A very popular method of birth control in the United States is tubal sterilization. Over one million of these surgeries are performed annually.

Many are done soon after delivery (post-partum) or during cesarean section. Others are done electively (interval tubal sterilization) either by laparoscopy or by mini-laparotomy. Tubes are either cut, burned, or both; rings (Falope ring) or clips (Hulka, Filshie) are applied to secure and permanently close the tubal lumen.

A significant number of these patients find themselves, later in life, wanting to conceive. Reasons include divorce, new marriage, loss of children, or simply the realization that they would like a larger family. Traditionally, tubal reconnection has been attempted through laparotomy (opening of the abdomen) and using microscopes or other image-enhancing devices. The recovery time after this type of operation could be several weeks.

Over the last few years, our team has developed and implemented new techniques and instrumentation that allow us to successfully perform these procedures laparoscopically in an outpatient setting. The lack of a large abdominal incision assures a much faster recovery and minimizes the immediate as well as the long-term complications. Our overall success rate is better than the traditional method; however, as with any other fertility treatment, success also depends on the patient’s age, type of ligation, and condition of the tubes at the time of the operation. Other fertility factors are evaluated and corrected as necessary.

A free video of our procedure is available online at YouTube:

Please note that you will need a high-speed Internet connection, such as DSL or cable, to view the video properly.