Most women have their tubes tied before they leave the hospital after they deliver a baby, or they come in for tubal ligation by laparoscopy which is an outpatient surgical procedure done through a scope that goes through the belly button.
Tubal reversal surgery usually requires a laparotomy which is a much larger incision on the abdomen usually approximately 4 to 6 inches in length. Since the skin and all the muscles and other tissues of the abdominal wall must be cut through there is considerably more discomfort and a much longer recovery time following the surgery as compared to a laparoscopic surgery such as with a tubal ligation.
Before your health care provider can advise you about the potentialfor successful tubal ligation reversal, you will need to provide him with all the facts and records from your tubal ligation procedure. The type of tubal ligation procedure used will determine the best procedure for tubal reversal, and have a major impact on your chance of success.
The tubal ligation reversal procedure uses microsurgery to rejoin the two remaining sections of the fallopian tubes. Certain factors have a direct effect on the potential for a successful tubal reversal procedure. Because the fallopian tube’s diameter varies from one end to the other, the best chance for success occurs when the diameters of the two remaining sections of fallopian tube are almost identical. In cases where the two remaining ends of the tubes are of different diameter (for example, a narrow end of tube close to the uterus is being connected to a wider end near the end of the fallopian tube), success rates for pregnancy are lower.
Not all women who have had a tubal ligation will be able to have the procedure reversed. During your initial assessment for the procedure, your fertility specialist will examine the current health of your fallopian tubes, most likely through laparoscopy. She will also look over the surgery and pathology reports from when you originally had the procedure done.
After the surgery, you will have to remain in the hospital overnight. This is to recover from the anesthetic and to make sure that no complications arise. Some women end up staying in the hospital for up to five days, but this depends upon the speed of your recovery. Total tubal ligation reversal recovery time is usually between four and six weeks.
Tubal reversal surgery is fairly common and is very safe. However, as with any surgical procedure, there is a risk that complications may arise. These complications may include: