Can a tubal ligation be reversed?
Yes. Reversal of tubal ligation requires specialized surgery that may be very expensive. Some women are not suitable candidates because of the way the sterilization was performed (if too much tube was damaged or if the fimbriated ends of the tubes were removed). Sterilization reversal carries the usual operative and anaesthetic risks of major abdominal surgery as well as the risk of failure and ectopic pregnancy. Tubal ligation (also called female sterilization) seals the fallopian tubes so that the egg and sperm cannot meet. The procedure may be done either laparoscopically (in which viewing and operating instruments are inserted into the abdomen through small incisions), or by minilaparotomy (where the surgeon uses a small incision to open the abdomen and seal the tubes). The tubes may be sealed using cautery (burning the tubes), with specially designed clips or rings, or by cutting a portion of the tubes. This procedure has no effect on the ovaries, which produce the hormones that c
