Pregnancy After Tubal Ligation

Tubal ligation is a permanent female sterilization method which has gained popularity in the recent years. It is a surgical procedure where the fallopian tubes are blocked permanently so that the eggs are not released from the tubes, subsequently preventing conception from occurring. This surgery can be done in various ways.

In certain cases, the fallopian tubes are tied together, while in others they are clipped. On the other hand, the fallopian tubes are also blocked by burning them, which is called cauterization or electrocoagulation method. The method used for each woman would be decided by the doctor after considering various factors like age, general health, etc.

Though it is considered to be a permanent method, it is only 99% successful in averting pregnancy. In other words, the chances of conception do exist even though they are very rare.

This procedure is considered to be an effective method for those who already have children, and do not want to have any more. It is also more convenient than taking an oral-contraceptive pill every day. However, there have been cases where women have got pregnant even after undergoing the procedure.

Statistics show that pregnancy rates after tubal ligation is 1.43% i.e., 143 women in 10,000 do get pregnant even after conducting this procedure. Also, there have been cases where women wanted to get pregnant even after the procedure.

Though tubal ligation is called a permanent method, reversing this procedure and getting pregnant is actually possible. The two methods that ensure pregnancy are the ligation reversal procedure and the IVF method.

The reversal method is a way of redoing the sterilization procedure. The reversal method to be used will depend on the ligation procedure that was originally conducted. The doctor will decide whether a woman is fit for reversal as the chances of conception after conducting this procedure cannot be guaranteed.

Factors like age, method of tubal ligation, etc., would be considered before deciding whether the reversal surgery should be done. During the surgery, the fallopian tubes are joined together, thus allowing the eggs to pass through the tubes and get fertilized by the sperm.

Nevertheless, the odds of conception are very low if the fallopian tubes are damaged during the ligation procedure. If too short tubes are rejoined, conception is unlikely to occur and even if it does, it is likely to be a high-risk pregnancy.

It has been observed that 33% of women have experienced ectopic pregnancy after the reversal procedure because of narrowing or scarring of the rejoined tubes. Therefore, if the doctor observes any such thing in the woman, he will not recommend ligation reversal method to her, and instead, opt for the other alternative which is the IV method.

In the last few years, the world of medical science has come up with this effective way of conception for couples who have not been able to conceive in the natural way. In this method, several eggs are taken out from the woman's body and are fertilized outside the womb from the sperms of the partner.

Once the eggs are fertilized, they are implanted into the woman's womb through a needle, where the baby develops for nine months. This is a good alternative for those women for whom the reversal procedure will not work. However, the chances of pregnancy through in vitro fertilization need not be 100% successful.

This is because there are high chances of the fertilized egg to be terminated instantly when it comes to the IV method. Other than this, IV fertilization can also lead to multiple birth pregnancy. Due to these risk factors of IV method, it should be kept as a last resort to become pregnant.

Finally, it can be said that it is possible to have normal pregnancy after the procedure. Once a woman undergoes the reversal procedure, she may take 6 months to one year to become pregnant naturally. Whatever method you choose to become pregnant, you have to research about it well.

It is important to ask questions to your doctor, to clear all your doubts about the reversal methods. It is extremely crucial to be aware of the risk factors before deciding on the procedure you want to undergo to get pregnant.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.