When a couple decides that they are having their last child, often the woman will have a tubal ligation.
This is commonly known as having her "tubes tied".
Sometimes, however, circumstances change and the woman later decides that she wants to begin trying to conceive another child.
Most doctors would tell her that the only way she can conceive after having a tubal ligation is by using in vitro fertilization.
However, this is not necessarily true because there is another option for a woman who is trying to conceive after a tubal.
When a woman has her tubes tied, in essence this prevents the egg from going from the ovary to the uterus.
This is because the fallopian tubes are cut so this cannot happen.
Most doctors these days are being trained that in vitro fertilization is the option of choice.
They are being taught this in medical school and during their training in hospitals across America.
However, there are a handful of doctors who do a procedure called a tubal reversal.
For a woman who is trying to conceive after tubal reversal, there are a couple of factors that will determine whether or not she is likely to be successful.
One factor is her age at the time of the reversal.
It is important to remember that women start to lose their fertility as they get older.
They are born with a certain number of eggs and once those are gone, she cannot make more.
Therefore, she will be fertile only until a particular age.
If she has a tubal reversal surgery done in her late 30s or early 40s, she may be prevented from getting pregnant simply by virtue of her hormonal levels at that time.
However, a good family doctor will check her hormones before she goes through the surgery to see what the possibilities are.
Another factor that determines whether or not a woman is able to get pregnant after tubal reversal is how the original tubal ligation surgery was done.
Many women do not realize that there were several different ways of doing a tubal ligation.
Researchers have found that the chances for trying to conceive after tubal reversal are based upon how the original tubal ligation was done.
Tubal ring or clip reversal shows a 75% chance of pregnancy after reversal surgery.
However, if the doctor used tubal coagulation, known as burning, the chances of pregnancy are reduced to 66%.
Finally, if the doctor used a resection method, known as cutting, the chances are reduced again to 63%.