Outpatient laparoscopy with local anesthesia

Since March 1974, laparoscopic sterilizations have been performed on patients under local anesthesia at The Hope Clinic for Women, an outpatient facility that is not based in a hospital. No major surgical complications have resulted from these procedures, and less than 1% of the patients experienced minor complications. Neither general anesthesia nor hospitalization has been necessary for any of the women sterilized. The results of this study show that outpatient laparoscopy, when performed by a highly skilled surgical team, is a safe procedure that does not present additional risks to the patient.