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Objective: To examine the effect of simethicone on reducing operative difficulty associated with bowel interference during minilaparotomy for postpartum modified Pomeroy partial salpingectomy., Study Design: We enrolled 20-45-year-old women planning the procedure from March 2018 to February 2019. We randomized participants to chew simethicone 160 mg with water 50 mL 2-8 h before surgery or no treatment. The participants were not blinded; however, surgeons, care providers, and outcome assessors were blinded to the study allocation. We measured surgeon-rated operative difficulty using a 10-cm visual analog scale that represented the difficulty perceived to be resulting from bowel interference. Secondary outcomes included operative time and intraoperative and postoperative complications., Results: We enrolled 60 women in each group; baseline characteristics and procedural profiles were comparable. Women in the intervention group used simethicone a median of 157 min (interquartile range 127-192) before the procedure. Surgeons rated the procedure difficulty score as 4.8 in the simethicone group and 4.5 in the control group (p = 0.57). Operative time in the two groups were 26 and 24 min, respectively (p = 0.14). We found no difference in intraoperative adverse events including blood loss and mesosalpinx tear, postoperative morbidities, hospital stay, and patient-rated satisfaction scores., Conclusion: Preprocedural simethicone has no demonstrable benefit in reducing operative difficulty caused by bowel interference during minilaparotomy for postpartum tubal sterilization., Implications: Preprocedural simethicone as given in this study did not result in reduced bowel interference and improved procedure difficulty. Further research examining simethicone in this setting would not be worthwhile as clinically meaningful benefit is unlikely., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Postpartum mini-laparotomy tubal ligation (PPTL) is a contraceptive method that works by interrupting the patency of the fallopian tubes. Several methods are used for intraoperative pain relief, such as systemic administration of opioids or intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine., Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of and adverse effects associated with interventions for pain relief in women undergoing PPTL., Search Methods: We searched for eligible studies published on or before 31 July 2017 in the CENTRAL Register of Studies Online, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. We examined review articles and searched registers of ongoing clinical trials, citation lists of included studies, key textbooks, grey literature, and previous systematic reviews for potentially relevant studies., Selection Criteria: We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) that compared perioperative pain relief measures during PPTL., Data Collection and Analysis: Two review authors independently assessed the titles, abstracts, and full-text articles of potentially relevant studies for inclusion. We extracted the data from the included studies, assessed risk of bias, and calculated and compared results. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion, or by consulting a third review author. We computed the inverse variance risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for binary outcomes, and the mean difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous variables., Main Results: We found only three RCTs, in which a total of 230 postpartum women participated. Most of our analyses were based on relatively small numbers of patients and studies. Overall, the certainty of evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions was low, due to risk of bias and imprecision. We found very low-certainty evidence regarding the safety of interventions because of risk of bias and imprecision. Two studies had unclear risk of selection bias. One study had unclear risk of reporting bias and a high risk of other bias associated with the study protocol.Women who received an intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine experienced lower intensity intraperitoneal pain than those given a placebo (pooled MD -3.34, 95% CI -4.19 to -2.49, three studies, 190 participants, low-certainty evidence), or an intramuscular injection of morphine (MD -4.8, 95% CI -6.43 to -3.17, one study, 40 participants, low-certainty evidence). We found no clear difference in intraperitoneal pain between women who had an intramuscular injection of morphine added to an intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine and those who had an intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine alone (MD -0.40, 95% CI -1.52 to 0.72, one study, 40 participants, low-certainty evidence). An intramuscular injection of morphine alone was not effective for intraperitoneal pain relief compared to placebo (MD 0.50, 95% CI -1.33 to 2.33, one study, 40 women, low-certainty evidence). None of the studies reported any serious adverse events but the evidence was very low-certainty. Intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine may reduce the number of women requiring additional pain control when compared to placebo (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.44, three studies, 190 women, low-certainty evidence)., Authors' Conclusions: An intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine during postpartum mini-laparotomy tubal ligation before fallopian tubes were tied may offer better intraperitoneal pain control, although the evidence regarding adverse effects is uncertain. We found no clear difference in intraperitoneal pain between women who received a combination of an injection of morphine, and intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine and those who received an intraperitoneal instillation of lidocaine alone. These results must be interpreted with caution, since the evidence overall was low to very low-certainty.

Background: Tubal occlusion by minilaparotomy is a safe, highly effective, and permanent way to limit childbearing. We aimed to establish whether the safety of the procedure provided by trained clinical officers (COs) was not inferior to the safety when provided by trained assistant medical officers (AMOs), as measured by major adverse event (AE) rates., Methods: In this randomized, controlled, open-label noninferiority trial, we enrolled participants at 7 health facilities in Arusha region, Tanzania, as well as during outreach activities conducted in Arusha and neighboring regions. Consenting, eligible participants were randomly allocated by a research assistant at each site to minilaparotomy performed by a trained CO or by a trained AMO, in a 1:1 ratio. We asked participants to return at 3, 7, and 42 days postsurgery. The primary outcome was the rate of major AEs following minilaparotomy performed by COs versus AMOs, during the procedure and through 42 days follow-up. The noninferiority margin was 2%. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier NCT02944149., Results: We randomly allocated 1,970 participants between December 2016 and June 2017, 984 to the CO group and 986 to the AMO group. Most (87%) minilaparotomies were conducted during outreach services. In the intent-to-treat analysis, 0 of 978 participants had a major AE in the CO group compared with 1 (0.1%) of 984 in the AMO group (risk difference: -0.1% [95% confidence interval: -0.3% to 0.1%]), meeting the criteria for noninferiority. We saw no evidence of differences in measures of procedure performance, participant satisfaction, or provider self-efficacy between the groups., Conclusions: Tubal occlusion by minilaparotomy performed by trained COs is safe, effective, and acceptable to women, and the procedure can be safely and effectively provided in outreach settings. Our results provide evidence to support policy change in resource-limited settings to allow task shifting of minilaparotomy to properly trained and supported COs, increasing access to female sterilization and helping to meet the rising demand for the procedure among women wanting to avoid pregnancy. They also suggest high demand for these services in Tanzania, given the large number of women recruited in a relatively short time period., (© Barone et al.)

Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of female sterilisation in the Finnish population., Design: A national register-based study using record linkage., Setting: National data from Finland., Sample: A total of 16 272 female sterilisations performed in 2009-2014., Methods: The Register of Sterilisations was linked with the Hospital Discharge Register, Termination of Pregnancy Register, and the Medical Birth Register in order to investigate the occurrence of re-sterilisations, other surgical operations, and unwanted pregnancies after sterilisation, per method., Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures included all pregnancies after sterilisation (births, miscarriages, terminations of pregnancy, and ectopic pregnancies) and operations (repeat sterilisations, other hysteroscopic and laparoscopic procedures, hysterectomies, and re-operations for a complication). The outcomes were presented by method as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs)., Results: There was no significant difference in all spontaneous pregnancies between the groups. The risk ratio for any pregnancy was 1.27 (95% Cl 0.80-2.02) for Filshie ® versus Essure ® and 1.35 (95% Cl 0.92-1.96) for Pomeroy versus Essure ® . In total, 1394 (8.6%) selected operations were identified after primary sterilisation. Re-sterilisations and hysteroscopies were most frequent among Essure ® patients., Conclusions: Patients undergoing hysteroscopic or laparoscopic sterilisation have a similar risk of unintended pregnancy. All sterilisations are safe, and the risk of re-operations because of complications is low. Women with Essure ® have a higher risk of undergoing re-sterilisation compared with patients undergoing laparoscopic sterilisation., Tweetable Abstract: Essure ® , Filshie ® , and Pomeroy sterilisations are equally effective and safe., (© 2017 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Background: Female sterilization by tubal ligation is a safe, extremely effective, and permanent way to limit childbearing. It is the most popular modern contraceptive method worldwide. The simplest way to provide tubal ligation is by a procedure called minilaparotomy, generally performed with the client under local anesthesia with systemic sedation and analgesia. In Tanzania, unmet need for family planning is high and has declined little in the past decade. Access to tubal ligation is limited throughout the country, in large part because of a lack of trained providers. Clinical officers (COs) are midlevel health workers who provide diagnosis, treatment, and minor surgeries. They are more prevalent than physicians in poorer and rural communities. Task shifting-the delegation of some tasks to less-specialized health workers, including task shifting of surgical procedures to midlevel cadres-has improved access to lifesaving interventions in resource-limited settings. It is a cost-effective way to address shortages of physicians, increasing access to services. The primary objective of this trial is to establish whether the safety of tubal ligation by minilaparotomy provided by COs is noninferior to the safety of tubal ligation by minilaparotomy provided by physicians (assistant medical officers [AMOs]), as measured by rates of major adverse events (AEs) during the procedure and through 42 days of follow-up., Methods/design: In this facility-based, multicenter, noninferiority randomized controlled trial, we are comparing the safety of tubal ligation by minilaparotomy performed by trained COs versus by trained AMOs. The primary outcome is safety, defined by the overall rate of major AEs occurring during the minilaparotomy procedure and through 42 days of follow-up. The trial will be conducted among 1970 women 18 years of age or older presenting for tubal ligation at 7 study sites in northern Tanzania., Discussion: If no major safety issues are identified, the data from this trial may facilitate changes in the Tanzanian government's regulations, allowing appropriately trained COs to provide tubal ligation by minilaparotomy. Positive findings may have broader implications. Task shifting to provide long-acting contraceptives, if proven safe, may be an effective approach to increasing contraceptive access in low- and middle-income countries., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02944149 . Registered on 14 October 2016.

Objective: To evaluate whether intra- and post-operative morbidity varies according to the method used for female sterilization., Study Design: The database of the Swiss obstetric study group was analyzed for a period of 9 years. After the exclusion of cases with extraneous factors that may have influenced the operative outcome, three groups of patients were identified: (1) interval laparoscopic sterilization unrelated to pregnancy (n=20,325); (2) postpartum laparoscopic sterilization (n=2233); (3) postpartum sterilization by minilaparotomy (n=5095). Intra-operative and post-operative complications were compared according to the surgical approach., Results: A total of 27,653 patients were included in the study. The proportion of major complications was higher in group 3 than in group 1 (0.39% versus 0.10%, odds ratio 4.0, 95% CI 2.15-7.44, p<0.001) but not statistically different between groups 1 (0.10%) and 2 (0.18%). Minor complications were statistically significantly more frequent in group 3 (0.82%) than in group 1 (0.26%) or group 2 (0.27%). There was no case of intra-operative or post-operative death in the study population., Conclusion: When available, a laparoscopic approach should be chosen for female sterilization. After uneventful pregnancy course and delivery, it does not seem justified to delay the endoscopic sterilization to a later time.

Surgical tubal ligation was used to sterilize urban free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as a methodology of a larger study investigating the influences of intact, sterile females on population dynamics and behavior. Deer were either trapped in clover traps (n = 55) and induced with an i.m. injection of xylazine and tiletamine/zolazepam or induced by a similar protocol by dart (n = 12), then intubated and maintained on isoflurane in oxygen. Over 3 yr, individual female deer (n = 103) were captured in Highland Park, Illinois, with a subset of females sterilized using tubal ligation by ventral laparotomy (n = 63). Other sterilization procedures included tubal transection by ventral (n = 1) or right lateral (n = 2) laparoscopy and ovariohysterectomy by ventral laparotomy (n = 1). One mortality (1/ 67, 1.5%) of a doe with an advanced pregnancy was attributed to a lengthy right lateral laparoscopic surgery that was converted to a right lateral laparotomy. The initial surgical modality of laparoscopy was altered in favor of a ventral laparotomy for simplification of the project and improved surgical access in late-term gravid does. Laparotomy techniques included oviductal ligation and transection (n = 14), application of an oviductal mechanical clip (n = 9), ligation and partial salpingectomy (n = 40), and ovariohysterectomy (n = 1). As of 2 yr poststerilization, no surgical does were observed with fawns, indicating that these procedures provide sterilization with low mortality in urban white-tailed deer.

Between January 1985 and December 1998, 2913 female sterilizations through minilaparotomy were performed. The mean (+/- SD) age was 36.4 +/- 4.2 years and 68% of the women were between the ages of 30 and 39 years. The mean (+/- SD) parity distribution was 8.0 +/- 2.0; 59.5% of the patients were para > or = 8, and the mean (+/- SD) number of living children was 6.8 +/- 1.6. Only 32.9% had the equivalent > or = 8 number of living children at the time of the procedure. Completed desired family size was the indication for the tubal occlusion in 95% of the patients. The predominant surgical technique was Pomeroy's method in 97%. Tubal ligation as an interval procedure was performed in 93.6% and local anesthesia was used in 83.7%. The study showed a yearly increase in the growth of voluntary surgical contraception at the institution, made possible by trained personnel.

Minilaparotomy under local anesthesia (ML/LA) is the most widely used technique of tubal sterilization in the world. Since 1993, the University Hospital Center of Dakar, Senegal has been the reference center performing 20 ML/LA a month. Most procedures (72%) are carried out for non-medical personal reasons. The remaining cases (28%) involve physical conditions incompatible with completion of normal pregnancy. In all cases, voluntary, informed consent is obtained from the couple and is documented in writing. Preoperative evaluation is performed to detect contraindications. The procedure consists of five steps: the vaginal phase, local anesthesia, abdomen incision, tubal ligation, and closure. Morbidity is less than 1%. The most common complications involve damage to visceral organs (intestine, bladder). These injuries are accessible to immediate repair and thus have a good prognosis. Failure rate due to technical error is low (average: 5.8/10,000). Current experience shows that ML/AL is a safe, effective, low-cost technique well suited to use in developing countries.

The study of a modified minilaparotomy technique of interval female sterilization is reported. The modified minilaparotomy technique of interval female sterilization is performed under local anesthesia using the Ramathibodi uterine manipulator, bivalve speculum, and a low midline incision. Sixty cases were treated with this technique. From the study, it was revealed that the mean age of patients +/- SD was 31.2 +/- 5.6 years, the mean body weight +/- SD was 43.3 +/- 5.1 kg, and the mean height +/- SD was 152.1 +/- 8.2 cm. The mean operating time was 24.3 +/- 5.5 min with a range from 15 to 35 min. All patients recovered and were allowed home within 2 h after operation. No immediate or late complications were observed. It was concluded that this technique is quick, safe, inexpensive, and easy to perform as an outpatient procedure.

This paper is a comprehensive review of literature concerning the Kenyan experience with female sterilization through minilaparotomy under local anesthesia (ML/LA). A composite picture from analysis of several studies that include some 12,000 clients since 1979 reveals an average Kenyan user to be 31-34 years old (SD 4.9) with 5.9-6.8 children (SD 1.7-1.8). In up to 96% of cases, the indication for choosing sterilization is personal socio-economic considerations. The majority of clients (97%-99%) report satisfaction with their choice of sterilization at the first follow-up visit, and 96-99% state that they would recommend the method to others. The operation takes an average of 14 min (SD 4.5-5.3) "skin-to-skin" through a 2.5.2.8 cm incision (SD 0.5). A mean of 18 cm3 of 1% lignocaine is used (SD 2.7). Most clients (76.4%) have no post-operative complaints; those who do have any complaints report minor transitory problems. Similarly, most clients (96%) have moderate, little, or no peri-operative pain, but 1.9%-5% report much pain. The intra-operative and early complication rate is 0.9%. Some 3.3% of clients suffer at least one complication, some multiple, and the complication rate at 6 weeks is 4.1%, with major complications occurring in 0.7% of cases, and minor complications in 3.4%. The crude failure rate is 0.4% in the first year and 0.1% in the second year, when corrected for luteal phase pregnancies, which account for 50% of all "failures," the actual failure rate is 0.2% in the first year and 0.1% in the second year both for interval and postpartum procedures. This literature review finds outpatient ML/LA to be a relatively safe, simple, effective, and well-accepted option for most Kenyan couples seeking contraception that is intended to be permanent. Counseling, adequate client assessment, and voluntarism have been shown to be essential elements, not only for client satisfaction and avoidance of possible future regret, but also for technical ease of the operative procedure. Recommendations that derive from the Kenya experience are made.

Methods of sterilization by the abdominal route are reviewed. There are wide variations in practice which reflect experience, training and resources in different countries. Clip sterilization comes nearest to fulfilling the criteria of a satisfactory method, whether performed by laparoscopy or minilaparotomy. The development of the Cambridge clip seems to offer the prospect of a significant improvement in reliability and safe application while microlaparoscopy and a smaller clip would facilitate the use of local anesthesia and decrease morbidity.

Two hundred and eight puerperal patients who had been operated for tubal ligation by Pomeroy's technique with abdominal approach by minilaparotomy and local anesthesia, were analyzed. This procedure was safe and effective. Their application seems to reduce the hospital cost and the operative risk.

Pomeroy tubal ligation is a widely-used method for surgical female sterilization. A laparoscopic technique of Pomeroy tubal ligation using endoloop sutures is compared with the conventional technique of Pomeroy tubal ligation by minilaparotomy. Forty-four women requiring sterilization were randomly selected for either laparoscopy (n = 24) or minilaparotomy (n = 20). Mean operative time in the laparoscopy group (18.90 +/- 5.56 with a range of 12-35 minutes) was not significantly different from that in the minilaparotomy (23.12 +/- 8.24 with a range of 15-45 minutes) group. In all women, tubal specimens confirmed tubal histology. Both laparoscopy and minilaparotomy procedures may be performed for Pomeroy tubal ligation with minor morbidity. In clinics with appropriate conditions, Pomeroy tubal ligation by laparoscopy may be preferable to minilaparotomy.

Laparoscopic tubal sterilization was performed on 179 women using general anesthesia, and tubal sterilization via mini-laparotomy was performed in 52 cases using local anesthesia. The patients ranged in age from 25 to 41 years, with 73.2% between 31 and 40 years. The mean operative time of laparoscopy and mini-laparotomy were 14.2 and 11.6 minutes, respectively. Both the laparoscopy group and the mini-laparotomy group were found to be similar with regard to age, gravidity and number of abortions. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) was not observed in any patient during the follow-up period (3 months). Two wound infections were detected within the first week following mini-laparotomy, and these were treated on an out-patient basis by relevant antibiotics. Among the 179 patients in whom laparoscopic tubal sterilization was performed, tubal rupture occurred in 3 cases (1.67%) which were electrocoagulated easily, and unplanned laparotomy was performed in a patient in whom bowel injury during mini-laparotomy was suspected.

A total of 1221 female clients were sterilised via minilaparotomy under local anaesthesia as outpatients. 101 of these clients had lower midline abdominal scars, 1120 did not. The first group had slightly increased minilap incision length, duration of surgery and amount of local anaesthesia required compared to the second group but the differences were not clinically significant. The "scar group" also tended to have wider ranges for these same parameters, and there was one case of abandoned procedure. The incidence of peri-operative complications was low, and most of these were minor transitory grievances--the incidence was slightly more in the previous scar group. Minilap female sterilisation under local anaesthesia is safe and suitable even for clients with a lower midline abdominal scar, but good counselling and meticulous client selection is a prerequisite.

A total of 1,521 clients undergoing voluntary surgical contraception via Minilaparatomy under local anaesthesia (L.A. Minilap) were prospectively followed up for early and medium-term morbidity. The commonest complaint was some degree of abdominal pain at 24.2%. Eight percent of these [corrected] reported that the operative pain was severe, but 92.0% reported minimal or moderate pain. The overall complication at 6 weeks was 4.1%, 17.5% of these were major and 82.5% minor, i.e. the rate for major complications was 0.7% and 3.4% for minor complications. There were no deaths. Female VSC via Minilaparatomy under L.A. is a relatively comfortable and easy procedure in well selected and counselled clients and carries minimal, usually non-recurrent morbidity.

This is a review of 209 cases of salpingochlasia by minilaparotomy, post-partum. Frequency was 13.2%. The larger group was 20 to 29 years of age, 52%; 14.3% were unmarried. Multiparae were most frequent, 52.2%. One previous section 3.5%; with four to six live children, 54%. No previous anticonceptive method, 91%; pre-natal control, 69%. With anemia, Hb less than 10 g, 11%, and only 3.5% required blood transfusion. Eutocic delivery, 89%. Ruptured membranes, before delivery, less than six hours, 97%. Anesthesia during delivery, 59.1%; it was epidural anesthesia, as well as for the salpingochlasia in 100%, without complications. The indication was completed parity in 100%, the technique mostly used was Pomeroy's in 77.3%. There were no pre, trans or post-operative complications. The interval between delivery and salpingochlasia in first 12 hours, 98% and from surgery to hospital discharge, 12 to 24 hours, 89.2%. Hospital stay was two days, 90%. Pomeroy's technique failure, 0.6% and for Kroener's, 2.1%. Two pregnancies occurred out of 1,238 months-woman observation.

Three hundred fifty-eight patients underwent interval sterilization by minilaparotomy under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation between December 1984 and October 1987 at the University of Miami Family Planning Center, an out-of-hospital facility. The Osathanondh uterine elevation technique was used. In three cases the operation could not be completed because of technical difficulties. Eighty-five percent of the patients had a post-operative examination. Sixty percent underwent follow-up between 24 and 48 months after surgery and 12% between 12 and 18 months. One patient became pregnant (intrauterine) one year after the operation. From this study it appears that outpatient minilaparotomy sterilization under local anesthesia is safe and effective.

A prospective randomly controlled study was conducted on 200 women undergoing sterilization by application of clips to the fallopian tubes. Laparotomy or laparoscopy was used, and the patients' response to the procedure was evaluated. There were few surgical complications. Postoperative pain and discomfort were experienced for a mean of 2.7 and 2.4 days in the those undergoing minilaparotomy and laparoscopy, respectively. The patients' response indicates a marginal benefit from the laparoscopic approach to application of clips to the fallopian tubes.

Direct insertion of the laparoscopic trocar without the aid of a prior pneumoperitoneum has been described previously. Prior laparotomy has been cited as a contraindication to this technique. At our free-standing ambulatory surgical unit, 1,670 consecutive laparoscopies utilizing direct insertion of the trocar were performed during a four-year period. Four hundred sixteen women had had previous abdominal surgery. One bowel injury occurred in this group. A patient without prior surgery sustained an intraabdominal laceration requiring further surgery and hospitalization. Based on this experience, we do not find previous abdominal surgery to be a contraindication to the use of direct insertion of the laparoscopic trocar.

Minilaparotomy, as described in this report, is surgical entry into the lower abdominal cavity through a small transverse suprapubic incision, for the purpose of tubal ligation. The 200 operations reported were performed under local anesthesia in a free-standing office surgical unit. For most women requesting sterilization, minilaparotomy is a highly satisfactory approach. For patients with fixed uterine retroversion, enlarged uteri, or suspected adnexal disease, open laparoscopy under local anesthesia is preferable. The standard Pomeroy technique was used in all cases. Analysis of a follow-up minilaparotomy questionnaire indicates a high degree of patient satisfaction. No subsequent pregnancies have been reported by these patients, but since no patient in this series has been followed for more than 2 years, no conclusion as to long-term failure rate may be made.

A multicenter, multinational randomized comparison of minilaparotomy and modified Pomeroy tubal ligation and laparoscopy with tubal electrocoagulation for interval sterilization of women was conducted in eight centers. Results were analyzed for 791 women in the minilaparotomy group and 819 in the laparoscopy group. Major complications occurred in 1.5% of women in the former group and 0.9% in the latter. Technical problems or major anesthetic complications occurred in 0.5% of subjects undergoing minilaparotomy and 0.9% of subjects undergoing laparoscopy. For minor complications the figures were 11.6% and 6.0%, respectively, while for minor complaints the rates were 34.1% and 26.5%, respectively. It is concluded that the two methods of approach to the fallopian tubes are similar in their complication rates. Because of its more simple requirements in terms of equipment and training, minilaparotomy is the preferred approach for services provided away from a major institution.

Informed, healthy, volunteering women seeking interval sterilization were randomly allocated either to culdoscopy or to minilaparotomy. Data concerning the operation and follow-up to six weeks post-operation were analyzed for 199 women in the culdoscopy group and 196 in the minilaparotomy group. Major complications, both at operation and subsequently, occurred only in the vaginal procedure group (3%). Minor complications occurred in 3.6% of women in the minilaparotomy group, the majority of these involving the abdominal wound. In the women operated vaginally, minor complications occurred in 1.5%. Failure to perform the intended procedure on the fallopian tubes occurred in 10.6% of culdoscopy cases and 0.5% of minilaparotomy cases. It is concluded that the vaginal approach cannot be recommended except for surgeons experienced in vaginal surgery.

An outpatient sterilization program was started at Silas B. Hays Hospital, Fort Ord, California, and later extended to Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. From January 1976 to June 1978, two hundred and eight outpatient minilaparotomy Pomeroy tubal ligations were performed under local anesthesia. The minilaparotomy technique, using standard operating room equipment, is described. The average operating time was 31.8 minutes and the complication rate was 2.5%.

Two hundred consecutive cases of mini-laparotomy for nonpuerperal bilateral tubal ligation done by a single gynecologist with the patient in lithotomy position are presented here. Technical aspects of the procedure, some innovative and some old, are presented in an effort to demonstrate a simple, low-risk alternative to laparoscopic sterilization.

This paper presents the socio-demographic characteristics, medical histories, and clinical data on 651 women sterilized by interval minilaparotomy procedures in Manila, Philippines. About two thirds of the procedures were performed with local anesthesia; the Pomeroy technique was used for tubal ligation. In 2.8% of the patients, salpingectomy or fimbriectomy was performed on one side because of surgical difficulties and complications. Surgical difficulties were encountered in 19.8% of the procedures; adhesions (4.3%) and bowel interference (4.0%) were the most frequent causes of surgical difficulty. Complications occurred during surgery in 1.7% of the procedures. Early postoperative complications were noted in 9.1% of the cases. None of the patients required readmission to the hospital. While 612 women were followed up at 6 months, 299 were followed up at 12 months. One women (0.2%) became pregnant after sterilization; at repeat minilaparotomy, ligation of the left round ligament rather than the tube was observed. Pelvic surgery, other than pregnancy-related surgery, during the year following sterilization was reported for one patient who underwent exploratory laparotomy with appendectomy and oophorocystectomy. Menstrual pattern changes were minimal. The results of this study suggest that tubal ligation via minilaparotomy is practical, safe, and effective.

Two hundred and twenty-six minilaparotomy Pomeroy tubal ligations performed between January, 1976, and July, 1977, are compared to 226 laparoscopic tubal sterilization operations. Operating time, length of hospital stay, and complications were similar for the two groups. Postoperative discomfort was greater in the minilaparotomy group but did not significantly increase the duration of hospitalization and was effectively relieved with oral administration of medication for pain. It is the author's belief that the minilaparotomy procedure provides the best current method of tubal sterilization in the patient who is not massively obese. The slight increase in postoperative discomfort is a small price to pay for freedom from the rare major complications of visceral, vascular, and thermal injuries. In addition the author recently has decreased the postoperative discomfort experienced by carefully expressing the room air from the peritoneal cavity just prior to tying the peritoneal suture.

Sterilization with tubal rings applied via minilaparotomy or laparoscopy was performed on 300 randomly selected postabortion subjects to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the two surgical methods. One hundred and forty-nine procedures were performed by minilaparotomy and 151 by laparoscopy. Gas leakage due to equipment problems was the most common technical difficulty during laparoscopy, and difficulty in exteriorizing the tubes was the most common surgical difficulty. Women undergoing laparoscopy experienced significantly less pain during surgery and had significantly lower rates of immediate and early postoperative complications than those women undergoing minilaparotomy. The rates of gynecologic abnormalities at six and 12 months were similar for both procedures. At this writing, no pregnancies have been reported among the study subjects. The results of our study indicate that laparoscopy is superior to minilaparotomy when it is performed in a controlled hospital situation.