Getting Started With Tubal Reversal Surgery

A step-by-step guide to surgery at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

Julia Smith, RN, ALNC
Nurse Administrator

1. Determine if you are a candidate for tubal reversal surgery.

There are two options for women who have had a previous tubal ligation and now desire to have more children: 1) tubal reversal surgery and, 2) in vitro fertilization (IVF). Although tubal reversal surgery is not right for everyone, in most cases it is the most successful and most cost-effective option for pregnancy after sterilization. With pregnancy rates averaging 75% and a cost of $5900, tubal reversal surgery is usually more desirable than IVF with pregnancy rates of approximately 27% and costs exceeding $8,000 per IVF cycle.

One way to determine whether tubal reversal surgery is the best option for you is through an interpretation of the operative report from your tubal ligation. With this information, the doctor is able to provide feedback on the type of sterilization that was performed and the amount of tube that may be remaining after the reversal. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center provides a Medical Records Release Form to assist you with obtaining your report.

If you cannot get a copy of your tubal ligation operative report, Dr. Berger or Dr. Monteith can begin your surgery with diagnostic laparoscopy to examine your fallopian tubes and determine if tubal reversal is likely to be successful. If so, the tubes will be repaired immediately. If your tubal ligation has severely damaged your tubes and repair is not possible, you will be given a partial refund. The "laparoscopy package " is excellent insurance in situations when the type of tubal ligation is unknown. Fortunately, our doctors are able to repair the tubes in 98% of cases.

2. Request our document A Special Report – 7 Questions

To help you decide if tubal reversal surgery is right for you. This can be requested by entering your name and email in the "Request this Special Report" form on the left.

3. Call For A Free Phone Consultation.

The nurses at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center are available 7 days a week to take your calls and answer questions. Call (919) 968-4656 for a free consultation with a Tubal Reversal Nurse.

4. Schedule your tubal reversal surgery.

Call our office or contact one of our Tubal Reversal Nurses by phone or e-mail. Before calling, choose a few dates that would work best for your schedule. When you speak to the nurse, she will let you know which dates are available. Patients travel to North Carolina from all over the US and from around the world. The staff is prepared to help with this process. To minimize the time you have to spend here, your preoperative consultation will be scheduled for the day preceding your tubal reversal. On the day of your tubal reversal, you will spend the morning at Chapel Hill Surgical Center and the rest of the day back at your hotel room. The following morning, one of our nurses will visit you at your hotel for a postoperative check prior to your returning home. You can read more on the Tubal Reversal Scheduling page.

5. Make arrangements for payment of surgery fees.

We offer three fee options for the reversal procedure:

Our standard fee is $6900 for Dr. Berger and $6400 for Dr. Monteith. With this fee, you can schedule your appointment and hold a date with a $250 down payment - but the balance is due three weeks prior to the surgery date.
Our discounted fee for surgery with Dr. Berger is $5900 and is due at the time the appointment is scheduled.
Surgery can be scheduled with Dr. Monteith for a discounted fee of $5400. This discounted fee is also due at the time you schedule your appointment.

Your payment can be made by cashier's check, money order, wire transfer, VISA, MasterCard or DISCOVER. All fees are all-inclusive and cover the doctor's professional fee, the anesthesiologist's fee, supplies, operating room charges and facility fees, initial consultation with your surgeon and follow-up by phone and e-mail. Paying by wire or cashier's check results in an additional $100 savings. We do offer a pre-payment plan for patients interested in long-term payment arrangements.

6. Complete the registration forms.

Within 24 hours of scheduling your appointment, a nurse will e-mail you with a confirmation letter, What To Expect brochure, online Medical/Anesthesia History Form and Registration Packet. This information is designed to educate and prepare you for the reversal process. The signature pages of these documents should be signed and faxed back to our office within 24 hours.

7. Obtain the pre-operative lab testing.

Your local doctor can perform the required pre-operative lab tests for you or we can fax an order from one of our doctors directly to a lab in your area. The results will be faxed to our office. The lab testing should be completed within a day or two of scheduling surgery to ensure results are in our office at least three weeks prior to the surgery date.

8. Anesthesia pre-operative phone consultation.

An anesthesiologist will contact you within a week of scheduling your appointment. During this phone consultation, the anesthesiologist will review your health and anesthesia history. Depending on your health history, additional lab or medical testing may be required.

9. Make hotel and travel arrangements.

All the women who will have their tubal reversal surgery at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center will be staying at the Residence Inn Chapel Hill Hotel.

10. Read through the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center website.

Dr. Berger and his staff have prepared a great deal of information on what to expect and what to bring when you come for surgery. It is helpful to read the surgery checklist and information on what to expect. Our mission is to provide patients with accurate, detailed information so that their tubal reversal journey is a positive experience from start to finish.

More about Tubal Reversal Surgery