Menstrual patterns and women's attitudes following sterilization by Falope rings.

Follow-up data on 147 women sterilized by laparoscopic Falope ring application were analyzed for changes in menstrual patterns, postoperative complications, patient feelings about surgery, and incidence of regret. Twelve to twenty-eight months after surgery, there were no consistent changes in interval, length, or amount of menstrual flow, and only 4% of women developed transient episodes of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Analysis of feelings after sterilization showed that 90% of women were satisfied with the sterilization, 3% were unhappy, and 7% were ambivalent. Feelings of regret were not associated with postoperative complications and appeared to be related to the reasons for sterilization. Individual counseling not only helped to identify the population at risk for regret but also served to reduce the incidence of poststerilization ambivalent feelings.