Tubal Reanastomosis | International Patient Care
Monday, November 3rd, 2008
Tubal Reanastomosis | From Ireland to Chapel Hill
Tubal reanastomosis has become an international patient care issue. This is the story of Paula O., who came from Ireland to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center to have Dr. Berger perform her tubal reanastomosis.
Paula and her husband, Raymond, each have children from previous marriages, but they want to have a child of their own. Paula is a 41-year-old psychiatric nurse whose tubal ligation performed several years ago was by an unknown method. After doing extensive research about both IVF and tubal reversal surgery, they decided to travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to have the best tubal reversal doctor repair Paula’s fallopian tubes.
IVF vs. Tubal Reanastomosis
Paula and Raymond started their research last year about the treatment options for becoming pregnant after a tubal ligation. Her general practitioner advised treatment by IVF and discouraged her from pursuing tubal ligation reversal. Investigating IVF in Ireland, she found that waiting list was long and the cost was 15,000 Euros (20,500 US dollars). They learned that IVF in Holland was much less expensive at 7,000 Euros (9,500 US dollars) for a treatment cycle.
Paula felt pressured by time constraints and her age. European IVF doctors would not perform IVF once she reached the age of 42 (not even with donor eggs). The concept of subjecting her body to the large doses of hormones required for IVF was unappealing to her. Gradually, she became disenchanted with the concept of IVF.
When she began researching the alternative of having her tubes untied, she read about the high success and low cost of tubal reanastomosis at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Paula and Raymond were both impressed with the web site, patient information, pregnancy statistics and doctor’s credentials at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. They also learned about some European doctors who could perform tubal reversal surgery, but these doctors had nowhere near the experience of Dr. Berger, and the cost of tubal ligation reversal in Europe was about 15,000 Euros (20,500 US dollars).
Tubal Reanastomosis in the U.S.| Their Best Choice
Paula and Raymond decided to travel to the US for her tubal reversal procedure. They purchased airline tickets for 900 Euros each (1200 US dollars) and flew to Raleigh Durham International (RDU) by way or Newark, NJ. Including layover time, the flight from Ireland was only 9 hours.
They met with Dr. Berger the day before surgery for her preoperative consultation. Because of the uncertainty about the type and extent of her tubal sterilization, Paula elected to begin her reversal procedure with screening laparoscopy. Dr. Berger performed Paula’s surgery with Dr. Monteith assisting him. Her laparoscopy revealed healthy fallopian tube segments that could be repaired. Tubal reanastomosis, therefore, was immediately performed while she was under anesthesia. The length of each fallopian tube was 6.5 cm after her tubal repair.
Tubal Reversal Cost with International Travel
Paula’s tubal reversal cost was 4591Euros ($5900 US dollars). The total cost of Paula’s entire surgery was slightly higher (5370 Euros or $6900 US) because she chose the screening laparoscopy option since the type of tubal ligation was unknown. Even with the cost of international travel and optional laparoscopy, Paula’s reversal surgery was far less costly than the average cost of tubal reversal in Europe (15,000 Euros).
Paula recovered quickly after having her tubes untied. She and Raymond walked around Chapel Hill the day after having her tubes untied. On the following day, they came back to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center and gave a very delightful interview for the Tubal Reversal Blog.
Tubal Ligation Reversal Gave Paula Control
During their return visit to our office, they made these comments:
Paula felt that IVF gave too much control and decision making over her body to another person. She did not want someone else deciding she could not be a mother simply because she reached the age of 42. Tubal ligation reversal gave her back control over her own body.
Raymond felt that tubal reanastomosis was a much better treatment for them than IVF would have been.
They both commented about how the staff at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center treated them like family from the moment they arrived. They were impressed how nice and comforting the environment was at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, especially when compared to the medical facilities they had been to in Ireland. In fact, they enjoyed their stay here so much they are considering relocating to North Carolina because the cost of living and the weather is far better here than compared with Ireland.
Home Safely in Ireland
Here is the patient satisfaction message Paula sent to Dr. Berger upon arriving home in Limerick, Ireland:
Greetings to Dr. Berger from Ireland!
We have arrived home safely and feeling great. Thank you so much for the wonderful care and attention that you and your wonderful staff gave me while in your care at your Clinic. I am so happy that I made the decision to come all the way from Ireland to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for my reversal surgery. The whole experience was such a positive one and we met many people on our journey home that I shared this experience with regarding the quality of care that I received during the whole procedure.
May God Bless you, Dr Berger.
Kind Regards,
Paula and Raymond B.
paulabeaulieu67@hotmail.com
