[Sterilization failures following fibrectomy]

Four of 272 patients with bilateral fimbriectomy became pregnant. In each of the four cases the distal end of the Fallopian tubes was closed but a tubo-peritoneal fistula could be observed in the antimesenterial part of the tube - immediately proximal of the former ligatures. These failures of sterilization were all found in a group of 16 patients, in which VICRYL 2/0 was used for ligation after resection of the fimbriated end. In all the other cases of fimbriectomy Chromcatgut 2/0 was used.