Life is full of surprises. A “permanent” solution to birth control may have seemed smart at one time, but you might be regretting it now if you are reading this page. If you want to get pregnant after having had a tubal sterilization, then you have two options. Tubal reversal surgery or IVF. The two options differ from each other greatly. One involves reconnecting one or both fallopian tubes to allow natural fertility. The other bypasses the tubes entirely with use of high-tech medical assistance. Most of the time the right option is the one you feel most comfortable with after learning about their pros and cons. Often cost becomes the deciding factor. Tubal reversal is almost 50% less costly. Meeting with our specialists will help you see which fits your life best.
Considerations that may help in your decision:
- What method of tubal sterilization did you have? If both tubes were entirely removed, then your only option is IVF. Success with tubal reversal can be diminished if too little tube remains.
- Are your periods regular? Did you always conceive quickly prior to your tubal sterilization procedure? If you answer “no” to either of these questions then tubal reversal may not be the best method as you might still require fertility assistance after the tubal correction surgery.
- Does your male partner have sufficient sperm? He could test his semen with a formal semen analysis delivered to our office during his scheduled appt for such or he could do a self-administered home test ordered online (e.g. Yo! or Home Sperm Check). If the semen quality is poor then tubal reversal has greatly diminished success. IVF is the treatment of choice when the male has major sperm issues.
- How old are you? There is better success with either treatment if the female is under age 40. But high success can be obtained with those 40 and over through IVF when donor eggs or donor embryos are utilized. You should be under age 46 unless you plan to use donor eggs or embryos.
- How many more children do you want? IVF can sometimes yield multiple embryos. So extra embryos can be cryopreserved for years into the future to achieve another pregnancy, even if you will be exiting the most fertile age range at that time. You can preserve your youthful fertility now for the future.
- Do you want to choose the gender of your next child? IVF is the only sure-fire way to select the gender of the embryo before it is placed into your womb.
- Do you hate the idea of contracepting again? After a successful tubal reversal, contraception may be something you will need to deal with again. Or else get your tubes tied again.
- Is your male partner happy to cooperate with providing a semen specimen in a cup at the specified time? Or willing to freeze a specimen away for use in the future? The IVF process requires that we perform his formal semen analysis in our lab.
- Do you want to conceive now? If not, and you are in your mid 30’s or older then you may benefit from fertility preservation which involves retrieving eggs while you are as young as you can be and freezing either eggs or embryos or both for your future use.
Contact us to schedule your appointment.