Tubal ligation, or female sterilization, is generally considered to be a permanent form of contraception. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has a success rate of over 99% in preventing pregnancy and is considered effective immediately after surgery. While most women experience long-term success with their tubal ligation procedure, there are some rare cases where the tubes reconnect on their own, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. Therefore, it's important for patients who have undergone this procedure to know that while no form of birth control is 100% guaranteed against pregnancy, tubal ligation can provide reliable protection for many years if not decades.