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.

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

Factors to Consider for Untying Your Tubes

Determining who is the best doctor for untying your tubes comes down to different factors. Using a patient satisfaction website such as RateMDs.com will give you an opportunity to learn how other women have rated the doctor they used on some of these factors.

Taking a further look at the referenced site above, we can find that physicians are rated on staff, being punctual, helpfulness and knowledge.  These determine the patient satisfaction score each doctor is given.  You should consider looking at the most rated doctor.

Not only is that site available to see patient satisfaction with a doctor, there are several others as well.  However, RateMDs.com does rank number one in a Google search for “rate doctors” so you may find it the best resource.

There are other ways as well to determine those factors for choosing the best doctor for untying your tubes.  You can begin with a simple search around his own website.  He does have a website, does he not?

There you should be able to learn:

1) his training and background,
2) how many surgeries of this type he has performed,
3) how often he does the surgery which leads back to number 2,
4) his personal statistics for success and pregnancy after tubal reversal,
5) about his surgical facility, and
6) the cost for this operation.

Additionally, there should be many testimonials from women who have had him or her perform their operation.

Does he have a message board or some other way available for you to discuss questions and concerns with other women?  That is another good way to learn about how previous patients feel about the surgeon.  Do they stick around afterwards and participate on the message board?

As you look around the Internet for information about tubal reversal, see whose name keeps coming up.  When you read other women’s stories about their tubal ligation reversals, what kind of reports are given about different doctors?

These are just a few of the ways you can find out the patient satisfaction with the doctor you may be considering.  When you do your research, you will find that your local doctor does not provide you with the best choice for untying your tubes, unless that doctor is Dr. Gary Berger of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Contact Information:
Lisa Hourmouzis, RN
919.968.4656 office
252.339.2322 mobile
LisaH@tubal-reversal.net

New tubal reversal specialist joins Chapel Hill center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Dr. Gary S. Berger, medical director and world-renowned tubal reversal surgeon, welcomes Dr. Charles W. Monteith to the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center surgical team.

Dr. Monteith is the first tubal reversal surgeon to join the practice since the initial tubal reversal microsurgery performed by Dr. Berger in 1982.

Monteith began his fellowship training with the center in January 2008, and has assisted in more than 100 reversal procedures under the guidance of Dr. Berger.

According to Dr. Monteith, his plan is to keep tubal reversal surgery a viable option for women wanting to have children after tubal ligation surgery.

“My interest in becoming a tubal reversal surgeon began when I realized that tubal reversal surgery was gradually becoming less available to patients because of limited training opportunities for younger physicians,” said Monteith.

Dr. Monteith graduated summa cum laude from Xavier University in Louisiana. He attended medical school at the University of California at San Francisco where he received a Howard Hughes Medical Research Fellowship used to conduct research in molecular genetics.

After completing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he accepted a clinical assistant professor position with the department of obstetrics and gynecology in 2001. He also served as assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Wake Medical Hospital in Raleigh for seven years where he practiced high-risk obstetrics and advanced surgical gynecology.

Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only facility in the United States dedicated exclusively to tubal reversal surgery. Dr. Gary Berger has successfully performed over 7,000 tubal reversals using the one-hour outpatient microsurgical technique he developed and refined. His technique has been featured on The Learning Channel and Discovery Health.

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Tubal Reversal Surgery – How to choose the best doctor

When women begin researching tubal reversal surgery, there are several questions that are frequently asked. These questions are typically based on the differences that become apparent when they compare various facilities and doctors.

“How do I choose a doctor?” Considering the number of choices, it is one of the most important questions to consider before a woman moves forward with planning her tubal reversal procedure. Training, experience, availability, and patient support can vary greatly between doctors and facilities.

Most women who research the option of tubal reversal surgery after a tubal ligation are interested in how many reversal procedures the doctor has performed. Many reproductive surgeons have performed a tubal reversal procedure, but few perform the procedure routinely and even fewer limit their practice to this specialty. In the case of tubal reversal surgery, experience is an important factor in predicting the outcome of the procedure. Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only medical facility specifically for tubal ligation reversal surgery. Dr. Gary Berger performs 4 reversals a day and has performed more than 7000 reversal procedures in his career.

Another question women frequently ask is whether the doctor uses the dye technique or a stent to ensure the tubes are open following surgery. The use of the dye technique is not the most accurate indicator regarding whether the tubes are open following tubal repair to allow conception. The stent technique is the better approach in our opinion to avoid any doubt. The stent is sterile and does not pass through the cervix. The stent not damage the tubes, and it ensures that they are open so a dye test is not necessary. With the stent technique used by Dr. Berger, there is no question regarding tubal patency following surgery, which puts the woman in a much better position for achieving pregnancy following surgery.

A common question during the process of researching tubal reversal facilities is whether the doctor uses permanent or absorbable suture to repair the fallopian tubes and whether he or she reconnects each of the tubal layers. While some doctors may suture all of the tubal layers, Dr. Berger uses permanent suture and sews the muscular and outer serosal layers together. He does not place suture in the inner endothelial layer as this may increase the risk of scar formation within the tubal lumen. In Dr. Berger’s opinion, this is the best approach. Comparing doctors’ data regarding pregnancy outcomes is the best way to assess their techniques since high pregnancy rates are a clear indication that the techniques are successful.

Ultimately, the most frequently asked – and most important – question regarding tubal reversal surgery is, “What are the doctor’s success rates”. Since pregnancy and its outcome are the primary concerns of most women who choose the reversal procedure, the answer to this question should be based on accurate statistical data. On the Internet, claims about tubal reversal pregnancy rates are often made without supporting information or documentation – such as a description of the patient population, study method, and follow-up interval. At Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, Dr. Berger and his staff do everything possible to obtain and report this information on an ongoing basis. This allows them to remain informed about the number of pregnancies achieved and what their outcomes were after tubal reversal and to answer questions and guide patients who are waiting to become pregnant.

The decision to undergo surgery to restore fertility after a previous sterilization is a serious one for any couple. Where to go for surgery and with whom care will be entrusted is an important part of that decision. Potential patients should expect that they have been given detailed, accurate information regarding costs and recovery times, as well as careful analysis and reporting of accurate statistics regarding pregnancy and birth rates. This is referred to as “evidence based medicine” and is consistent with the mission of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. It is one of the many reasons why the facility has become known as the best place to have tubal reversal surgery.

Books, Magazine Articles, TV Broadcasts, Blogs and Study Reports

Press Release – New Tubal Reversal Doctor Dr. Charles Monteith has begun a 6 month fellowship program in tubal reversal surgery at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center. Upon completing this program he will have participated in over 100 tubal reversal procedures and will become certified as a tubal reversal surgeon.

Press Release – September 2007 – Chapel Hill, North Carolina physician dedicates practice to restoring fertility in women who have undergone previous tubal ligation surgery.

Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study Report 2007. The largest study of tubal reversal pregnancies and outcomes ever performed is a prospective cohort study of 3,139 patients at Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Press Release – Tubal Reversal Study 2005. Comprehensive report presents data and statistics regarding pregnancies and their outcomes among 2692 women who had their tubal reversals performed by Dr. Berger between 2001 and 2004. This is the largest and most definitive study in existence on the outcome of tubal reversal surgery.

Press Release – Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Releases 500th Baby Testimonial. Patient reports second pregnancy following tubal ligation reversal surgery by Dr. Gary S. Berger.

Dr Berger’s Article About Tubal Reversal In The Health And Medicine Section Of Squidoo.com – One of the recent additions to the Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Website is this link to Dr Berger’s article about Tubal Reversal in the Health and Medicine Section of Squidoo.com. This is an important article for anyone who wants to learn more about outpatient tubal ligation reversal.

The Operation – Discovery Channel production featuring the outpatient surgical techniques of Gary S. Berger, M.D. – a pioneer in tubal ligation reversal surgery. Originally aired as part of the series, “The Operation”, the film has also been featured on “The CBS Early Morning Show”. “The Operation” provides detailed information and live footage as Dr. Berger restores fertility after tubal ligation through a comfortable and affordable one-hour outpatient procedure. Available free as a videotape or DVD.

Tubal Ligation Reversal on Blogspot – Daily news and blog about tubal reversal, the outpatient surgery that restores fertility allowing women to become pregnant and have more babies after a tubal ligation.

Conceive Magazine – It seemed like a good idea at the time…but if you have been surgically sterilized and you’d now like to be pregnant again, here’s what you need to know. Conceive Magazine article, “Changing Your Mind” features Gary S. Berger, M.D. and Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

M.D. News Magazine– The article, “Outpatient Tubal Ligation Reversal – Fertility Restored Through One Hour Outpatient Surgery” features Gary S. Berger, M.D., Medical Director of Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

The Couple’s Guide to Fertility – Dr. Gary S. Berger and Dr. Marc Goldstein —specialists in male and female reproductive treatment — thoroughly examine the causes of infertility, the tests you may undergo, and the state-of-the-art treatments that can help you to have a baby, including tubal reversal surgery. The book is now in its third edition.

Tubal Reversal – Our Journeys – A collection of true stories from women who have undergone tubal reversal surgery that brings alive what the journey is really like through the eyes of those who have lived it.