Navigating the Emotional Rollercoaster of Infertility During the Holidays
The holidays can be emotional, especially if you’ve been struggling with infertility. Here are some ways you can prioritize your well-being.
Tubal Ligation Reversal
If your life circumstances change after tubal ligation, or having your tubes tied, tubal ligation reversal may enable you to get pregnant.
Tubal Ligation Reversal Process
During the tubal ligation, your fallopian tubes were blocked, tied or cut to prevent an egg from becoming fertilized. The tubal ligation reversal requires your reproductive endocrinologist to rejoin the fallopian tubes and allow the egg to travel from the ovary into the uterus.
While the tubal ligation procedure is performed laparoscopically, the reversal typically requires a larger incision- approximately four to six inches long. Your fertility specialist will cut through the skin, muscles and tissues that make up the abdominal wall in order to reconnect the fallopian tubes.
Factors Affecting Successful Tubal Ligation Reversal
A successful tubal ligation reversal is dependent upon several factors that your reproductive endocrinologist evaluates:
- Age: Generally, women under the age of 40 have a higher likelihood of becoming pregnant following tubal ligation reversal.
- Tubal Status: The length and quality of the remaining tubal stumps is directly related to the chance of pregnancy following tubal ligation reversal. The longer the stumps and the less scarring, the higher the probability of a successful procedure. In order for your fertility specialist to assess tubal status, surgery is required.
- Other Fertility Factors: Prior to undergoing tubal ligation reversal, you should work with your reproductive endocrinologist to ensure there are no other pelvic conditions or scarring that would prevent you from becoming pregnant.
After Tubal Ligation Reversal
After the reversal procedure, you will spend one to three days in the hospital for recovery. You will not be able to resume normal activities, including sex, for at least two to three weeks.
Three to four months following the tubal ligation reversal, your reproductive endocrinologist will conduct an X-ray dye test to ensure your tubes are open and functioning properly. When pregnancy occurs, it is typically within the first year following the reversal.
Risks Associated with Tubal Ligation Reversal
As with any surgery, tubal ligation reversal comes with the low probability of risks, such as reactions to anesthesia, bleeding, scarring and infection. In addition, tubal ligation reversal increases your risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is a life-threatening condition where the fetus begins to develop outside of your womb. Lastly, scarring from the original sterilization procedure may spread, blocking the fallopian tubes, again.
If you are interested in having a baby following a female sterilization procedure, discuss your options with your reproductive endocrinologist.
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