Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center
109 Conner Drive Suite 2200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 968-4656

Tubal Reversal Blog ‘sterilization’

Tubal Reversal After 40 | Risks

February 10th, 2009

Tubal reversal reception room.This is the fifth article of a series dedicated to women considering alternatives for pregnancy and tubal ligation reversal after the age of 40.  The previous article provided an overview of the benefits of tubal ligation reversal at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for women in their forties. This article focuses on the surgical and early pregnancy risks for older women having their ‘tubes untied’.

Read the rest of this article and comment on it. »

Susan: International Tubal Ligation Reversal

January 15th, 2009

Susan and Stephen meet with Dr. Monteith at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for a preoperative interview for tubal reversal and ovarian dermoid surgery.Susan is an international patient who traveled to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for both tubal ligation reversal and ovarian conserving surgery. The day before her reversal surgery Susan and her partner, Stephen, sat with Dr. Monteith for a pre-operative interview. They have a unique story and we asked if they would allow us to share their story with our Tubal Reversal Blog and Tubal Reversal Message Board readers.

Read the rest of this article and comment on it. »

Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome | A Long Journey

September 29th, 2008

Post tubal ligation syndrome journey.

Some women will develop problems after a tubal ligation procedure. Many will attribute these symptoms to Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) and will consider sterilization reversal. Some of these women will not have PTLS but, instead will have other underlying  medical conditions.

We started this series of articles for women suffering from adverse symptoms developed after a tubal ligation. We discussed the symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS), current medical studies about PTLS, and common medical conditions that can closely mimic PTLS. Like a long bus ride, we have expected most passengers to have exited this bus trip at each of their respective and appropriate stops after a thorough evaluation of the possible causes of their symptoms. If passengers are still riding, then the only stop left is PTLS.

In the past, the existence of PTLS has been widely debated but not agreed upon in various medical studies. The largest study to date, the CREST study, found no significant difference in the percentage of women with menstrual problems after a tubal ligation with a “control” group of women who did not have a tubal ligation. The authors of the CREST study concluded that adverse symptoms do not ocurr as a  result of tubal ligation. This study, however, was not designed to study the multitude of symptoms that women report after surgical sterilization.

The end of the journey

Our experience at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center suggests PTLS does exist for a select group of women for whom no contributing medical, psychological, or other causes have been identified. Among this group of women, the vast majority have reported dramatic improvement in their symptoms after a reversal of their tubal ligation.

We will report the stories of several of our patients (both before and after tubal ligation reversal) who have had worsening physical and psychological conditions after sterilization and who have come to us seeking tubal ligation reversal. They will share with us their symptoms and how they have fared after tubal ligation reversal (had their tubes untied).

This is the sixth article in our fourteen part series on PTLS and associated medical conditions. Our next several articles will present patients who have suffered from worsening menstrual, physical, and emotional symptoms after surgical sterilization procedures (women who had their tubes tied).

Readers can also view patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:

Meet Momzilla
Meet Andrea
Meet Rebecca
Meet Praybelieving
Meet Katherine

Visitors may join the PTLS Forum on the Tubal Reversal Message Board to share their experiences of symptoms after tubal ligation procedures and what happened to them after a tubal reversal.

Guilt or Regret about Tubes Tied…

September 23rd, 2008

Is it PTLS or another medical or gynecologic problem?

The symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS) can be widespread and pervasive. Women who have problems after a tubal ligation, however, may not have PTLS. Another medical or gynecological condition may be at the root of the symptoms. The prior article in this series on PTLS reviewed medical and gynecologic disorders that may cause menstrual problems after a tubal ligation.

Over 7,000 tubal ligation reversals have been performed at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. We have had the opportunity to see the impact on these women whose tubes have been tied and who, having regretted that decision, have had their tubes untied.

Under what circumstances were the tubes tied?

Often, the decision to have a one’s tubes tied is made under stressful circumstances. Sometimes the decision to have the tubes untied is made under similar circumstances. The staff of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center has compiled a list of stressful reasons women have had tubal ligations or have come to us seeking ligation reversal. Stressful circumstances under which patients sometimes have a sterilization procedure or a sterilization reversal include:

• Forced by parent or spouse
• Pressured by doctor
• Frightened by medical conditions or illness
• Mid-life crises
• Empty nest syndrome
• Infidelity
• Divorce
• Death of spouse
• Fear of birth control risks
• Decision while in poverty
• Decision during period of substance abuse
• Illness/death of close family member
• Sterilization while in an abusive relationship
• Death of a child
• Religious conversion

Regret and guilt can be powerful forces on any individual. Given the appropriate stressful circumstances these feelings can be amplified and can spread into other aspects of ones life. When decisions are made under stressful conditions, as listed above, one can easily see how this may leave a lasting sense of remorse upon any individual. The sense of remorse can be even more dramatic when the thought is suppressed and eventually emerges in the future during a stressful life event. Then consider the sense of regret and how these feeling could be increased as a person grows older and wiser when a person finds their ‘life’s match’ or if their pastor tells them they ‘violated the will of God’ by having their ‘tubes tied’.

How common is regret after tubal sterilization?

Most women do not regret their decision to have a tubal ligation. However, 1 out of 4 women will regret their decision about having their tubes tied. This was shown in the CREST Study mentioned in a previous article.

Offering Hope at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

The tubal ligation reversal experts at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center help women in reversing these ‘permanent’ decisions when they are no longer the right decisions for individuals and couples. We have helped many patients come by restoring the hope of new life and the chance for some to relieve their burdens of guilt and regret.

This is the fourth article of a fourteen part series on PTLS and associated medical conditions. The fifth article, Psychological Conditions or Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome?, will address common psychological conditions that could be masquerading as Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome.

Readers can also view patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:

Meet Momzilla
Meet Andrea
Meet Rebecca
Meet Praybelieving
Meet Katherine

We invite readers to join the Tubal Reversal Message Board to discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also invite women with post tubal ligation symptoms to join the PTLS Forum and share personal experiences with worsening physical or mental symptoms noticed after tubal ligation.

Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome: Past and Present

September 11th, 2008

It is difficult to identify the first reported instance of a patient with Post Tubal Ligation syndrome (PTLS). The early literature from the 1950 – 1970’s has sporadic reports of patients who underwent tubal ligation and, subsequently, developed menstrual irregularities. In the mid – twentieth century, PTLS seems to have been discussed more that it was studied by the medical community.

Several medical studies from the 1980’s and 1990’s suggested there was no association with tubal ligation and menstral irregularities. These studies have been criticized because they involved a small number of patients, had methodological problems, and were not designed to critically evaluate for the existence of PTLS.

U.S. Collaborative Review of Sterilization Study

The most conclusive medical study to evaluate female sterilization and the effects upon American women was the U.S. Collaborative Review of Sterilization study. This study is commonly referred to as the CREST study. A synopsis of this study can be found on-line at the medical research organization Contraception Online.

The CREST study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1996. To date, the CREST study has been the largest and most comprehensive evaluation of women who have undergone surgical sterilization in the United States. The study was primarily designed to evaluate the types of sterilization methods that were commonly being performed by U.S. doctors and the failure rates associated with each of the different methods of sterilization.

The study examined over 14,000 women who had tubal sterilizations (tubal ligation) from 1978 to 1986. Women were examined for up to 14 years after their sterilization procedures. The investigators specifically looked at the method of tubal ligation and failure rates (pregnancies) based on each method. They also examined the number of women who regretted their decision to undergo sterilization.

CREST  Findings

The main findings of the CREST study were that pregnancies after tubal ligation and sterilization regret were both more frequent than had been previously thought.

Women were also asked questions about changes in their menstral patterns after tubal ligation. The study compared 9514 women who underwent tubal ligation to 573 women whose partners underwent vasectomy. The women were asked about changes in their menstral patterns for up to five years after sterilization. The women who underwent sterilization were found to have fewer irregularities with their menstral patterns. The authors’ conclusion was there were no significant differences in menstral patterns in women who had tubal sterilization. A commentary by the study investigators regarding these findings can be found at the National Institute of Health.

The existence of Post Tubal Ligation syndrome has been widely speculated by many but never substantiated in a rigorous fashion by medical investigators. Many poorly done small studies have suggested PTLS does exist; however, the largest study to date, the CREST study seems to suggest otherwise.

Limitations of the CREST Study

Although the CREST study has been the largest study with the longest follow-up of women who have undergone sterilization, some investigators have criticized the study.

The CREST study has limitations evaluating PTLS because of three reasons:

1. The study population is mostly from academic centers and is made up of a large number of African American women. This has led some cautious medical investigators to suggest the study has population bias and the findings of the study may not be applicable to the general population of United States women who undergo sterilization.

2. The study did not address the question whether women may develop menstral irregularities beyond five years after their tubal ligaiton. Most of the questions regarding menstrual irregularities were not asked after five years of follow-up.

3. The study was not designed to investigate the diverse symptoms of PTLS. The primary goal was to identify what the most popular methods of tubal ligation were and what the failure rates of each method were.

If PTLS does not exist then what is going on?

Many patients come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center requesting sterilization reversal for the sole purpose of treating symptoms they identify as PTLS. Many of these patients report substantial improvement in their symptoms after tubal ligation reversal. We are not certain why patients report improvement, but it is hard to ignore their reports of improvement in symptoms after ligation reversal surgery.

Most women who have tubal ligations will not have any problems. Some women will have difficulty after a tubal ligation. Many, or perhaps the majority of them will not have PTLS. Instead, they may have an underlying medical or gynecologic illness. To aid our patients in the evaluation of difficulties they may be having after a tubal ligation, our next article will have information for patients about abnormal bleeding, painful menstruation, and possible underlying causes.

This is the second article in a fourteen part series. Our third article in this series is Diagnosing Menstrual Problems After Tubal Ligation.

Readers can also view patient submitted stories about their menstrual symptoms, reasons for reversing tubal ligation, and outcomes after reversal reversal surgery. Each patient’s story is listed below:

Meet Momzilla
Meet Andrea
Meet Rebecca
Meet Praybelieving
Meet Katherine

We invite readers to join the  Tubal Reversal Message Board where they can discuss and share personal experiences with tubal ligation. We also would like patients to join our PTLS Forum and share personal experiences regarding physical or mental symptoms noticed after tubal ligation.

My address to former and future friends………

August 18th, 2008

In the spring of 2007, I had a chance encounter with an individual, which started me along a new career path. This path has led me to a specialization in tubal ligation reversal. In the summer of 2008, I joined Dr. Gary Berger at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center as a ligation reversal specialist.

Many people have asked me why I decided to leave my practice of obstetrics and gynecology. To understand my reasons for leaving, one has to understand my reasons for entering the practice of medicine.

I entered the field of medicine with the very simple ideals of sacrifice, hard work, and self-determination to improve the human condition. These ideals were based on observations I had of my grandfather, who was a general medical practitioner.

My grandfather graduated from Meharry Medical School in 1932. He had two black bags, an office, and a red Studebaker sedan for house calls and visits to the hospital. He worked long hours and helped many people in the African-American community. His patients were his patients and he was their doctor. And, there simply were very few doctors who would see them during the times of racial segregation. They needed and depended on him and he needed them as well. He needed them to carry out his vision of what medicine was truly about – caring for those in need and significantly improving the human condition. He and two other independent physicians personally took care of patients for a five county area around Columbia, South Carolina. His patients loved and respected him. These three doctors worked hard for their community. If they were not there, then no one else would have been. My grandfather was a critical component of wellness for his patients.

As a young boy, I would go to work with my grandfather every Saturday. I would observe him working in his black and white checkerboard tiled office. I would sit behind his desk as he examined patients. I vividly remember the smell of alcohol, moldy penicillin- the sight of cotton balls in glass jars, scary metal syringes clanking inside metal trays, and the sounds of coughing coming from the waiting room. For the most part, I did not comprehend any of what occurred there, but I always remembered a good warm feeling. These Saturdays created many, many memories for me.

My grandfather shared many stories with me from his early days of being a healer. The practice of medicine for him was more of an art and less of a science. The only science at the time was anatomy and surgery. Penicillin had not yet been invented! My grandfather worked during the Great Depression, made house calls, and performed home births. There was no such thing as health insurance for any his patients. Many times he was paid in produce, livestock, and quite often nothing was paid to him. He did his job as a service to the people of South Carolina who would otherwise have no one else to turn to. He worked extremely hard because he was needed. And, because he saw the patients others doctors would not even touch, he was irreplaceable. As I grew older, I realized I admired his position as an irreplaceable caretaker who made a significant impact upon the lives of those he touched. To some extent, I chose this aspect of him as the most important quality I wanted to emulate.

As young man, I entered medicine with some of the romantic ideals I observed as a child. More specifically, I chose obstetrics and gynecology because it was one of the last remaining areas of medicine where you could be a complete physician. It was a discipline of medicine where you can treat illness, perform surgery and have long-standing relationships with patients and family members. Since finishing medical school, I have come to realize many things have changed since my grandfather practiced medicine. Many things have occurred which have made the field of medicine a very different entity from the vision I observed through my grandfather as a child.

The practice of modern medicine

Several aspects of modern medicine disturb me.

Patients no longer have their doctor. Instead, they go to a doctor who is allowed by their medical insurance. We live in a mobile society. Many patients change jobs, move and are never seen again. The same is true of mobile physicians.

Many doctors are controlled by either insurance companies, hospital administration, or by malpractice insurance companies. Medicine has become less of an art between two people and more of a business interaction. Medical practice decisions are not always made with patient’s best interest, but instead based on market share and the activities of the competition and capitalism.

Malpractice lawsuits and the threat of legal action are at the top of physicians’ concerns. Many treatment or diagnostic recommendations are not made for medical reasons, but more because of liability concerns. Often we order tests not to detect physical ailments, but rather to avoid liability problems.

Declining reimbursements and rising malpractice insurance costs have also created situations where doctors have to see larger number of patients in shorter periods of time. Seeing larger numbers of patients leads to quicker and less fulfilling relationships.

Patients’ concerns and questions do not always get addressed in the haste. Many times this can result in quick, impersonal physician patient interactions, which can sometimes lead to resentment and discontent.

Having to see larger numbers patients in stressful medical situations will sometimes creates interpersonal friction between nurses, staff, doctors and patients. Unfortunately, the interpersonal friction of the modern hospital environment has become commonplace and, in many instances, is considered both normal and acceptable. I always detested this last, unfortunate reality of modern medicine.

Over the last several years, I have found myself gradually growing despondent because of the realizations I have outline above. I am not saying what I did while practicing obstetrics and gynecology was insignificant, but I began to feel as if I were not making the significant difference in patients’ lives I had envisioned. I was not the vision of my grandfather.

Relationships between caregivers and patients are strained today. In my past practice, if I did not show up for work one day, then one of my eight partners would have covered for me. When I left at 5PM, then one of my partners would deliver the baby. If I did not do a patient’s surgery, then someone else would have. Many patients would leave in the middle of their prenatal care and resume care somewhere else never to be seen again. I felt as if I was a replaceable cog in the modern machine of medicine. These were not observations and feelings I had when I spent Saturdays with my grandfather.

Why did I decide to join Dr. Berger at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center?

I decided to join the surgical center because it rekindled intense feelings in me about why I wanted to be a physician like my grandfather. In working at this surgical center, I am able to do very important things for patients and to significantly impact upon their lives. I am able to perform surgical techniques, which are gradually being forgotten by the medical world. I have a sense of being both critical and irreplaceable.

Most people do not realize how important a medical facility Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is. The center is the only facility in the United States, which specializes in the reversal of tubal ligations. There are several reversal providers scattered around the states; however, they mostly do in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and very few reversal surgeries.

Tubal ligation reversal is becoming a dying surgical art – not because the surgery is ineffective (it is far more successful than IVF), but because current reproductive endocrinologist are not getting trained in ligation reversal. Current endocrinology fellows leave their training programs with little or no experience in tubal ligation reversal. The infertility specialist of tomorrow is not getting the ligation reversal training they need today. Why? Insurance plans will not pay for the surgery and the procedures are too costly if done in hospitals and training centers.

Many patients come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center from all over the world pursuing dreams of more children or feeling more complete through reversal of their sterilization. Many women have regret over their prior decisions and want to be made whole again. Many women undergo sterilization only to have extreme psychological distress, as events unfold in the future over which they have no control. Many women chose sterilization because they were in terrible relationships only to find a loving partner with whom they want more kids. Some patients have religious conversions and want to be as God intended them to be. Sadly, some women have had children die and they long to replace that missing face. For me, there is a greater sense of purpose in using my skills as a physician.

Dr. Berger has been the sole provider of ligation reversal at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center and has done over 7,000 reversal surgeries. He has pioneered a surgical technique, which allows the surgery to be done quickly on an outpatient basis. As a result, tubal ligation reversal at the center is far less costly than hospital provided ligation reversal. Many women have benefited from his tireless work over the last twenty years. If Dr. Berger did not come to work, then many women would not have the option of sterilization reversal.

One can easily see when Dr. Berger offered to train me, I would have been a fool to decline his offer.

When I came to understand the important nature of the work, which was done at the center, I began to remember what my core values were. I felt like I could be a real doctor again. Using my talents, I could help individuals who would have nowhere else to turn. I can make a significant impact upon both my life and the lives of the patients and families I treat. These were feelings I had regarding the work of my grandfather.

As I depart….

I have had many fond memories of working as an academic generalist obstetrician and gynecologist. I have great memories of working with many bright and talented residents and medical students- many humorous stories from many late night experiences. I have had wonderful relationships with nursing and support staff and will miss them dearly. I have been privileged to bring many beautiful babies into this world. Mostly, I will miss the patients who chose me as their physician and allowed me to walk them through the problems of their lives.

Why Women Get Tied Tubes Untied

June 21st, 2008

Over a year ago, I approached Dr. Berger at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center to start a new career as a tubal ligation reversal specialist. When I started to pursue my interest and training in tubal reversal surgery, I naively thought that only women who wanted to have another child had their tied tubes untied. I have come to realize that some women seek to have their tubes untied for many reasons other than to have another child after tubal ligation.

Of course the number one reason is to have more children, but there are many more and equally important reasons patients give. Some common reasons patients come for tubal ligation reversal are to:

  • relieve symptoms associated with a tubal ligation (PTLS)
  • feel whole again
  • be like God intended them to be
  • comply with their religious tenants
  • feel more like a woman
  • relieve regret of a prior mistake
  • correct a decision made during a bad relationship
  • fill the emptiness from the loss of a child or another loved one

As a generalist ob/gyn, I was always keenly aware of how many women bore both the burden of having children and the burden of sterilization. It was only after I became a ligation reversal specialist I saw how heavy the burden of tubal ligation could be. Now I have the opportunity to help in these situations and feel gratified that my training as a tubal reversal surgeon is progressing nicely under Dr. Berger’s mentorship.

Submitted by Dr. Charles Monteith
Tubal Reversal Specialist
Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

Untying Tied Tubes: Falope Ring Sterilization

May 14th, 2008

Falope Ring Sterilization

Falope ring tubal sterilization.The Yoon Falope rings were developed in the 1960’s as a safer alternative to laparoscopic monopolar cautery tubal sterilization. This procedure is performed by inserting a laparoscope just under the belly button. The fallopian tube is then identified and a device holds the tube while the silastic ring is slid over a 2-3 cm ’knuckle’ of tube that is kinked off by the ring. This is done once for each side.

The common misperception is that the Falope ring is what prevents pregnancy and that reversal of the procedure simply requires removal of the ring. The Falope ring causes the squeezed ’knuckle’ of tube to undergo avascular necrosis (to die and become absorbed by the body). After this happens the ends of the tubal segments outside the ring close up, thereby preventing sperm from reaching the egg.

Falope Ring Sterilization Reversal

Reversing Falope ring sterilization is not as easy as just removing the ring. The closed ends of the tubes must be opened and the tubal segments must be rejoined.

Falope rings cause destruction of a minimal length of fallopian tube and reversal of this type of tubal ligation gives excellent results. Approximately 75% of patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center become pregnant after a reversal of a Falope ring sterilization procedure.

Many people believe tubal sterilization is permanent and irreversible. Although tubal sterilization with Falope rings is intended to be permanent, this procedure can be reversed. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only medical facility that specializes exclusively in reversal of tubal ligation.

Untying tied tubes: Hulka clips

May 11th, 2008

Hulka Clip Sterilization

One common form of female sterilization is the use of Hulka clips to block the fallopian tubes. The Hulka clip was approved for use in the United States in the 1970’s and was invented in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by Dr. Jaroslav Hulka at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hulka clip in the laparoscopic applicator.The Hulka clip is a small, gold plated stainless steel spring loaded clip. The clip in introduced into the abdominal cavity via a laparoscopic clip applicator. This image shows the open clip in the applicator and the tip of the laparoscope with its fiber optic lighted end. When the clip is placed across the fallopian tube, it is closed and a small spring holds the clip firmly across the tube. The Hulka clip has the advantage of damaging only a very small portion of the fallopian tube- approximately 7mm (the thickness of three quarters stacked on each other).

Hulka clip closed across the fallopian tube.The Hulka clip causes bilateral tubal occlusion by squeezing a very small portion of the tube. The squeezed portion is deprived of its blood supply and eventually undergoes avascular necrosis (dies and is absorbed by the body). This causes the fallopian tube to be divided in half and the two ends to close up. The Hulka clip is held in place between the two divided tubal segments by a small amount of scar tissue which forms within the clip.

Hulka Clip Reversal

A common misconception is that the Hulka clips can simply be opened to reverse the sterilization process – that the tubes can be unclipped. Unfortunately, tubal ligation reversal for Hulka clips is not as simple as opening the clips. Hulka clip tubal occlusion is reversed by removing the section of the tube with the clip across it and then, using microsurgical techniques, joining the remaining tube segments back together in perfect alignment.

Tubal reversal of Hulka clip tubal occlusion is better than for most other methods of sterilization because such a minimal amount of tube is destroyed in the occlusion process. Approximately 76% of patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center become pregnant after a reversal of a Hulka clip sterilization procedure.

Common Misconception About Tied Tubes

Tying tubes like tying a shoe lace.Many patients seem to imagine the fallopian tube is like a shoe lace which is tied up like a bow to prevent pregnancy. As tubal ligation reversal specialists, we wish it were that easy- then untying tied tubes would be easier!

‘Tying ones fallopian tubes’ is a common language phrase used to describe several different surgical procedures which result in sterilization (a procedure intended to permanently prevent pregnancy). The more correct medical term is bilateral (both sides) tubal occlusion (closure of the fallopian tube).

There are many different ways to occlude (close) the fallopian tubes: ligation and resection (tying and cutting), clips and rings, and coagulation (burning). No matter how the procedure is done the end result causes the tube to close, heal shut, and prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg.

Tubal Sterilization is Reversible

Many people believe tubal sterilization is permanent and irreversible. Although Hulka clip sterilization is intended to be permanent, this procedure is ideal for tubal reversal. The Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the one medical facility which specializes in tubal ligation reversal.

We have become experts in reversing all types of tubal ligations- or ‘untying’ tubes that have been ‘tied’!

Submitted by Dr. Charles Monteith

Untying Tied Tubes: Filshie Clip Sterilization

May 10th, 2008

Tying Tubes is Not Like Tying a Shoe Lace

Tied tubes are not like a tied shoe lace.Many patients seem to imagine the fallopian tube is like a shoe lace which is tied up like a bow to prevent pregnancy. As tubal ligation reversal specialists, we wish it were that easy- then untying tied tubes would be easier!

‘Tying fallopian tubes’ is a common language phrase used to describe several different surgical procedures that result in tubal sterilization (a procedure intended to permanently prevent pregnancy). The more correct medical term is bilateral (both sides) tubal occlusion (closure of the fallopian tube).

Tubal Ligation Methods

There are many different ways to occlude (close) the fallopian tubes: ligation and resection (tying and cutting), clips and rings, and coagulation (burning). No matter how the procedure is done the end result causes the tube to close, heal shut, and prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg.

Filshie Clip Tubal Ligation

One common form of laparoscopic (camera) sterilization is the use of Filshie clips to occlude both fallopian tubes. The Filshie clip was approved for use in the United States in the mid 1990’s. The Filshie clip is a small titanium clip which is lined with a thin silicone cushion. The clip was an improvement over the Yoon Falope Ring and the Hulka Clip because it was as easy to apply with less risk of operative complications. The clip also has the advantage of destroying only a very small portion of the fallopian tube- approximately 4mm (approximately the thickness of two quarters stacked on each other). The adjacent tube is not affected. The majority of Filshie clips placed in the United States are done by laparoscopic surgery; however, there is a growing trend to use them for tubal occlusion at the time of cesarean delivery (c-section).

Filshie clip applied to the fallopian tube.The Filshie clip causes bilateral tubal occlusion by squeezing a very small portion of the tube. The squeezed portion is deprived of its blood supply and eventually undergoes avascular necrosis (dies and is absorbed by the body). This causes the fallopian tube to be divided in half and the two ends to close up. The Filshie clip is held in place (in between the two divided ends) by a small amount of scar tissue which forms over the clip.

A common misconception is that the Filshie clips can simply be removed to reverse the sterilization process- that the tubes can be unclipped. Unfortunately, tubal ligation reversal for Filshie clips is not as simple as just opening the clips. Filshie clip tubal occlusion is reversed by removing the clips and using microsurgical techniques to open the closed ends and join the tubal segments back together in perfect alignment.

The reversal of Filshie clip tubal occlusion is usually technically easier than some other methods of sterilization because such a minimal amount of tube is destroyed in the occlusion process.

Approximately 76% of patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center become pregnant after a reversal of a Filshie clip sterilization procedure.

Tubal Sterilization Can Be Reversed

Many people believe tubal sterilization is permanent and irreversible. Although Filshie clip sterilization is intended to be permanent, this procedure can be reversed. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the one medical facility that specializes in tubal ligation reversal.

We have become experts in reversing all types of tubal ligations- or ‘untying’ tubes that have been ‘tied’!

Submitted by Dr. Charles Monteith

More information on » sterilization

Special Report

Answers to seven important questions to find out if tubal reversal is right for you.

Telephone 919 968-4656 to speak with a Tubal Ligation Reversal Nurse

Call a Tubal Reversal Nurse
for a free consultation -

(919) 968-4656

Pregnancy Announcements | Latest Additions | FAQs | Press | MD News | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Doctors Directory | Site Map


http://www.tubal-reversal.net/includes/footer.php  was last modified on November 1st, 2009 18:15:35

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.
109 Conner Drive Suite 2200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Tel: (919) 968-4656     Fax: (919) 869-1976