By Dr. Rut Gómez de Segura (Gynaecologist – Reg. No. 28/2908776).
Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure used as a permanent method of contraception for women.
The fallopian tubes are surgically blocked, cut or sealed, preventing the oocytes released by the ovaries from coming into contact with sperm, thus preventing pregnancy.
It is 99% effective, which makes it a very effective procedure to prevent pregnancy. It is very common to opt for tubal ligation (in the case of women) or vasectomy (in the case of men) to prevent pregnancy, especially when a couple has already had several children and does not want to continue expanding their family.
But what happens if the situation changes after a tubal ligation and a woman wants to become pregnant again? Is it possible to reverse it? What options are available to achieve this?

Although tubal ligation is generally a permanent procedure, in some cases women can become pregnant accidentally after tubal ligation, although the chances are very low.
The tubes may reconnect naturally or the surgical ligation may fail, depending on the technique used. However, if you have had a tubal ligation and wish to expand your family, all is not lost.
Tubal ligation can be reversed, but it will depend on several factors:
In some cases, surgery may be performed to reconnect the tubes, a procedure known as tubal recanalisation. However, this procedure is not always successful. In fact, the pregnancy rate after a reversal is usually not very high.
Reproductive medicine may be the best option in these cases. In in vitro fertilisation (IVF), oocytes are removed from the ovaries and fertilised with sperm in the laboratory. The resulting embryo is implanted in the uterus, so there is no need for the oocytes and sperm to pass through the fallopian tubes.

IVF is a treatment with a high success rate. In IVF-Life, these rates are over 70%, that is, 7 out of 10 patients manage to become pregnant. These results increase when IVF is combined with pre-implantation genetic testing or PGT, which raises the success rate to 8 out of 10 patients.
The first thing to bear in mind is that the decision is not the patient's alone, but must be based on medical criteria. Reproductive medicine professionals will study your case and offer you the best alternative.
In an assisted reproduction treatment, other factors come into play, not only the fallopian tubes. For this reason, the uterus and the embryo will also need to be studied. It is important to study the general and reproductive health of each case, as there are several health conditions or fertility problems that can influence the results of IVF.
Age will also be taken into account, as women under 35 are more likely to have a better chance of success with IVF than those over 40, due to the quality of the oocytes. Another factor that will be taken into account is whether there have been previous IVF attempts and the results obtained. Sometimes, previous treatments can influence the decision to go ahead with another cycle.
On a personal level, it is important that you have the support of those around you if you decide to start IVF treatment. Having the support of your partner or family and choosing a good team of professionals can make a big difference during the process.
At IVF-Life we have a team of experts who will be at your disposal throughout the whole process and who will offer you personalised and close treatment.