Every year, 385,000 newborn babies enter the world.
Are you thinking about growing your family? Then you should look into getting a tubal ligation reversal procedure.
Unlike complicated in-vitro fertilization treatments, tubal reversal can provide a natural way to become pregnant again. However, reversing a tubal ligation is a big choice, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
To help you explore all of your options, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about reversal surgeries. We’ll explore who’s a good candidate for the procedure and what type of costs you’ll incur. We’ll also review pregnancy success rates after the procedure is complete.
Can you have a baby after a tubal ligation, and is it a good idea? Read on to find out!
What Is Tubal Ligation?
To understand the complete picture of how a tubal ligation reversal procedure works, you’ll first need to know where it begins. It all starts with a tubal ligation surgery.
Here are a few of the different types of tubal ligation surgeries:
- Pomeroy tubal ligation
- Tubal ring
- Tubal clips
- Bipolar coagulation
- Fimbriectomy
- Salpingectomy
- Essure
Tubal ligations are surgical procedures for women designed to permanently prevent pregnancy. Often people will refer to tubal ligation as getting their tubes tied. In other cases, you might hear about the procedure being called female sterilization.
The tubal part of the procedure references the fallopian tubes. Ligation means tying off.
Usually, both fallopian tubes are cut or completely blocked. However, the approach is slightly different depending on what procedure you get.
For instance, if someone has a tubal ring procedure, a small band will block the fallopian tube. An Essure tubal ligation involves a nickel coil that sits inside the opening of the fallopian tube.
Most tubal ligation procedures are fast and usually performed as outpatient surgery. Thankfully, a reversal procedure can be just as easy.
Reversal procedures give women the opportunity to become pregnant by unblocking or reattaching their fallopian tubes. Since the procedure is a major decision, you’ll first need to determine if you’re a prime candidate.
Are Tubal Ligations Reversible for Everyone?
Can anyone who’s had their tubes tied undergo a reversal procedure? Not quite. Doctors have to assess reversal surgeries on a case-by-case basis.
Your age, the type of surgery you had to get your tubes tied, and your current health condition will impact the doctor’s decision. The health of your uterus, remaining fallopian tubes, and ovaries will also be a deciding factor. When your body’s in peak health, the chances of pregnancy can skyrocket.
Possible Tubal Ligation Reversal Risks
Anytime you undergo a medical procedure, there will be risks. Some of the risks associated with tubal ligation reversal include bleeding or scarring.
In some cases, scarring will occur on the fallopian tubes. The scarring doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to get pregnant. There are also steps your surgeon can take to minimize or avoid scarring altogether.
Other risks of reversal include anesthesia complications and ectopic pregnancies. However, before performing the procedure, your surgeon will help you weigh all of the risks.
To minimize any risk following a reversal procedure, you’ll want to disclose your entire medical history. Experienced doctors will know how to minimize risks while improving your chances of getting pregnant.
Questions Surgeons Ask Reversal Candidates
After an initial screening, prepare to dive deeper into your medical history. The surgeon performing the reversal surgery will have a list of questions for you to answer.
How long ago was your tubal ligation performed? Precisely what type of procedure did you undergo?
Have you ever been pregnant before? Was it a healthy pregnancy? You can expect the doctor to review these questions to see if you’re a good candidate for a reversal procedure.
Doctors will also check to see if you have a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, fibroids, endometriosis, or other gynecological disorders. Having a history of health conditions doesn’t disqualify you as a candidate for the procedure. Instead, the information about your health history will guide the surgeon’s approach.
What Are The Pregnancy Success Rates?
After a tubal ligation reversal, pregnancy rates vary from one woman’s body to the next. On average, the success rate for a tubal reversal procedure is right around 75% or higher. In a lot of situations, the best candidates for reversal surgeries are women under 40 who had their tubes tied immediately after childbirth.
If you’ve had previous surgeries, any scar tissue present can impact the success rate of your tubal reversal. However, if only part of your fallopian tubes were removed or your tubes were closed with a ring or clip, success rates will be higher.
The success rates can go up even more when the woman having the surgery doesn’t have any other infertility issues. For instance, is their partner able to provide high-quality, mobile sperm? When both partners are healthy and able to reproduce, reversal procedures can be even more effective.
Another big part of pregnancy rates involves the surgeons’ experience performing the procedure. When the procedure is done by someone who specializes in infertility surgeries, pregnancy chances will be much greater.
Fertility surgeons will specialize in overcoming tubal coagulation, ligation, tubal rings, and tubal clips. With the right experience, a surgeon can even reverse a hysteroscopic tubal occlusion or Essure procedure.
However, timing is of the essence. The sooner someone has a reversal procedure performed, the more likely they’ll become pregnant. Your best chances for pregnancy will be reviewed with you by your reversal surgeon.
Average Cost for a Reversal Procedure
When someone wants to have a baby, they’re usually willing to pay anything. Unfortunately, what someone is willing to pay and what they can afford are two very different price points.
Thankfully, when you compare the tubal ligation reversal cost with the cost of in-vitro fertilization, the numbers make a lot of sense. In vitro fertilization (also known as IVF) can easily cost $14,000, and the success rate is much lower. Whereas tubal reversal costs less and has a better chance of working.
What Your Payment Covers
If you’re approved for reversal surgery, find out if you’ll be paying a flat fee or if you have to budget for additional fees. Some of the best surgeons will offer an all-inclusive price, so you don’t have to worry about the details of add-on costs.
You’ll want to make sure your cost includes the anesthesia fees, surgeon fees, and operating facility fees. You also want to ensure that your payment covers post-operative visits and follow-up care.
Dr. Monteith is the medical director of A Personal Choice Tubal Reversal Center in Raleigh North Carolina. He provides an all inclusive cost for reversal surgery. Your one time fee includes the consultation appointment, reversal surgery, anesthesia, operating room fees, and the post-operative visit. The only additional fees that would be required of you would be the cost of travel, hotel, food and prescription pain medications to take when you return home.
Flat Cash Discount vs. Financing Options
Are you trying to save some money? One of the best ways to make your reversal surgery more affordable is to pay in cash. A lot of surgeons will offer a cash discounted fee.
You could pay as little as $7,500 for a complete tubal reversal procedure if you’re paying in cash. To qualify for a cash discount, you will have to cover the entire fee before the procedure takes place.
Finance Options
If you’re planning on financing your reversal procedure, you’ll probably spend around $8,100 or more. The $8,100 is an amount you’ll pay incrementally with prearranged payment dates. Look into enrolling in automatic payment options so you don’t have to worry about missed payments.
You could also open up a tubal reversal prepayment account. A prepayment account gives you the power to save for your reversal procedure. Finally, health insurance reimbursement, FSA, and HSA funding are also financing options.
Expect a Scheduling Fee
There’s usually some type of scheduling fee involved with a tubal reversal. A typical scheduling fee will be around $150, and it covers a variety of services.
The scheduling fee covers the pre-surgery phone interview and the ordering of preoperative lab work. Your scheduling fee will also help cover the cost of registration paperwork, selecting your surgical date, and receiving advice for hotel accommodations. Many medical offices will be able to accept your scheduling fee with a credit card.
Optional and Innovative Laparoscopy Screening
You should request a laparoscopy screening for your tubal reversal procedure. During the screening, the surgeon will insert a tiny camera into a small incision made from your belly button.
The procedure is a way to quickly evaluate the state of your fallopian tubes. If the surgeon can’t reverse at least one of your fallopian tubes, find out if they’ll offer you any type of refund opportunities.
Dr. Monteith is one of the only surgeons who offers patients an optional screening laparoscopy. If you add the laparoscopy on to your surgery and your tubes cannot be repaired…then the surgery is much quicker and you will be refunded your surgery fee.
More information: Innovative screening laparoscopy
If you are worried if your tubes can be repaired then having a screening laparoscopy is a great insurance policy.
The Chance of Having a Baby
Are you ready to restore your ability to become naturally pregnant? Then you need a fertility surgeon who specializes in tubal ligation reversal procedures.
Dr. Monteith at A Personal Choice Tubal Reversal Center is committed to helping couples have beautiful children. If you’re ready to get further information about how reversals work, their cost, and success rates, we’d love to help.
Reach out to us today with any questions you might have. One of our caring and dedicated healthcare team members will be happy to assist. You can also schedule your free consultation with a nurse for immediate consideration.
