Pelviscopy/laparoscopy and its complications in Germany, 1949-1988

The fourth German pelviscopy/laparoscopy statistical report includes survey data on a total of 219,314 laparoscopies from 354 clinics and 40,892 laparoscopies from 161 private practices. Clinics' response rate was 44.7%; 98.9% of them reported performing laparoscopies; and the number of serious complications requiring laparotomy or control laparoscopy was 492 (2.2/1,000). For private practices, the comparable figures were 66%, 90.8% and 123 (3/1,000), respectively. Compared with data from the third laparoscopy statistical survey, the data show a slight increase in serious complications, most of which were mechanical lesions of blood vessels in the abdominal wall or in the mesosalpinx, followed by mechanical lesions of the intestine. As shown by the previous survey, 16.5% of the complications were burns. For tubal sterilization, bipolar techniques were still predominant; approximately equal numbers of departments used this method, with or without subsequent transsection of the tubes. Endocoagulation by the method of Semm was the second most popular procedure; the use of clips and rings was of little significance. Monopolar high-frequency (HF) current was still used with transsection by 4.1% of clinics (4.7% of private practices) and without transsection by 2.5% (5.3%). Sterilization failure rates remained the same as those previously reported (4.6/1,000 in clinics, 5.3/1,000 in private practices); the highest rates were observed after the use of monopolar HF techniques. Sixty-six percent of the clinics and 41% of the private practices reported their intention to increase the use of endoscopic operational methods.