Tubal Regrowth: Symptoms, Detection, and What You Need to Know

Question
Dear Dr. Solberg,

I am the mother of 3 wonderful children and decided upon a tubal ligation after the birth of our 3rd child 11 years ago. Recently while spending time with my sister, who is a nurse, she was telling me about the fact that she knows 5 women that have become pregnant this year as a result of tubal regrowth. (The oldest one being 51!!) Which leads me to this question; is there a way to be checked for tubal regrowth?
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Melissa

Answer
It is possible to check that the tubes are closed, but it requires putting dye in through the cervix and watching it try to go through the tubes on x-ray.  It can be uncomfortable when we do it to see if the tubes are open for infertility, but it's more uncomfortable when the tubes are closed, since the pressure builds up.  Although tubes can re-open after a tubal ligation, if it happens, it's usually earlier rather than later.  Since you had your tubal ligation 11 years ago, the chance of you getting pregnant is really small.  Your sister may know 5 women that have become pregnant after tubal ligation, but I probably have seen about that number in my entire career, and I've taken care of thousands of women.