[Ten years experience with laparoscopy in the state women's clinic of Nurenberg]

During the period from 1968--1977 2400 laparoscopies were performed. Of these 10.7% were for diagnostic purposes only, in 3.6% of the cases laparoscopy was combined with biopsie and in 85.7% with tubal sterilization. Deaths or serious bleedings did not occur, laparotomies were not necessary. Total insignificant complications amounted to 1.6% (1.3% small bleedings which did not necessitate an operation and in 0.3% clinical signs of peritonitis, these disappeared after 3 to 15 days). In 0.7% laparoscopy was interrupted because of poor vision. Nine of 2055 women became pregnant after sterilization (4.5 pregnancies/1000 sterilizations). In 2 cases the ligamentum rotundum was coagulated, in 7 cases recanalization was histologically confirmed. Until Oct. 1975 coagulation was unipolar, afterwords bipolar. In 45.3% the patients had undergone an operation before, like Ceasarian section, gallbladder operation, appendectomy or umbilical hernia operation. Patients with longitudinal incision, with preceding peritonitis or ileus were excluded from laparoscopy. Laparoscopy was performed by all assistents during their last year of clinical instruction. Their first 30 laparoscopies were done under control, every assistent performed about 100 laparoscopies.