Having your tubes tied and wanting another child can be
disheartening. Discussing this situation with a physician can lead to being
told the only option is IVF (in vitro fertilization). IVF does work for many
couples and they are joyous to be given the chance to have a child. Then there
are the couples that do not want to use IVF. What are their options?
There is adoption. This is a wonderful option because it
gives a child a home and family. Although this is a great option, there are
still couples that want to have their own child. This is where tubal reversal
surgery comes in.
Tubal reversal surgery is when the damaged fallopian tubes
are repaired. A surgeon will remove the part of the fallopian tubes that are
damaged and then connect the healthy remaining parts. This opens the pathway
for the egg and sperm to unite.
Tubal reversal surgery has excellent pregnancy success. The
leading tubal reversal center reports that two-thirds of patients become
pregnant within the first year; this is seen in the largest tubal reversal
study conducted to date. The Tubal
Reversal Pregnancy Report 2009 has proven to be an excellent guide to physicians
as well as the general public.
So why don’t doctors
tell their patients about tubal reversal surgery?
The fault is really not all in the doctor’s hands. The
problem seems to be that many doctors do not get to witness tubal reversal
while in medical school. There are only a small amount of surgeons that perform
this procedure. Due to the complexity of the surgery it has to be their specialty.
Having a tubal reversal surgeon with experience is extremely important. There
is only one chance to have the fallopian tubes repaired right. Having the
surgeon with experience improves the pregnancy odds greatly.
What is the cost of
tubal reversal?
As with anything else the cost will vary from surgeon to
surgeon. It also depends on where the surgery is performed. If the surgery is
performed in the hospital, the cost can be triple the cost of having the
surgery performed in a state-of-the-art outpatient surgical center.
The cost of
tubal reversal surgery at the leading center is about $7000.00. When
choosing the surgeon to perform the surgery it is important to know what is
included in the cost. If there are hospital fees this should be stated. Too
many times patients are not told of all the costs involved and get a surprise
after the fact. Facing unexpected bills is not something that should be part of
this new beginning.
Understanding that tubal reversal is available is important.
The fact that many couples do not know this is available is concerning. There
are many women who are quite happy with the fact that they have their tubes
tied. Understanding that there are women that live with regret daily because
they feel they have made a huge mistake is also important. There are couples
that are clueless that this surgery is even available. By helping to spread the
word we are a catalyst in helping to restore hope.
