Tubal Reversal Blog ‘tubal ligation reversal experts’

Women come from all over the world to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for reversing tied tubes – or more correctly put in medical terms, to have a tubal anastomosis. The majority of our patients desire sterilization reversal so they may naturally conceive more children. Many others, however, have ligation reversals to feel more complete again and/or to alleviate symptoms that have occurred after their surgical sterilization procedure. These patients report new physical and psychological symptoms after undergoing tubal ligation – symptoms that have been described as Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome (PTLS).

Symptoms of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome

There are many symptoms attributable to PTLS. The most predominant symptoms are:

• Menstrual pattern changes
• Painful periods
• Hot flashes
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Insomnia
• Decreased sex drive
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Memory changes

Does PTLS really exist?

The existence of Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome has been very controversial within the medical community. Early medical studies suggested that some sterilized women (women who had their tubes tied) had abrupt changes in bodily symptoms after their surgical procedures. These physical and mental changes were called Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome.

PTLS has been widely talked about by both women and medical professionals. Currently, PTLS information, advice, and ‘expert’ commentary saturate the internet. Conspiracy theories are prominent. Some people even believe sterilization is being forced upon women and there is a conspiracy, or lack of serious medical counseling, regarding the symptoms of PTLS.

More recent medical research has demonstrated that women do have changes in their menstrual patterns after tubal ligation; however, these changes are not as dramatic or as widespread as have been suggested in the past.

Observations from the Tubal Reversal Center

The tubal ligation reversal experts at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center provide sterilization reversal to a large number of women from across the world. We also counsel and treat a substantial number of women who attribute their worsening menstrual patterns to their tubal ligation procedures. These patients report a multitude of PTLS symptoms.

We like for our patients to be well-informed. Since women seeking relief of PTLS represent an increasing percentage of the patient population we care for, we would like to dedicate a series of informative blog articles discussing the concept of PTLS. More specifically, we would like to discuss the common medical reasons for new symptoms noticed after tubal ligation, current understanding about PTLS, and common psychological conditions which can mimic PTLS.

This is the first article in a fourteen part series. Our second article in this series is Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome: Past and Present.

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 their personal experiences with tubal ligation. Feel free to contribute to our PTLS forum dedicated to patients who have personal insight into worsening symptoms after undergoing tubal ligation. Women are also invited to have discussions on our Tubal Reversal Facebook page.

Editorial Comment

The decision to add a series of articles about Post Tubal Ligation Syndrome on the Tubal Reversal Blog was prompted by requests and suggestions of many of our tubal reversal patients. Most doctors have been taught that no such entity as PTLS exists, much to the exasperation of women who are suffering from symptoms that began after a tubal sterilization. This series of blog articles will allow individuals to report about their personal experiences and case histories. Then, articles from the medical literature will be reviewed and discussed. Hopefully, this approach will help explain the discrepancy between what individual women have experienced and what medical doctors think about this complex subject. I encourage both patients and medical professionals to contribute their insights and opinions to this important series of articles.

Gary S. Berger, MD
Medical Director
Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

Tubal Reversal Experts

The tubal ligation reversal experts of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center are experienced at sterilization reversal. Many women who have had their ‘tubes tied’ will come to our center to have their ‘tubes untied’. Unfortunately, a ligation reversal is not as easy as ‘untying’ the tubes- we wish the process was that simple.

We employ a microsurgical approach to repair and reattach the ends of the tubes. This process is called tubotubal anastamosis, and provides a patient with an excellent chance of becoming pregnant naturally. We specialize in ligation reversal and in reversal of difficult tubal ligation procedures.
We would like to present the story of one of our patients who had an atypical sterilization procedure.

Reversal of an Unusual Sterilization Procedure

The patient’s name is Ofralinda. She and her husband, Juan, came to us from Texas. Ofralinda is 35 and she works as an OSHA compliance officer. Her husband is in construction. Ofralinda desired a tubal ligation reversal in order to have more children. She had a rare and atypical sterilization procedure termed the Uchida procedure.

Uchida Sterilization Procedure

A Japanese physician, Dr. Uchida, first described this method of sterilization in 1961. This method involves removing a large segment of the fallopian tube and suturing (sewing) the cut end of the fallopian tube into the wall of the uterus. Dr. Uchida first published information about his method of sterilization after having performed over 50,000 procedures without any pregnancy failures. This is an effective but also  complicated method of surgical sterilization. Most modern physicians have never performed or seen a Uchida sterilization. We have seen several patients who have presented with a Uchida sterilization procedure and we have had success with reversal of this method.

Uchida Sterilization Reversal

Ofralinda had a 60-minute outpatient tubal ligation reversal. Her surgery went well. We found her tubes to be short (due to the large amount of tube removed with her initial Uchida sterilization) but otherwise healthy. We were able to successfully repair both of her fallopian tubes. She has since been discharged back to her home and we wish her well. We would like to hear a report of a successful pregnancy from her within the year.

Sterilization Reversal at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

We specialize in tubal ligation reversal. Our tubal ligation reversal specialists perform over 800 reversal procedures every year on women from across the world. We regularly have patients from as far away as Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean. Occasionally, we will have patients from Australia, Asia, and Europe.

Most tubal ligation procedures are reversible. The pregnancy rates after reversal are generally higher than after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and we specialize in difficult tubal reversal procedures.