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Tubal Ligation and Tubal Implants
Tubal ligation and tubal implants are not 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Tubal ligation
- There is a slight risk of becoming pregnant after tubal ligation. This happens to about 5 out of 1,000 women after 1 year. After a total of 5 years following tubal ligation, about 13 out of 1,000 women will have become pregnant.2
- Pregnancy
may occur if:
- The tubes grow back together or a new passage forms (recanalization) that allows an egg to be fertilized by sperm. Your doctor can discuss which method of ligation is more effective for preventing tubes from growing back together.
- The surgery was not done correctly.
- You were pregnant at the time of surgery.
Tubal implants
- Sterilization implants are a newer birth control technology, so there are no long-term statistics. Studies so far show that over 2 years, fewer than 1 out of 100 women got pregnant with implants.2
- A tubal implant can be difficult to insert. Some women have to have a repeat procedure before both tubal implants are properly placed.
Call your doctor immediately if you have had tubal ligation or tubal implants and you have:
- Symptoms of pregnancy, such as a missed menstrual period, breast tenderness, and nausea.
- Pain on one side of your lower abdomen and you feel faint or dizzy.
Be sure to get checked early if you have these signs of a tubal pregnancy.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 13, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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