also have a dedicated PTLS forum for readers to share experiences of worsening symptoms after tubal ligation procedures.