Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study Report 2009

Notice of Study Update

The following is Dr. Berger’s report from 2009. The corresponding page of an updated report can be seen at:
Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Statistics – What You Should Know

About Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Statistics

What To Believe

Claims about the chances of getting pregnant after tubal reversal are often made without supporting documentation such as the number and characteristics of the patient population, study method, and length of follow-up after surgery. These are essential for understanding the basis of pregnancy rates. Statistics must be based on specified numbers of patients for any characteristic, such as age or tubal sterilization method. Most internet sites about tubal reversal do not provide any data at all. Although a doctor can say that his patients have a high success rate, supporting documentation is needed to know whether the claim is valid. The accuracy of any claim of success rates should be questioned in the absence of detailed information.

Evidence Based Medicine

The only way a doctor can truly know what the pregnancy and outcome statistics are for his or her patients is to maintain ongoing patient contact about the outcomes of treatment and record the information systematically in an analytical database. At Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, nurses enter information into an electronic patient database at the patient’s registration, the surgical procedure, and all post-operative communications between patients and staff. Patients are contacted routinely by our nurses during the first year after their tubal reversal procedures.

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Database

The comprehensive follow-up database at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is unique. We know of no other doctor or medical facility with a follow-up system and database that can provide such accurate statistics about the chances of getting pregnant after tubal reversal and the outcomes of the pregnancies that occur.

Limitations And Possible Under Reporting

Although we encourage patients to inform us when they have a positive pregnancy test, not all pregnancies are ascertained. Some patients become lost to follow-up after surgery. This occurs when someone moves or changes email address and telephone numbers but does not provide their new contact information to us. In these cases, we may not find out about the long term outcomes of their tubal reversal procedures unless they complete the Pregnancy Report Form each time they conceive. We know that not all patients adhere to this protocol. From the women who do remain in contact with us over the long term, however, it is clear that new pregnancies continue to occur as time passes after surgery. The pregnancy rates reported in this study, therefore, are minimal estimates of the cumulative pregnancy rates for patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Report 2009
Table Of Contents:

• Overview
• Study Method
• Patient Population – US States
• Patient Population – Age and Tubal Ligation Procedures
• Pregnancy Rates by Age and Method
• Pregnancy Rates by Tubal Length
• Pregnancy Outcomes
• Tubal Reversal vs. IVF
• About Pregnancy Statistics (this page)

Weekly Pregnancy Announcements From Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Patients