Did you know tubal reversal allows you to become pregnant the natural, old-fashioned way?
Did you know tubal reversal allows you the chance to become pregnant more than once?
If you knew the answers to those two questions then I bet you did not know after tubal reversal you will not have reliable birth control.
This was a recent, biased statement an IVF doctor published in an attempt to discourage patients from having tubal reversal.
A complete list of these biased statements can be seen in our first article in this series: So Called ‘Facts’ About Tubal Ligation Reversal.
This article discusses the 6th biased ‘fact’ listed by the IVF doctor to persuade his patients to choose in-vitro fertilization (IVF): after tubal reversal a woman will not have reliable birth control.
Reasons Not To Have Tubal Reversal
I am very accustomed to other doctors trying to convince patients to not get a tubal reversal.
Often they will inform their patients incorrectly that tubal reversal will not work (please read our Tubal Reversal Birth Testimonials).
Often they will advise their patients incorrectly that if they do manage to become pregnant after tubal ligation reversal, then they will only end up with a dangerous pregnancy in their tubes (please view our Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Statistics).
I am even aware of these infertility doctors telling patients IVF is a faster and cheaper way to get pregnant, but I have never heard a doctor tell them they should not get tubal reversal because they will not have reliable birth control!
This has to be the dumbest fact about tubal reversal and the silliest reason to try and convince someone not to have a tubal reversal.
Don’t get tubal reversal because you may actually work and then you won’t have good birth control!
Reasons To Have Tubal Ligation Reversal
Tubal reversal is an excellent alternative to IVF.
Reversing tubes works, can have a higher success rate, is more affordable, and can help you get pregnant more than once.
Birth Control After Tubal Reversal
Once a woman has achieved her pregnancy goals after tubal reversal, then she will need to consider using birth control. Many of our patients will use birth control pills and even more will consider the IUD and vasectomy. Some will even have a second tubal ligation.
If you really have to worry about birth control after you have had a tubal reversal, that usually means you have had pregnancy success and that is what most women are seeking when they have reversing surgery.
Tubal Ligation Symptoms And Regret
Some women will have abnormal symptoms after tubal ligation and will have a tubal reversal to help relieve themselves of their abnormal symptoms. Some women deeply regret their tubal ligations for personal or religious reasons. Many of these women will have tubal reversal with no plans to become pregnant and more of a desire to relieve themselves of tubal ligation symptoms or tubal ligation regret.
I like to counsel PTLS patients that tubal reversal surgery is exceedingly safe, but the main risk of reversing tubes is tubal pregnancy (10-15%). I do encourage them to use an effective form of birth control if they do not desire to become pregnant to avoid the risk of tubal pregnancy.
Facts About Reversing Tubes
My daughters and I have been grading the IVF doctor’s facts. Most are really opinions and all of them are heavily biased against tubal reversal.
We must give it to him on this one. It is a true fact indeed if a woman has a tubal ligation reversal then she will not have a good and reliable method of birth control after her tubes are rejoined.
I only have one question for the IVF doctor.
Did you have to go to four years of medical school, four years of Ob/Gyn residency, and two years of infertility training to learn that?
The next article in this series is Infertility Testing Before Tubal Reversal Surgery: Caution!
Submitted by Dr. Charles Monteith
