Tubal & Vasectomy Reversals

This is my first visit to this board. I had my tubes tied a year ago via electrocautery. So far, so good. Only this month, I'm late and it's following the same pattern as when I was pregnant. Very crampy for a few days, feels like period is going to start. Then, nothing and the cramping has stopped. I will test in a few more days if it doesn't start.

I just wondered how prevalent it is for a tubal ligation to fail. I saw pictures from my surgery. It seems like she sealed them off pretty good.

Hi there and welcome to the board!

I do not have my tubes tied as of yet but will in September after Baby #3 is born.  Here is some information I found about failure/success rates:

• Women who are looking for a permanent form of birth control may choose to have a tubal ligation, also known as getting your "tubes tied" or female sterilization. This surgical procedure to make a woman sterile is very effective at preventing pregnancy, with a failure rate as low as 0.4%.
• It is possible to become pregnant following tubal ligation. The failure rate is low at 2-10/per 1,000 women. There is no 100% guarantee for any form of tubal ligation. Should you become pregnant, you will usually have a normal pregnancy. However, you have a higher chance of a tubal pregnancy (ectopic). Signs that you have a tubal pregnancy are pain on one or both sides of the lower abdomen; pain and spotting after a missed period; a very light period; or feeling faint or dizzy with pressure on the bowels. Should you have any of these signs after a tubal ligation, you should seek medical help as soon as possible.  Up to 1% of women can become pregnant after tubal ligation.

• Does a Tubal Ligation Ever Fail?
  Yes, rarely. There is a very small chance, less than 2%, that you could become pregnant during the 10-year period after a tubal ligation.
  A tubal ligation can fail if the tubes were not blocked completely during surgery. Sometimes, the cut ends of the tube join together by themselves. Sometimes a woman was already pregnant at the time the operation was done.
  In the few cases when a pregnancy does happen, there is a chance that it will be a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. A tubal pregnancy is when the fetus grows in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. If you think you are pregnant after you have had a sterilization, call your doctor right away, because a tubal pregnancy is dangerous and needs emergency medical care.

I hope this information is helpful to you.