Genesis Fertility Clinic Blog
searching: “tubal ligation”
July 16, 2009
Tubal Ligation Regret
Most of the time I am helping infertile couples conceive, but I also help fertile women who have had their tubes tied and later regret it. About 7% of women who have their tubes tied (i.e., tubal ligation) will wish they hadn’t tied them. The typical patient is a woman who had children with an ex-husband and had her tubes tied during that relationship thinking she was done having children. Then that relationship ends and the woman meets a new man and decides to have children with him.
Women who have had their tubes tied can either do IVF or have a surgical procedure to reverse the tubal ligation (aka tubal ligation reversal or tubal reanastomosis). I do this surgery for Genesis patients and it’s perhaps one of the most enjoyable surgeries I do. It’s enjoyable because I get to sit down, use a microscope and slowly and carefully sew tubes back together. I come from a long line of women who sew, knit and crochet so I guess I am just carrying on the family tradition in some way!
How likely is it that a woman will conceive after this surgery? Like everything the answer is “it depends.” Mostly it depends on the age of the woman, length and health of the tubes I am sewing, and the quality of her partner’s sperm. Rough pregnancy rates are: 70% for women < 36, 60% for women 36-40, 50% for women 40-43 and 10% for women > 43.
The surgery involves a ~8cm cut in the abdomen – similar to a c-section cut. Some centres in the world do it laparoscopically (i.e. through 4-5 tiny cuts in the abdomen) but it takes much, much longer and there isn’t any evidence that pregnancy rates are higher and some argue they are lower.
Unfortunately the provincial health plan will not pay for tubal ligation reversal and the total cost (which covers all hospital fees, and anesthetisia, nursing, surgeon and assistant costs) is $4500 and I perform them at BC Women’s Hospital here in Vancouver.
Dr. Beth Taylor, MD, FRCSC
Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility