In-vitro Fertilization after a Tubal Ligation?
What is a Tubal Ligation?
Many women have their "tubes tied" (tubal ligation) when they do not think they will want more children in the future. Considered a permanent method for preventing pregnancy, a tubal ligation procedure involves a surgeon clamping and blocking or severing and sealing the fallopian tubes so that a woman's eggs cannot reach the uterus to achieve implantation. Since no one can predict the future, just as many woman change their minds and regret their decision to have a tubal ligation. Fortunately, women who have had tubal ligations now have two options for getting pregnant again--in-vitro fertilization or tubal reversal surgery. Tubal reversal surgeries require a woman undergo a laparotomy, an operation involving a surgeon making a four to six inch incision on her abdomen. Since this type of surgery means skin, muscles and abdominal wall muscles will be cut through, recovery time is lengthy and discomfort levels are high. Women having a tubal reversal surgery spend an average of three days in the hospital and about three weeks off work. In addition, several variables affect the ability of a woman to get pregnant following tubal reversal surgery, such as her partner's sperm quality, her age, tubal status (length of remaining tubal ends) and egg quality and quantity.
In-vitro Fertilization vs. Tubal Reversal Surgery
IVF involves administering hormone stimulating drugs, recovering eggs from the woman's ovaries, using sperm to fertilize the eggs and then transferring the embryos back into her uterus where, hopefully, at least one embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Opting for in-vitro fertilization following tubal ligation means women avoid the discomfort and expense of major surgery and will know more quickly whether the procedure is a success. With IVF, most women find out within 10 to 12 days whether pregnancy was achieved using a simple pregnancy test. Discovering whether a tubal reversal surgery was successful or not may take as long as six months to one year. If you have had a tubal ligation and would like to achieve pregnancy without going through a tubal reversal surgery, please call New York Reproductive Wellness today to schedule a consultation appointment regarding in-vitro fertilization: (516) 757-7673
