Not expecting: pregnancy after getting ‘tubes tied’ is surprisingly common

Between 3 and 5% of people who received tubal ligation surgeries later reported pregnancies, new study reveals

A new study finds that getting pregnant after a woman gets her tubes tied" - the colloquial expression for permanent female surgical sterilization - may be surprisingly common.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine Evidence, examined survey data of more than 4,000 women who reported tubal ligations, the formal term for a range of surgeries that clamp or remove fallopian tubes. Researchers found that 3-5% of these women reported pregnancy after surgery.