Every year, around 700,000 women in the U.S. are sterilized, or get their “tubes tied.” Tubal ligation is a surgery that blocks the fallopian tubes (the tubes that link the uterus to the ovaries) to prevent pregnancy. For American women aged 15-49, this method is more popular than birth control pills: 14% of women use the pill, while 18.1% get their tubes tied.
That’s because it’s a safe, easy, and effective form of birth control. It’s also considered permanent, but there are exceptions. Pregnancy (intended or unintended) is still possible. Sometimes, it happens many years after the operation. In some cases, it can be a medical emergency.
How Well Does Tubal Ligation Work?
Tubal ligation is an extremely reliable way to prevent pregnancy. But it’s not 100% effective. In rare cases, your tubes can reconnect. The clamp used in tubal ligation can fail, too.
If you want to get pregnant after tubal ligation, there are ways to do it. But several things play a role in your chances of getting pregnant later.
One is the surgical method your doctor uses. Your tubes may be:
- Cut and tied with special thread
- Closed with bands or clips
- Cauterized, which means an electric current seals them shut
While all work well to prevent pregnancy, not all are equally effective. Methods that cause the most damage to the tubes are most likely to be permanent.
Age also plays a role in the chance that you could get pregnant after tubal ligation. The younger you are when you have it, the more likely it is to fail at some point.
What are the chances of getting pregnant after tubal ligation?
The chances of getting pregnant after tubal ligation depend on the factors above, such as your age and the type of surgical method. One large analysis put the failure rate of tubal ligation at 1.85% within 10 years.
When Should You See a Doctor About Pregnancy After Tubal Ligation?
It’s possible to get pregnant even after you’ve had your tubes tied. If you do get pregnant after tubal ligation, there’s a chance it’ll be ectopic.
An ectopic pregnancy isn’t like a normal pregnancy, when a fertilized egg attaches and grows inside the uterus. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg implants and starts to grow somewhere else, usually in a fallopian tube. The fertilized egg can’t survive. You could also have serious internal bleeding.
One study found that a third of unintended post-tubal ligation pregnancies were ectopic. But not all post-tubal ligation pregnancies are ectopic.
See a doctor right away if you think you have an ectopic pregnancy. Warning signs include:
- Belly pain
- Pelvic pain
- Vaginal bleeding that isn’t your period
- Extreme lightheadedness
- Fainting
What Is Tubal Ligation Reversal?
Tubal ligation reversal is a surgery that may allow you to get pregnant after getting your tubes tied. In this surgery, a doctor reconnects the fallopian tubes.
If you’re a candidate for tubal ligation reversal, the best-case scenario pregnancy rate after this procedure is 75%-80%.
But not every tubal ligation is reversible.
Whether your tubal ligation is reversible depends on several things, such as:
- The length and health of your fallopian tubes
- Age
- The type of surgery used
- Presence of scar tissue (In general, you can’t reverse Essure, a method that causes scar tissue to form via tiny implants.)
When is tubal ligation reversal surgery recommended?
A doctor might recommend tubal ligation reversal surgery if you’ve had your tubes tied but want to be able to get pregnant again. But tubal ligation reversal surgery isn’t as common as it once was. That’s because doctors often suggest in vitro fertilization (IVF) instead of reversal surgery. With IVF, a specialist combines eggs and sperm in a lab. From there, the fertilized egg (also called an embryo) can be placed into your uterus for pregnancy.
Takeaways
Tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied) is a procedure in which your fallopian tubes are blocked to prevent pregnancy. It’s an effective way to prevent pregnancy, but it’s not perfect. There’s a very small chance you could get pregnant after getting your tubes tied. If you want to get pregnant after getting your tubes tied, you might be able to do so with a tubal ligation reversal or through IVF.
FAQs About Pregnancy After Tubal Ligation
Here are some commonly asked questions about pregnancy after tubal ligation.
How can you prevent an unwanted pregnancy after tubal ligation?
Tubal ligation is an effective way to protect you from an unwanted pregnancy. Once you get the procedure done, you don’t have to use any other form of birth control, such as the birth control pill. But in rare cases, you can get pregnant after getting your tubes tied. The biggest analysis of tubal ligation failure rates put the failure rate at 1.85% over a 10-year period.
But one study found that 3%-5% of women in the U.S. who got tubal ligation later had an unplanned pregnancy. Based on that, the authors of the study suggested people consider an IUD or implant as a form of birth control instead. But you can also use other forms of birth control, such as condoms, after getting your tubes tied to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy.
How do you know if you’re pregnant after a tubal ligation?
If you get pregnant after a tubal ligation, you might notice early pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, tender breasts, and a missed period. The first signs of an ectopic pregnancy include pain in your pelvis or light bleeding.
If you have signs of pregnancy or if you take a pregnancy test and it’s positive, call your doctor.
How long do your tubes stay tied?
When you get a tubal ligation, your fallopian tubes will usually stay tied for the rest of your life, unless you get a reversal. But in rare cases, your tubes can reconnect, or the clamp or clip that holds them shut can fail.
