Getting Out of (Birth) Control
Tubal Ligation - A Pretty Permanent Fix
There are myriad methods of birth control available to women. Everything from pills to surgery can be implemented in order to avoid getting pregnant. Some women opt for more permanent methods of birth control, such as tubal ligation, which is the closing of the fallopian tubes which connect the ovaries to the uterus. When a woman ovulates, the egg leaves the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube en route to the uterus. Pregnancy occurs when the egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube - then the fertilized egg makes it way to the uterus where it is implanted and grows. By closing off the fallopian tubes there is no way for an egg to travel to the uterus.
A Change of Heart After the Fact
Tubal ligation is the blocking of the fallopian tubes which can be cut, tied, cauterized or blocked in a non-surgical manner. Statistics indicate that about 25 percent of women who have a tubal ligation performed decide to have the surgery reversed. The most common reason is a change of heart - or a change in perspectives. Sometimes a change in situation prompts the decision. A new partner, death of a child or partner or simply wanting to have a child are all reasons a woman may decided to have tubal reversal surgery.
Untying Those Tied Tubes
Very similar to ligation surgery, tubal reversal is the unclamping or untying of the fallopian tubes. This procedure's success is dependent upon the type of blocking used in the ligation surgery. If the tubes were tied or clamped, then the reversal is generally quite easy. If the tubes were cauterized, then it may not be possible to complete a reversal if the lining of the fallopian tubes was damaged in the cauterizing process.
Since it is surgery, many hospitals require a woman to remain hospitalized for anywhere from two to five days. Full recovery from this type of surgery can take a month or more. Some clinics and hospitals are performing tubal ligations using microsurgery which is less invasive, can be performed in less than an hour and the healing time is shortened considerably. A local anesthesia is used and the patient is released two hours after the surgery. Within two weeks, a woman is back to normal life.
Highly Successful With A Possible Glitch
The success rate of tubal reversals is as high as 90 percent and more than two thirds of women who undergo this process report conceiving within a year. It is not uncommon for a woman to become pregnant within just six months of a tubal ligation reversal. There is a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy for women who undergo tubal reversal surgery so it is important for a woman who suspects she's pregnant to do a test, have it confirmed and then have the doctor do the necessary testing to ensure it is not a tubal pregnancy.
Faster, Better, More Successful and Less Expensive
If you are a woman who has had a tubal ligation done and you are considering having a baby, it is recommended that you have a tubal ligation reversal as opposed to IVF. The success rate is much higher and the cost of reversal is much lower than in vitro fertilization.
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