If you have finished building a family, it is normal to take more lasting precautionary measures to avoid a next pregnancy. From IUD insertion to surgical procedures like tubal ligation, there are many options. But what if the situation changes? If you decide that you would like to be a mother again, can I get pregnant after a tubal ligation?
Can you get pregnant after a tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation consists of preventing, through a surgical procedure, the passage of sperm into the fallopian tubes, thus preventing the fertilization of the egg.
The problem arises when trying to recover the old function of this organ.
There is Two Ways to Get Pregnant After a Tubal Ligation: through a ligation reversal, or with a in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The first option, if performed before the age of 40, offers a high chance of success, reaching up to 70% of pregnancies in women under 35 years of age. Even so, the good prognosis of this procedure will depend on each specific patient, although it is true that if the tube or an important part of it has been removed during the ligation, reversal will be impossible.
Another option would be to perform in vitro fertilization.given that allows pregnancy to be achieved without the need for any surgical procedure. It is not possible to perform artificial insemination as the patient lacks fully functional tubes, for which in vitro fertilization is the best alternative to achieve a pregnancy, especially when the woman is over 40 years of age. He Dr. Manuel Muñoz, director of IVI Alicanteexplains what this treatment consists of:
In Vitro Fertilization with tubal ligation
“The IVF It is a technique that makes it possible to obtain in the laboratory what normally happens in the woman’s tube when she becomes pregnant naturally. For this, it is necessary unite the sperm of the man with the eggs of the woman to generate an embryo that will later be transferred to the uterus. Collecting the semen sample is simple; and to obtain the ovules we use the so-called ovarian stimulation, which basically consists of using the same hormones that in the natural menstrual cycle allow the selection of a single ovule, but which, in this case, are administered at a determined dose (depending on the reserve ovary of each patient), allow a variable number of ovules to be obtained (usually between 5 and 15). These ovules, together with the spermatozoa, will allow the embryos to be generated later. After a few days of growth in culture in the laboratory, and applying the usual selection techniques based on its quality, the embryo will finally be transferred to the patient’s uterus. These types of treatments have excellent prognosis; In addition, since it is an outpatient technique, such as IVF, the patient will be able to reconcile it perfectly with family and work life”.
Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Try for a Pregnancy After a Tubal Ligation
The age of the future mother
In all cases, the age of the future mother can influence the achievement or not of pregnancy. This is because over time the ovarian reserve is depleted, also making the available eggs of lower quality. Given this, it must be taken into account that both the quality and the quantity of the oocytes decrease after the age of 35. In addition, from the age of 38 there are greater possibilities of genetic alterations in the embryos. In those cases in which the diagnosis so indicates, a reproductive medicine protocol could be applied for highly complex cases.
General health status
On the other hand, in cases in which the desire for maternity was not part of the vital plans of the woman, it is most probable that the annual gynecological visits have not been oriented towards the search for pregnancy. Therefore, the recommendation before starting the pregnancy search process will always be to carry out a preconception consultation to evaluate the fertility of the woman and the couple, in the cases that apply.
Whatever your case, it is best to consult a specialist, who will know how to assess the best alternative so that you can be a mother.
