You may have a small chance of becoming pregnant after a tubal ligation.
Tubal ligation, also known as “getting your tubes tied,” is an option for women who no longer want to have children.
This outpatient surgical procedure involves blocking or cutting the fallopian tubes. It prevents an egg that’s released from your ovary from traveling to your uterus, where the egg could typically be fertilized.
While tubal ligation is effective in preventing most pregnancies, it isn’t an absolute. An estimated 1 out of every 200 women will become pregnant after tubal ligation (0.5%).
When a surgeon performs a tubal ligation, your fallopian tubes are banded, cut, sealed, or tied. Tubal ligation can result in pregnancy if the fallopian tubes grow back together after this process.
After a tubal ligation procedure, a woman may also discover she was already pregnant. This is because a fertilized egg may have already implanted in her uterus before her procedure.
For this reason, many women opt for tubal ligation just after giving birth or just after a menstrual period, when the risk of pregnancy is lower.
Tubal ligation can also
If you had your procedure at a young age or if it’s been more than a decade since you had your procedure, you could be at a small but increased risk of pregnancy.
If you want to become pregnant after having tubal ligation,
If your fallopian tube has grown back together after tubal ligation, it’s possible you could have a full-term pregnancy.
Some women also opt to have a tubal ligation reversal, where a doctor puts the fallopian tubes back together. This isn’t always effective for women who want to get pregnant, but it can be.
Symptoms associated with pregnancy include:
- breast tenderness
- food cravings
- feeling sick when thinking about certain foods
- missing a period
- nausea, especially in the morning
- unexplained fatigue
- urinating more frequently
If you think you may be pregnant, you can take an at-home pregnancy test. These tests aren’t 100% reliable, especially early in your pregnancy. Your doctor can also perform a blood test or an ultrasound to confirm a pregnancy.
Having previous pelvic surgery or tubal ligation can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. This is also true if you use an intrauterine device (IUD) as a contraceptive method.
The symptoms associated with an ectopic pregnancy can initially look like a traditional pregnancy. For example, if you take a pregnancy test, it will be positive. But the fertilized egg isn’t implanted in a place where it can grow. As a result, the pregnancy can’t continue.
Besides traditional pregnancy symptoms, symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy can include:
- abdominal pain
- light vaginal bleeding
- pelvic pain
- pelvic pressure, especially during a bowel movement
These symptoms shouldn’t be ignored. An ectopic pregnancy can cause the fallopian tube to rupture, which can result in internal bleeding that leads to fainting and shock.
Seek immediate medical treatment if you experience the following symptoms with an ectopic pregnancy:
- feeling extremely lightheaded or passing out
- severe pain in your stomach or pelvis
- severe vaginal bleeding
- shoulder pain
If your doctor determines that your pregnancy is ectopic at an early stage, they may prescribe a medication called methotrexate. This medication can stop the egg from growing further or causing bleeding. Your doctor will monitor your levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone associated with pregnancy.
If this method isn’t effective, surgery may be needed to remove the tissue. Your doctor will try to repair the fallopian tube. If that’s not possible, the fallopian tube will be removed.
Doctors treat a ruptured fallopian tube with surgery to repair or remove it. You may require blood products if you’ve lost a lot of blood. Your doctor will also monitor you for signs of infection, such as fever or difficulty maintaining normal blood pressure.
While tubal ligation is a very effective contraception method, it doesn’t protect against pregnancy 100% of the time.
Talk with your doctor if you’re concerned your tubal ligation won’t be effective.
If you had your procedure at a young age or if it’s been more than a decade since you had your procedure, you could be at a small but increased risk of pregnancy.
You and your partner can use other contraception options to reduce the chance. These could include a vasectomy (male sterilization) or condoms.