Complications in 8509 laparoscopic Falope ring sterilizations performed under local anaesthesia

During the 3-year period 1 January 1980-31 December 1982, 8509 laparoscopic Falope ring sterilizations were performed under local anaesthesia in rural areas of the Cape Province by the Sterilization Service of Tygerberg Hospital. Despite the fact that 476 of the patients had undergone previous lower abdominal surgery, major complications (anaphylactic shock after injection of lignocaine and inadvertent perforation of the bladder by the trocar) occurred in only 2 cases. It was not possible to complete the sterilization under local anaesthesia in 98 cases, resulting in a technical failure rate of 1.15%. A prospective study of the minor complications encountered among the 193 patients sterilized during November 1982 showed that torn tubes occurred in 3.1% and uterine perforation in 2.1%. This can be partially explained by the fact that evidence of previous pelvic infection was seen during laparoscopy in 9.3% of cases. The pregnancy rate after sterilization was 0.28% for the group as a whole.