Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study Report 2007

About Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Statistics

Dr. Gary Berger has performed the largest patients follow-up study of tubal reversal surgery based on his tubal reversal patients Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center.

Gary S. Berger, MD
Medical Director

Notice of study update

The following is Dr. Berger's report from 2007. The corresponding page of an updated report can be seen in the Tubal Reversal Pregnancy Study 2009 - About Pregnancy Statistics.

What To Believe

Claims about tubal reversal pregnancy rates are often made without supporting documentation. This should include 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 statistics. In fact, most internet sites about tubal reversal do not provide any data at all. Any 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 such information.

Evidence Based Medicine

The only way a doctor can actually know what the pregnancy and outcome statistics are for his patients is to maintain ongoing patient contact regarding the outcomes of treatment and to 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 at 6 and 12 month intervals after their tubal reversal procedure if they have not been in regular contact with the Center's staff.

Our Unique 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 accurate statistics regarding patients' outcomes after tubal reversal procedures.

Limitations And Possible Under Reporting

Although we encourage our patients to inform us when they have a positive pregnancy test, we have no assurance that all pregnancies have been reported. 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. From the women who do remain in contact with us over the long term, however, we know 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.