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!

Now, comes the part you have been taking all those shots for. You will have the fertilized eggs implanted into your body. This will happen after some time in the lab where the fertilization and the beginning development of the embryo takes place. You will most likely get more than one fertilized egg, which actually has begun developing into an embryo, placed back into your uterus. One possibility with the remaining embryos is to have them frozen for when this cycle does not give you the hoped for result of a pregnancy. You will get more injections at this point as well.

Will all this be successful? That depends on several things which can include something as “simple” as how careful your doctor is and whether or not he rushed the implant procedure and if he put the embryo in a good place. At any rate, you will need more injections now to help sustain things and make your chances better. With all these shots, you should be aware that there are some dangers not only to you but to your child as well, if you should be lucky enough to carry to term. Look around the web to see what the potential dangers are from IVF.

So what are your chances of a success on any one cycle of IVF? The figures vary depending upon such things as how many eggs were implanted, but the most common figures seem to be a 10% to 30% chance of pregnancy.

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.

Finally is the cost comparison. A cycle of IVF is averaging $10,000 to $12,000 in the U.S. It can be as high as $20,000 though that goes for tubal reversals as well. However, chances are you will undergo more than one cycle of IVF. Doctors say to expect an average of three cycles. Add it up yourself. Now a tubal reversal will average $8,000 to $9,000 with some doctors charging much more. But you don’t have to undergo an average of three tubal reversals to get the job done. Taking this into account along with all the above and you can truly see the best answer in IVF vs. tubal reversal.