Is pregnancy really possible after tubal ligation?

You can find numerous stories of women who have changed their minds about having more children after having their tubes tied. This common procedure, called a tubal ligation, is performed thousands of times each year in the United States and around the world. It is considered a permanent form of female sterilization. While most women are happy with their decision to have their tubes tied, some end up wondering if a pregnancy is possible after having their tubes tied.

Pregnancy is certainly possible after tubal ligation. For one thing, there is always a failure rate when it comes to any type of sterilization procedure. Up to 2% of patients may have an accidental pregnancy after tubal ligation. Although this is rare, women should know that this is a possibility that they should discuss with their doctor for the first signs of a tubal pregnancy. This is because tubal pregnancies, also called ectopic pregnancies, are very common with accidental pregnancies after ligation.

However, most women who are wondering about the chances of getting pregnant after tubal ligation are hopeful that there is a way to reverse the sterilization procedure. While many doctors will advise patients that the only way to get pregnant after ligation is through in vitro fertilization, in reality this is only one of two options.

IVF is a popular procedure, but it is also very expensive and has a fairly low success rate. It can cost a woman $ 10,000 or more per cycle attempted. Plus, it only has a 35% success rate per cycle. On the other hand, having a tubal reversal procedure costs thousands of dollars less, is a permanent procedure, and has a higher success rate of around 70%. For women who want to know if pregnancy is possible after tubal ligation, tubal reversal surgery provides a safe and effective way to allow a natural pregnancy again.