Previous abdominal surgery as a risk factor in interval laparoscopic sterilization.

Previous abdominal surgery has been termed a relative contraindication for laparoscopic sterilization. This study quantifies the relative risks of surgical difficulties, immediate complications, and early follow-up complications/complaints of interval sterilization in women with versus women without previous abdominal surgery (PAS and NPAS groups, respectively). This multicenter study included women sterilized by electrocoagulation, the tubal ring, and the spring-loaded clip. Within each center the PAS and NPAS women were generally similar with respect to sociodemographic variables and preexisting medical conditions. Stratified analysis determined that the rate of surgical difficulties was significantly higher in PAS women (relative risk = 2.3, P less than 0.05), but most of these difficulties were overcome without resorting to another technique or approach. The rates of complications as well as the mean operation times and mean durations of hospitalization (indices of medical costs) did not differ significantly between the PAS and NPAS groups.