Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Dr. Monteith - Will Tubal Reversal Be Available for You?

By Sandra Wilson

Will tubal reversal surgery become a lost skill to the future world? Not if Dr. Monteith is any indication. In a world where even reproductive endocrinologists are not being trained in tubal reversal skills, there are a few that seek out the specialized training that is needed.

But, before we go into that further, let's find out if I am hyping the concern about the loss of tubal reversal for women seeking to reverse tubal ligation. To do this, we will use the information provided by Dr. Monteith from his own experiences.

Dr. Monteith makes posts on the http://www.tubal-reversal.net/ blog. In a couple of these, he discussed the training available. Once he determined he wished to become a tubal reversal doctor, he looked into what kind of training he could get. Already an ob/gyn who worked on high risks cases, the normal course of action would be pursuing a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology. But the experience of friends showed this just wouldn't train him as he wished. One friend who did the whole three year fellowship did only three tubal reversals in three years. Another friend did zero.

It was only by chance that Dr. Monteith himself learned that tubal reversal is a good alternative for women wanting to reverse their tubal ligation. He was with a doctor counseling a patient who had had her tubes tied when that doctor surprised him by suggesting she have a tubal reversal rather than IVF as he thought would happen.

Recovering from his surprise, Dr. Monteith asked questions of the doctor after the patient's counseling to learn more. He had been informed somewhere that the success rate of tubal reversal was less than 50% and when asking the doctor about that, he got a very indignant reply that it was 80% in the best hands. Look into tubal reversal success rates to learn more for yourself but know that it can be even higher than 80% depending upon the factors.

What he learned stuck with him and as time went on and the desire to be able to provide this option to women grew, he sought out Dr. Berger to train him. After all, he wasn't going to get it any other way apparently.

What we need is more doctors to realize what a great service tubal reversal surgery is for women who have changed their minds regarding tubal ligation. But it also helps women suffering infertility due to tubal blockage. What will we do if more people don't do as Dr. Monteith did to find his own mentor? Will tubal reversal surgery be there for the next generation? - 15255

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