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What Is a Tubal Ligation Reversal?

A tubal ligation reversal, or tubal reanastamosis, is a surgical procedure to reverse a tubal ligation, sometimes referred to as “tied tubes.” About one million women in the United States undergo elective tubal ligation procedures each year, and many later seek the assistance of a surgeon to reverse them.

Our fertility doctors repair and restore a woman’s fallopian tubes so that she will be able to again become pregnant. Once their fallopian tubes are corrected, their uterus will work naturally again, so they don't have to take fertility medication. The male sperm will be able to move through the uterus, uninhibited, naturally joining with an unfertilized egg.

Once the tubal reversal surgery is complete, patients could see an effective pregnancy within a year. Our clients come to us for tubal reversal from Nashville, Cookville, Atlanta and Huntsville. We offer tubal ligation reversal at both our Chattanooga and Knoxville locations.

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Who Is a Candidate For Tubal Reversal?

A woman may need to have a hysterosalpingogram or a laparoscopy performed to determine the feasibility of success before a reversal can even be attempted. Reversal success rates are dependent upon several factors, including:

  • A woman’s reproductive age
  • The location and type of tubal ligation
  • How long ago the procedure was done
  • The final tubal length after reversal

The best candidates for tubal reversal are women under age 31 who have had falope ring or clip tubal ligations involving the portion of the tubes closest to the uterus and who have no known infertility factors. Less than five percent of women with tubal ligations have damage that cannot be repaired.

How Does It Compare to IVF?

With steady improvements in the pregnancy rates resulting from assisted reproduction, patients now have a non-surgical option for achieving pregnancy after a tubal ligation through in vitro fertilization, which transfers embryos directly into the uterus for implantation.

In nearly all tubal ligation cases, IVF offers the best chances for pregnancy success. The risk factors, benefits, and success rates of each procedure are outlined below:

COMPARE: Tubal Reversal IVF
Risks
  • Surgical complications
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Weeks of recuperation
  • Need for contraception after delivery
  • Pregnancy with multiples (twins or triplets)
  • Gonadotropin injection therapy
  • Ovarian hyperstimulation (on rare occasions)
Benefits
  • Preferred if planning for many children
  • Limited chance of multiples
  • No injections
  • Fastest route to conception
  • Limited surgical and ectopic pregnancy risks
  • A few days of recuperation
  • No need for contraceptives after delivery
Success Rates
  • 40-50% for patients age 35 or younger
  • Pregnancy often takes 8 months to achieve
  • 50-75% for patients age 35 or younger per IVF attempt
  • Rates increase when frozen embryos are used

The Fertility Center Reviews

Our Customers have rated The Fertility Center 5/5 based on 17 customer reviews

“After working for over 10 years with OB/GYN doctors to try to conceive I finally reached out to a specialty clinic. I am so glad I did! They do things differently and give you a lot more options. Just 3 months after working with these great doctors I became pregnant. Now, we are parents to the sweetest little boy. Thank you Dr. Donesky and Dr. Bird for listening and caring for me. Your staff is wonderful also and genuinely cared about my husband, myself and our dreams of becoming parents. God Bless you all!!!”

Amber | IVF

“LOVE the fertility center of Chattanooga. Professional & very friendly. Immediately made us feel comfortable. Excellent, competent & affordable care, worth the drive from Alabama. Our son was conceived on the first round of IUI. Forever grateful to Dr. Donesky & Dr.Bird and all the wonderful staff.”

Laura | IUI

“I went for my first consult with Dr. Donesky. He was very knowledgeable and understanding. His explanation of things such as medicines and answering questions was excellent. The atmosphere in this clinic is so warming. The ladies that work here absolutely love what they do and it sure does show!!! The email and phone call return for the staff is excellent!!!! If you have a question it is always answered in a wonderful time frame, my questions have always been answered the same day that they were asked. Infertility is a very emotional thing and couples need support, the staff in this clinic are so supportive and loving. I'm from the central Arkansas area and I traveled 8 hours there and 8 hours back to go to this clinic and I would do it all over again! It was worth every single second of travel time. If you are "shopping for a fertility clinic family" this clinic is a great invest!!! Dr. Donesky ROCKS and the ladies are awesome!!!!! Good luck and baby dust!!!!!”

Chelsa | IVF

“LOVED Dr. Bird and his staff. He was the only doctor able to answer my questions about my infertility issues. I felt like they really cared about my problems and tried to understand my condition. Dr. Bird and his assistant Debrah, made me feel like their most special patient, unlike all the other doctors I had visited. He was able to treat my Asherman's Syndrome, reconstructed my uterus, and helped me stay pregnant through constant monitoring. I am happy to report I am currently pregnant with my first child and in my second trimester!!”

Amy | IVF

“I treated at the Fertility Center office in Knoxville, and I cannot say enough good things about this practice. Having been to most of the fertility practices in Knoxville, I can honestly say that this is a unique medical practice. Everyone there is so compassionate, and they truly take into account the situation you are in with every interaction. Dr. Donesky has a real gift with infertility, and we wouldn't be expecting our twins without him. I strongly recommend him and this practice to anyone facing fertility problems.”

Sarah | IUI

Benefits of Tubal Ligation Reversal Surgery

The main benefit of performing this surgery is that the patient is back to normal. After the procedure, the patient can become pregnant the old-fashioned way, through natural intercourse. Tubal ligation reversal eliminates the need to continue with fertility medications or weekly check-ups with a fertility specialist.

Patients also don’t have to worry about having multiple children after tubal reversal. Now it’s still possible to have twins and triplets, but the chances are extremely limited after tubal reversal. After she goes through the surgery, thae patient will only need to be conscious of using contraception unless they would like to continue having more children.

How Much Does a Tubal Reversal Cost?

While many insurance plans do not cover reverse sterilization or infertility treatments, the majority will cover the diagnostic tests that help determine which treatment method is right for each patient.

Keep in mind that, although the cost of a tubal reversal is fixed, the fees for facilities and anesthesia vary significantly, many times exceeding the cost of IVF. Due to these and other varying factors, tubal reversal cost averages around $25,000 or more.

For women without infertility treatment coverage, the Fertility Center offers IVF packages starting at $10,900.  This includes all treatment procedures, ultrasounds and labs, micromanipulation, cryopreservation, anesthesia and facility fees. Medication costs are additional.  For qualified patients, we also have an IVF Refund program.

Regardless of the procedure, financing is available. The Fertility Center guides each patient in choosing the option that best fits her budget.

Tubal Status Complications

When a woman goes through tubal ligation, her fallopian tubes are cut, cauterized and tied together. The length of these cauterized ends of the tubes matters when considering tubal reversal surgery.

The longer the cauterized ends of the tubes are, the higher the change for a successful reversal and pregnancy, but the shorter the tubes are, the lower the chances for pregnancy. We can’t know how long the tubes are without surgery. We can use a hysterosalpingogram to know the length of the proximal tube, but it won’t tell us the length of the distal tube.

Another potential problem can be if the fimbriated end of the cauterized tubes are damaged or have been removed. The fimbria are the fluffy and delicate ends of the tubes that “pick up” the egg during ovulation when the potential egg is released from the ovary. If the fimbria is damaged, the chances of a successful pregnancy are low.

If all fertility signs are good, long tubal ends, working fimbria, good sperm from a male partner, the success rates for tubal reversal surgery are greater than 75% within the first year! This means that within the first year of trying with their partners, more than 75% of women with long tube ends, good fimbria, and good sperm will find a successful pregnancy!

The Fertility Center offers tubal reversal services for our clients from Nashville, Atlanta, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and beyond! Our two offices are located in Chattanooga and Knoxville.