IVF After Tubal Ligation

A tubal ligation (also known as getting your “tubes tied”) is a surgery that seals off the fallopian tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus. 2 Doing so means an ovulated egg can no longer travel through the fallopian tube to be fertilized by sperm. A tubal ligation is usually considered a type of permanent birth control, otherwise known as “sterilization.”  

People usually get a tubal ligation when they know they are done having children. Of course, life happens, and sometimes people find themselves in a situation where they decide they would like to conceive again. While there are a few options for such a situation, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is perhaps the most successful and popular way of getting pregnant after a tubal ligation. 

Here, we’ll explore the step-by-step process of getting pregnant with IVF after a tubal ligation. We’ll also detail the cost, success rates, and briefly outline an IVF alternative known as tubal ligation reversal.  

Can you do IVF after a tubal ligation? 

Yes, IVF is a highly effective method of achieving a pregnancy after a tubal ligation. IVF completely bypasses the tubal obstruction caused by the ligation, meaning it has no negative impact on your ability to conceive via IVF. 

How does IVF work if your tubes are tied? 

Doing IVF with your tubes tied is essentially the same process as doing IVF with your tubes intact.  

This is because, with IVF, the female’s eggs are removed directly from the ovaries, fertilized with sperm in a lab, and then transferred directly back into the uterus through the cervix – completely bypassing the fallopian tubes.  

Most people begin the IVF process by taking hormone injections every day for around 9-12 days to grow as many mature eggs as possible. During this time, you will have routine ultrasounds and bloodwork taken every few days to monitor the development of the follicles (that house the maturing eggs) in the ovaries and the uterine lining. 

When most of the follicles are of a mature size, the eggs are retrieved in a procedure called egg retrieval. During the egg retrieval, a specialist uses an ultrasound-guided needle to draw the follicular fluid from the ovaries.  

The fluid is then sent to the embryology lab in warmed test tubes, where the embryologist searches for the eggs under a microscope. Only mature eggs can be fertilized, so any immature eggs will be kept overnight in culture media to see if they mature by the next day.  If mature, they will be fertilized the next day.  Any immature eggs will be discarded. 

The embryos will be grown in a lab for 3-7 days, depending on the patient plan. There are day 3 embryos and embryos called “blastocysts,” which have been maturing for 5, 6, or 7 days.  

Embryos that develop can be transferred one, and sometimes two at a time to the uterus to establish pregnancy.  The number of embryos transferred depends on the age of the patient at the time of egg retrieval, the type of embryo (day 3 or a blastocyst embryo), and if you did any preimplantation genetic testing on the embryos. You can also freeze the embryos to be used later.  

As you can see, IVF completely bypasses the fallopian tubes and thus follows the same process whether or not someone has had a tubal ligation. 

Will Insurance Pay for IVF After a Tubal Ligation? 

Usually, insurance will not pay for this procedure. A tubal ligation is considered an elective form of self-sterilization. As such, insurance plans rarely, if ever, cover IVF after having one’s tubes tied. 

What Does IVF With Your Tubes Tied Cost? 

In the United States, IVF costs, on average, about $19,200 per cycle.2 3 4 The cost of IVF is the same, whether your tubes are tied or not.  

Keep in mind you may need to do more than one IVF cycle to get pregnant.  

At one-third the cost of the national average, CNY Fertility provides a much more affordable option costing just $5,769 for an IVF cycle, including medications.  

If you choose to have a tubal ligation reversal through CNY Fertility, we offer further discounts for subsequent IVF cycles in the event that you are unable to get pregnant naturally within a year of the tubal reversal. In this case, IVF can be an effective “plan B” if needed. 

IVF with Tubes Tied: Success Rates 

By far, the factor that most influences IVF success rates is the patient’s age.

As women age, there is a natural and significant decline in fertility. Not only do one’s eggs decrease in number, the DNA within the egg becomes more unstable, restuling in abnormal embryos. Embryos with genetic abnormalities often result in failed IVF implantation or an early-stage miscarriage.

If you’ve had your tubes tied and do IVF to get pregnant, your chances of success are similar to people who undergo IVF for infertility.

According to 2020 data from the Society for Reproductive Technology (SART), IVF success rates vary by age in the following ways:

• Women under age 35 have a live birth rate of 54.5% 

• Women ages 35 to 37 have a live birth rate of 39.8% 

• Women ages 38 to 40 have a live birth rate of 26.1% 

• Women over age 42 have a live birth rate of only 4% 

Along with age, IVF success rates depend largely on factors such as

• Quality of the sperm 

• Number of eggs fertilized 

• Quality of eggs and embryos 

• Overall uterine endometrial health 

• Underlying health conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) 

Alternatives to IVF after tubal ligation  

If you want to get pregnant after your tubes are tied, a tubal ligation reversal is your alternative option to IVF.  

This surgical procedure reconnects your fallopian tubes, restoring you to become pregnant naturally. However, this option can only be done with some forms of tubal ligation. To determine if a tubal ligation reversal is right for you, you can schedule a consultation with a CNY fertility specialist or consult your surgeon. And remember that IVF is an option no matter which form of tubal ligation you have! 

A tubal reversal may allow you to get pregnant naturally or with simpler, less expensive treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI). Both of which require at least one open tube. 

Insurance doesn’t usually cover tubal ligation reversals. On average, a reversal costs about $9,000, but the price can range from $1,000 to $21,000.11 A tubal ligation reversal at CNY Fertility costs a total of $4,995. 

Getting pregnant after a tubal ligation reversal, like IVF, depends a lot on your age and family planning goals. Success rates range from 42% to about 70%, but those chances decrease substantially after age 40.

The bottom line on IVF with your tubes tied 

If you’ve had your tubes tied and want to become pregnant again, IVF can be a great option. IVF offers a high rate of success, and if done at CNY, Fertility can be achieved for a relatively low cost. Consider speaking with a CNY Fertility specialist to review your health history, family planning goals and determine the best options available to you. Schedule an appointment today!