Tubal Reversal Surgeons Reverse Adiana Sterilization

Doctors at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center become the first to reverse tubal sterilization by the Adiana technique

October 9th, 2009 (Chapel Hill, NC) – Julia Smith, RN, Nurse Administrator at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, today announced the first successful tubal reversal procedure to repair the fallopian tubes in women who have undergone the Adiana method of tubal sterilization. This is the first pregnancy after Adiana reversal for the newly approved sterilization system.

Adiana sterilization was approved for use in the US by the FDA in July 2009. The procedure can be performed in a physician’s office and involves using radio frequency energy to remove cells in the lining of a small area of the fallopian tubes nearest the uterus. The device itself is then implanted in this prepared area. The Adiana system is similar to the Essure sterilization method in being a non-surgical female sterilization method which promotes scarring to create a tubal blockage.

Dr. Gary S. Berger and Dr. Charles Monteith performed the reversal during a one hour and ten minute tubal surgery procedure. The healthy fallopian tubes were separated from the blockage and tubal implantation was performed through a newly created opening in the back of the uterus. Since the Adiana and Essure sterilization methods involve a small segment of the narrowest part of the fallopian tube, long tubal segments remain after the reversal procedure which is a major factor in tubal reversal success rates. The pregnancy success rates can be found in the latest tubal reversal study available at http://press.tubal-reversal.net/2009/pregnancy-rates-by-age-and-tubal-ligation-method.html

Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith performed the tubal reversal procedure on a 35-year old woman who underwent sterilization by the Adiana technique as part of an experimental trial to test the new sterilization procedure six years ago. Although she underwent tubal sterilization intending for the procedure to be permanent, the patient’s decision to reverse the procedure was promoted by the unexpected and sudden loss of a child.

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only facility in the United States that specializes  in the practice of tubal reversal surgery and repair of blocked fallopian tubes. Patients travel from across the US and from abroad for surgery at the specialty facility with its highly trained and experienced surgeons and staff. Additional information regarding tubal reversal surgery, Adiana reversal and Essure reversal is available at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, including profiles for Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith, can be found on the website at www.tubal-reversal.net.

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Report 2009

Patient Population

The study population consisted of 5,046 women who underwent tubal reversal surgery from July 2000 through June 2008 at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center – the only medical facility exclusively for tubal ligation reversal – located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Where Patients Came From

The women came from throughout the United States and from 23 foreign countries. The following map shows the geographic distribution of the resident locations of the US patients.

Figure 1. Where Patients Came From For Tubal Reversal Surgery

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Report 2009
Table Of Contents:

• Overview
• Study Method
• Patient Population – States (this page)
• 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

Pregnancy Rates At Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study Report 2009

About Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Statistics

Gary S. Berger, MD
Medical Director

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

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study Report 2009

Gary S. Berger, M.D.
Reproductive Surgeon

Overview

Tubal reversal is the most successful treatment for women wanting to get pregnant after having a tubal ligation. This report presents detailed pregnancy statistics from over 5000 patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. It is the largest study ever reported about tubal ligation reversal, pregnancies, and pregnancy outcomes.

Introduction

The desire to have a baby after a tubal ligation is common for women in second marriages, following the loss of a child, wanting to restore their bodies to be whole again, and for a variety of other reasons.

Most people are not aware that tubal ligation – usually considered a permanent method of birth control – can be reversed through low cost, one hour outpatient surgery. Even many doctors think mistakenly that treatment by in vitro fertilization (IVF) is needed for women who want another baby after having a tubal sterilization. The results from this study show that tubal reversal at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is successful for most women wanting to get pregnant after having their tubes tied.

Tubal Reversal – The Alternative to Treatment by IVF

Information is widely available about in vitro fertilization (IVF) results in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Tubal reversal pregnancy and birth statistics, however, are difficult to find and generally have been based on small numbers of patients under special study conditions. This report analyzes pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcomes for a very large population of women (5,046) who had tubal reversal procedures at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. This is the most detailed study of tubal reversal surgery available on the internet or in medical publications.

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study 2009

Table of Contents:

• Overview (this page)
• 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

Weekly Pregnancy Report Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Julia Smith RN
August 11, 2009 (919) 656-8204

TUBAL REVERSAL SURGEONS REVERSE ESSURE PROCEDURE
Implantation technique allows for successful reversal of sterilization procedure

(CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, announces the successful completion of sterilization reversal of the Essure procedure, previously considered a permanent form of female birth control.

More than 115,000 women worldwide have undergone sterilization with the Essure device since 2002. The Essure procedure involves placing a small, flexible plug into each fallopian tube at the junction of the uterus and the tube. Once in place, over a 3-month period, scar tissue grows into the micro inserts blocking the tubes to prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg. The permanent nature of the procedure is related to this scarring and the previous belief that tubal ligation reversal surgery would be impossible.

The procedure Dr. Gary Berger and Dr. Charles Monteith use to reverse the Essure method involves cutting the device out of the uterine muscle and then implanting the remaining fallopian tube segment into the uterine cavity through a new opening in the uterus. This procedure is called tubouterine implantation. The reason the Essure device is removed is that part of the metal spring projects into the uterine cavity. If a pregnancy were to occur with the device in place, this could be harmful to the pregnancy.

Since the Essure has only been available since 2002 – and most women who have had this sterilization procedure do not desire or seek reversal – there is currently not enough data on the outcomes of Essure reversal to provide pregnancy statistics. However, the tubal reversal surgeons at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center have performed the tubouterine implantation procedure hundreds of times for other situations and the success rate in those cases has been 25% -50% depending on the amount of healthy tube remaining and the age of the patient.

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only facility in the United States that is limited specifically to the practice of tubal reversal surgery. Additional information regarding tubal reversal surgery at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, including profiles for Dr. Berger and Dr. Monteith, can be found on the website at www.tubal-reversal.net.

More about Reverse Essure Procedure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Julia Smith RN
December 14, 2008 (919) 656-8204

TUBAL REVERSAL  CENTER  DOES ITS PART TO ADDRESS TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES
Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center lowers tubal surgery fees during the holiday season

(CHAPEL HILL, NC) – Julia Smith, RN, Nurse Administrator at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, today announced company plans to address the impact of the economic downturn on health care costs. Plans include a significant reduction in tubal surgery fees over the next two months to allow couples to move forward with less financial and emotional stress to have surgical procedures that correct tubal blockage.

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is dedicated to the practice of tubal ligation reversal surgery. Patients travel from across the United States and around the world for reconstructive tubal surgery with Dr. Gary Berger and Dr. Charles Monteith and the specialized procedure can carry a considerable price tag. However, with the reduced price structure, patients will be offered three fee options, Ms. Smith explained.

1) The standard fee is $6900. With this fee, patients can schedule an appointment and hold a date with a $250 down payment and the balance paid three weeks prior to the surgery date.

2) Between December 15, 2008 and February 1, 2009, surgery can be scheduled with Dr. Berger for a fee of $5400 or with Dr. Monteith for $4900. The discounted fees are due at the time a patient schedules the appointment and surgery must be performed no later than February 15, 2009.

The fees offered by Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center are all-inclusive and cover the doctors’ professional fees, the anesthesiologist’s fee, supplies, operating room charges and facility fees, initial consultation with the surgeon and follow-up by phone and e-mail. The company also offers a pre-payment plan for patients interested in long-term payment arrangements. With the pre-payment option, patients can pre-pay the surgical fee without interest prior to the surgery date. To utilize the option, a non-refundable $250 fee is paid to open an account and patients may then make payments of any amount as they are able – for as long as they wish. For discounted fees to apply, the balance must be paid in full prior to scheduling surgery.

“A woman’s natural fertility rate decreases as she ages, so it is best to move forward sooner rather than later when it comes to reproductive procedures,” Ms. Smith explains. “We hope our reduced fee options will allow women to proceed with surgery to restore their fertility without the added stress of waiting until the economy recovers.”

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

More about Tubal Surgery