What are the odds of becoming pregnant once you have had Tubal Ligation? The U.S. Collaborative Review of Sterilization (CREST) found the failure rate for tubal ligation (all occlusion methods including burning) to be 1.85% after 10 years. Of the sterilization failures in CREST, one third were ectopic pregnancies (not within the uterus). Because of the high rate of ectopic pregnancy, women of child bearing age who have had tubal sterilization should have a pregnancy test performed if they have not had a menstrual period. If the woman is pregnant, then she should be evaluated further for the presence of an ectopic pregnancy.




