Laparoscopic sterilization with electrocautery, spring-loaded clips, and Silastic bands: technical problems and early...

Among 2283 patients, rates of technical failure, technical difficulty, and operative and early postoperative complications were evaluated for different methods of tubal occlusion at laparoscopy: electrocoagulation (980 cases), spring-loaded clip application (991 cases), and Silastic band application (312 cases). Rates of technical failure and technical difficulty at surgery were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) for the spring-loaded clip technique than for the electrocoagulation and Silastic band techniques. Mechanical and optical difficulties with the prototype spring clip applicator were the major sources of technical difficulties. Rates of operative (1.2%) and early postoperative (1.9%) complications were not significantly different for the three techniques of tubal occlusion. It is concluded that all three study techniques appear to be practical, and large, long-term, randomized, comparative studies to determine rates of failure and subsequent gynecologic problems are necessary to determine the best method of sterilization.