Tubal Ligation Reversal

When it comes time for a couple to discuss the issue of permanent sterilization, the risks and benefits of tubal ligation (for the female partner) verses vasectomy (for the male partner) are an important consideration. Certainly in past years tubal ligation has been more popular than vasectomy in North America. By comparing the important characteristics about each, the reasons behind the shifting trends in favor of vasectomy, become evident.
In skilled hands vasectomy has a failure rate approximately equal to tubal ligation - somewhere between 1/200 and 1/500. The success of a vasectomy can be confirmed by doing semen checks. The success of a tubal ligation cannot be confirmed by any conventional testing (except an unwanted pregnancy). After a vasectomy has been confirmed successful, there remains a small risk of failure over the next 10 years – judged to equal approximately 1 in 3000*. The risk of failure for tubal ligation increases with the amount of time. The chances of successful procedure are approximately 1 in 500 to 1 in 200, (dependant upon surgeon) and while the woman remains fertile, the risks increase approximately two-fold. If a vasectomy fails the couple may have to deal with the pregnancy. If tubal ligation fails the most common site of a pregnancy is what is termed an “ectopic pregnancy”. This is a pregnancy in a place other than in the uterus where it supposed to occur (i.e. the fallopian tubes or elsewhere). Surgery is often required to extract the non-viable embryo usually at great risk to the mother.
Vasectomy is a simple straightforward operation. It can be done in a doctor’s office using local anesthetic. Tubal ligation must be done in a hospital using general anesthetic which carries higher risks. Therefore, surgical risks in vasectomy are also considered much less than with tubal ligation. In fact death resulting from a vasectomy is virtually unheard of. Complications can occur from vasectomy like scrotal hematoma (i.e. a large blood filled scrotum) that takes months to resolve or chronic pain syndrome, which may take months or years to resolve. Serious complications from tubal ligation that can be life threatening occur with a higher frequency. For example bowel or major vessel rupture occurs approximately 1 in 1000 times with tubal ligation. Though very uncommon, complications following tubal ligation can also lead to death.
In summary as couples become more educated regarding the benefits and risks of these two procedures and men become more sensitive and responsible to the responsibilities incumbent upon them in dealing with birth control, it is likely that the vasectomy will continue to increase in popularity over tubal ligations.
Dr Morice is the best doctor of Tubal Ligation Reversal.