Tubal ligation is a form of female sterilization that’s considered a permanent birth control solution. But, while this approach is effective at preventing pregnancy 99.5% of the time, it’s not right for everyone.

As experienced OB/GYN experts, the skilled team at Tubal Ligation Reversal Center focuses on providing premium and personalized women’s healthcare services for women in Loganville, Monroe, and the Buckhead/Atlanta area in Georgia. If you’ve undergone tubal ligation and have regrets, there could be options available to help restore your fertility.

Here are three things you should know about tubal ligation.

Tubal ligation doesn’t involve tying your tubes

Most women think of tubal ligation, or female sterilization, as “getting their tubes tied.” But this surgical procedure to prevent pregnancy doesn’t involve “tying” your fallopian tubes at all.

To become pregnant, you need your egg to get fertilized by sperm. The goal of a tubal ligation procedure is to keep your egg from moving from your ovaries to your fallopian tubes and uterus where it can come in contact with sperm.

Tubal ligation accomplishes this by blocking or cutting your fallopian tubes. Neither of these surgical approaches involves tying a neat little bow, so it can be misleading to think of this procedure as “tying” your tubes, which makes it sound easy to reverse.

Tubal ligation isn’t your only birth control option

Tubal ligation offers several advantages if you don’t want to have children. Not only is it highly effective at preventing pregnancy, but it’s also incredibly easy because you don’t have to remember to do anything, like renew a prescription or take a pill every day. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of women regret their decision to have tubal ligation.

If you’re looking for highly effective birth control options that offer the same ease and convenience that comes with female sterilization, both IUDs and birth control implants provide 99% protection and can last anywhere from 3 to 12 years.

Unlike tubal ligation, however, these options are considered temporary, and you can often become pregnant as soon as you stop using them.

Tubal ligation isn’t always permanent

While tubal ligation is meant to be a permanent form of birth control, you can reverse it in some cases. At our clinics, our team performs tubal ligation reversal surgeries designed to reconnect your fallopian tubes. However, going through this procedure only restores fertility in approximately 80% of women.

During a tubal ligation reversal procedure, we make a small incision in your abdomen to expose your fallopian tubes. Then, we remove any blockages and reconnect them using a fine suture. We perform tubal ligation reversal surgeries on an outpatient basis, but they usually require a few weeks of rest while you recover.

To learn more about tubal ligation or tubal ligation reversal surgery, contact us at one of three Tubal Ligation Reversal Center locations, or schedule an appointment online today.