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If you had your tubes tied but have decided you want another child, your doctor will probably suggest doing the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. But there is an. That alternative is a tubal reversal. Should you have one? Let’s check out IVF vs. tubal reversal to see what might be best for you.

When you have a tubal reversal you are having surgery. It can be an outpatient procedure if you choose the right surgeon. It’s best to check around and be sure to get the right tubal reversal doctor. During the surgery, your surgeon will repair your fallopian tubes where the original obstruction, in whatever form, was made. Some are cut and some are clipped. Some are burned and some are ringed, so to speak. But the preparation is minimal before surgery and mainly consists of a review by your surgeon of your operation’s records and being sure you are of the proper body mass to safely undergo a surgery.

With an IVF, however, there is a course of drugs given to you. You will receive both intramuscular and subcutaneous shots. Some stimulate and some prevent premature ovulation. Most of them will be taken over the course of a few days which means it’s not just a one time shot and you’re done. Ouch! And that’s just the beginning preparation.

Next will be the removal of your eggs. Of course, the doctor will need to be sure of the right time to do so and will do this by monitoring to be sure to catch the eggs at the right time. Your system has been stimulated to produce many more eggs than normal. You will get another shot before ovulation is due. Then, when all is ready, the doctor will use a needle to remove the egg. Ouch again!

Once the eggs are withdrawn from your body, they will be fertilized and left to develop for some time in the lab after they reach the correct maturity. One reason they overstimulated your body to produce more eggs is so more than one can be put back into your body after fertilization. You will most likely get two or three. The rest will generally be frozen and can be used if this cycle does not produce a viable pregnancy. Oh, yes, and you get more injections.

Your chances of success will depend upon many things. Did the doctor do a careful and carefully placed implantation meaning is he experienced enough? However, all the eggs that were not implanted can be frozen for a future implantation…if you want to go through all the shots and what they do to you again. There will be added risks to you and your child by using IVF. You will want to do some research online to make sure you are aware of these.

Add to all of the above the success rates of each individual course of treatments. Depending upon where you look it is from a 10 - 30% chance you will get pregnant. Higher percentages for more embryos being implanted.

Let’s look at how the success rates of IVF compare to the success rates for tubal reversal. You can look around the Internet to find out what is generally quoted or you can ask the surgeon you are looking at what his specific success rates are. If he doesn’t know, check out Dr. Berger who publishes his success rates right on his website at www.tubal-reversal.net/. Using those, you can see that the overall success percentage is 69%. If you look at all the charts given, though, you can see it varies from a high of 82%. You will have to see where you fit in. And the good news is that once the surgery is done, if no other problems crop up, then you can keep on trying to have a baby however many times you need all for the cost of the one surgery. No undergoing cycle after cycle of IVF treatments.

And that’s the last thing to cover. One session, or cycle, of IVF will cost on average $10,000 to $12,000 with most patients being told to expect to undergo at least three cycles. That’s like $30,000 or more. Some doctors charge even more. Now compare that to the average cost of a tubal reversal which is $8,000 to $9,000 in the U.S. So what do you think about IVF vs. tubal reversal now? Which choice will be the best for you?

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