Tubal Reversal Blog ‘tubal reversal doctor’

What is Reverse Tubal Ligation?

Reverse tubal ligation – or more properly, tubal ligation reversal – is a procedure to get tubes untied for women who desire a pregnancy after tubal ligation. There are actually several procedures that can be used to untie tubes after the tubes have been tied.

Techniques of Reverse Tubal Ligation

There are 3 main techniques that can be used for reversing tubal ligation.

1. Tubal anastomosis
2. Tubal implantation
3. Salpingostomy (Fimbriectomy Reversal)

Tubal Anastomosis

Tubal Anastomosis

The most common method for untying tubes is the reverse tubal ligation procedure of tubal anastomosis. Anastomosis refers to joining two body parts, and tubotubal anastomosis is joining two tubal segments together. Most techniques that tie tubes result in two separate tubal segments, so the simplest way to get tubes untied in these cases is with the anastomosis procedure.

For more details about untying tubes via tubal anastomosis, see the topic on Tubal Reversal by Tubal Anastomosis on the Tubal Reversal Blog and the description of Microsurgical Tubal Anastomosis on the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website.

What is the Cost of Untying Tubes?

Reverse tubal ligation is usually described as extremely expensive, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000. The tubal anastomosis procedure to untie tubes costs $5900 at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Because it is done as outpatient surgery and performed four times a day, the cost savings is passed on to the women who want kids after tubal ligation.

Watch Dr. Berger Untie Tubes

The tubal reversal operation by Dr. Berger has been featured on television – this video clip on YouTube is 3 minutes long. To watch the entire operation, you can order a free video or DVD of tubes untied.

Other Methods to Untie Tubes

Tubal implantation and salpingostomy are less frequent techniques to untie the tubes after a tubal ligation. For descriptions of these techniques, see the topic on Tubal Reversal by Tubal Implantation and Tubal Reversal by Salpingostomy on the Tubal Reversal Blog or Read the section on Reversal Illustrations on the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website.

Tubal Anastomosis at the Uterine Cornua

Tubouterine anastomosis is a tubal reversal procedure that is intermediate between tubotubal anastomosis and tubouterine implantation. It is also called cornual anastomosis because the tube is joined to the cornual area of the uterus with this operation. The cornu is the area where the fallopian tube normally emerges from the the uterus.

When Is Tubouterine Anastomosis Performed?

Tubouterine anastomosis is performed when there is a healthy tubal segment near the ovary, but no segment remains attached to the uterus, following a tubal ligation procedure. It is also performed when a tubal segment attached to the uterus is scarred and has no open lumen.

An incision is made into the uterus at the cornu to find the opening of the fallopian tube tube as it passes through the uterine muscle. If an opening is found, the tubal segment that remains is rejoined to the uterus at this site.

Case Histories

The topic of tubouterine anastomosis is a timely one. During the past week, 2 patients undergoing tubal reversal surgery at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center required this operative procedure. In one case, each fallopian tube had been coagulated or burned next to the uterine cornu, leaving no segment attached to the uterus. The other patient had developed the condition known as salpingitis isthmica nodosa in the portion of the fallopian tube between the uterus and the a Falope ring. In both cases, tubal reversal was able to performed with the technique of tubouterine anastomosis.

Dr. Berger’s Comment

Frequently, patients have been informed by doctors who are not specialists in tubal ligation reversal that their fallopian tubes cannot be repaired after a tubal ligation. This is especially true when the proximal segments of the fallopian tubes are missing or diseased. But there are a variety of surgical techniques that can be used during tubal reversal surgery by a doctor who is an experienced tubal reversal surgeon. This is one of the advantages patients have when they come to Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center for their tubal reversal procedures.