Our team of San Antonio, TX fertility doctors have helped countless couples and individuals experience the joys of building a family. This commonly involves in vitro fertilization (IVF) for female infertility and male infertility. Assisted reproductive technology provides so many options for mothers and fathers, no matter what their current situation may entail. In fact, it can even circumvent certain types of birth control.

Dr. Joseph E. Martin and his team would like to consider how IVF can be used to help women who’ve undergone tubal ligation become pregnant. This offers an option for women who would like to maintain the birth control benefits of tubal ligation but still wish to have children.

How Tubal Ligation Works

Tubal ligation is a type of surgical birth control that involves cutting, tying, or blocking the fallopian tubes. By doing this, sperm is blocked from reaching an egg that is ready for fertilization. You may have heard of the surgery described as “getting your tubes tied.”

Yet after undergoing tubal ligation, some women have second thoughts about the procedure and would like to become pregnant. In these cases, they may now want a child; or perhaps they would like another child but underwent tubal ligation after having their previous baby. While tubal ligation reversal surgery is one option for becoming pregnant again, fertility specialists have other options that can be helpful.

Can I Undergo IVF When My Tubes Are Tied?

Yes.

Given the way that IVF works, it’s possible to perform the procedure on women who’ve undergone tubal ligation, allowing them to give birth to a healthy baby.

The IVF Procedure

During IVF, viable eggs are harvested from a woman’s body and fertilized in a lab. The fertilized egg develops into an embryo that is transferred to a woman’s uterus where it is carried to term. This bypasses the blocked fallopian tubes and makes pregnancy possible.

During your visit to the Fertility Center of San Antonio, we can determine if IVF is an ideal option for your situation.

IVF vs. Tubal Ligation Reversal

While IVF is effective, it is also possible to become pregnant again through tubal ligation reversal. Many women to wonder if they should simply reverse their tubal ligation procedure rather than undergoing IVF.

Keep in mind that tubal ligation reversal is not a sure thing. Johns Hopkins estimates that around 50 percent to 80 percent of women can become pregnant again thanks to the tubal ligation procedure. The reversal surgery is more invasive than undergoing IVF, which is important to keep in mind. Finally, tubal ligation reversal undoes the birth control benefits women may wish to maintain after having a child.

There’s no single answer when it comes to this decision. We’ll help you weigh your options as part of the consultation process.

Freezing Eggs Before Tubal Ligation

Before a woman undergoes tubal ligation, they may want to consider fertility preservation techniques. Freezing eggs or embryos before getting your tubes tied can aid in a future IVF procedure. If this sounds like a good option to you, we can go over the details during a visit to our office.

Contact the Fertility Center of San Antonio

If you would like to learn more about getting pregnant after undergoing tubal ligation, be sure to contact our experienced team of fertility specialists. You can reach our doctors by phone at (210) 692-0577.