Hysterectomy performed within 1 year after tubal sterilization

In the United States, approximately 650,000 women of reproductive age undergo tubal sterilization each year and some of these women later have hysterectomies. Little is known about risk factors for having hysterectomy after tubal sterilization. For examination of this issue, we analyzed data from the Collaborative Review of Sterilization, an ongoing multicenter prospective study designed to assess the safety and efficacy of female sterilization operations. In 1979 and 1980, 4002 women 15 to 44 years of age had interval tubal sterilization; of these women, 64 had hysterectomies within 15 months, which yielded a cumulative incidence of 1.6%. Women with a history of menstrual complaints, leiomyomata, ovarian cysts, or endometriosis before their tubal sterilization had an increased risk of hysterectomy, compared with women without such a history. However, 98% of women with a history of these conditions did not have a hysterectomy within 15 months after tubal sterilization. Further follow-up of these women should help to better delineate their long-term risks.