Dr. Sunil Garg

Tubal sterilization is one of the more common means of birth control used in the United States. Unfortunately, this permanent form contraception will not allow you to change your mind and attempt pregnancy unless you undergo another surgical procedure. This operation is known as a reversal of tubal sterilization or microsurgical tubal reanastomosis.

The surgery is considerably more involved than the operation performed for the sterilization. Whereas the sterilization involved simply tying, clipping, banding, or burning of the fallopian tubes, this procedure employs the use of very thin microsuture to carefully put the tubes back together. In many respects, the operation is very similar to the delicate repair of small blood vessels and/or nerves that plastic surgeons perform in cases of hand injury. It is necessary to use an operating microscope or another magnifying source to adequately visualize the tubal anatomy, and this makes for a tedious surgery that may take from one to two hours to perform. Tubal sterilization is frequently performed through the laparoscope or small incision(minilaparotomy), and because the surgery takes so little time (15 - 30 minutes), is a day surgery. Reversal of tubal sterilization can be performed through a minilaparotomy incision, however, due to the length of operating time, patients usually need to spend one to two days in the hospital to recover. Unlike laparoscopy, where patients can be expected to resume all normal physical activities without restriction within 48 hours of surgery, minilaparotomy patients must be restricted from lifting and exercising for two weeks after surgery. Patients usually require slightly more pain medication after tubal reanastomosis, than after laparoscopic procedures. After leaving the hospital, patients are allowed to drive, walk, use stairs, and have no dietary restrictions.

The success of this type of surgery is dependent upon several factors. Foremost of these is the amount of fallopian tube remaining after the sterilization