Women who have undergone a tubal ligation or men who have undergone a vasectomy may change their minds later on in life. Their partners or circumstances might change and they decide they want to try again to have a child. The success on such procedures is highly variable, depending on the type of surgery performed, how long ago, the skills of the surgeon as well as any other factors that may impact fertility, such as maternal age.

Vasectomy reversal surgery

Vasovasostomy, or the reversal of the vasectomy, is performed through two small incisions on each side of the scrotum near the original vasectomy site. Using a microscope as a guide, your doctor locates both ends of the vas and collects a drop of sperm, which should continue to be produced by the testis after vasectomy. If the semen and sperm are normal, the ends of the vas are reattached, restoring the passageway.

Vasectomy reversal surgery is more successful if the period of time since the vasectomy has been less than 10 years. Vasectomy reversal surgery is usually not covered by insurance, and is performed by a urologist. The total cost is approximately $10,000 to $15,000 including the surgeon and the hospital fees. If it is successful, the couple can conceive further children without medical assistance.

Tubal Ligation Reversal

Over half a million women a year choose to have a tubal ligation. Approximately six percent of women who originally decided that tubal ligation was the way to end their childbearing years will, within five years, decide that she does indeed want to experience pregnancy and the birth of a new baby. If a woman has had a tubal ligation, she can choose to have IVF or have her ligation reversed. Reversal has a higher pregnancy rate and a higher birth rate than in vitro fertilization and is considerably cheaper as no other medical assistance should be needed.

The procedure takes an hour or less, there is no hospital stay, and most women return to their normal activities within 5 to 10 days.