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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staffA tubal ligation reversal can allow a woman who had a tubal ligation to get pregnant without further medical assistance. You may regret having a tubal ligation for many reasons, including:
- Young age at the time of the procedure
- Having the procedure done within a year of giving birth
- A change in marital status
- Having received too little information about tubal ligation or other forms of birth control
- Having the procedure done due to spousal pressure or because of a medical condition
A tubal ligation reversal isn't appropriate for everyone. Your health care provider will consider various factors to determine if tubal ligation reversal is likely to be successful, such as:
- Your age and body mass index
- The type of tubal ligation
- The extent of the damage to your fallopian tubes
- Remaining tubal length
- Other fertility factors, such as sperm and egg quality
A tubal ligation reversal is more likely to be successful if there is still a large proportion of healthy tube. If your fallopian tubes were originally blocked by clips or rings, the tubal ligation reversal is more likely to be successful than if segments of your fallopian tubes were burned in order to close them off (electrocautery). Some types of sterilization, such as the Essure and Adiana systems, are not considered reversible.
- Deffieux X, et al. Tubal anastomosis after tubal sterilization: A review. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2011;283:1149.
- Stovall TG. Surgical sterilization of women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 16, 2011.
- Roncari D, et al. Female and male sterilization. In: Hatcher RA, et al. Contraceptive Technology. 20th ed. New York, N.Y.: Ardent Media, Inc.; 2011:435.
- Tulandi T. Laparoscopic surgery for treatment of infertility in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 16, 2011.
- Stubblefield PG, et al. Family planning. In: Berek JS. Berek & Novak's Gynecology. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007:287.
- Treating infertility. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For_Patients/faq137.ashx. Accessed Dec. 16, 2011.
- Gordts S, et al. Clinical factors determining pregnancy outcome after microsurgical tubal reanastomosis. Fertility and Sterility. 2009;92:1198.
- Feinberg EC, et al. Infertility surgery is dead: Only the obituary remains? Fertility and Sterility. 2008;89:232.
- Schepens JJ, et al. Pregnancy outcomes and prognostic factors from tubal sterilization reversal by sutureless laparoscopical re-anastomosis: A retrospective cohort study. Human Reproduction. 2011;26:354.
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 19, 2011.
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