Increased uterine and ovarian vascular resistance following Filshie clip sterilization: preliminary findings obtained with color Doppler ultrasonography.

The effect of Filshie clip sterilization on uterine and ovarian circulation was studied with color Doppler ultrasonography in 16 women before and twice after the operation. As a whole, the vascular resistance was slightly raised in the largest uterine artery and in the fundal parts of the uterine arteries; likewise in the ovarian arteries 2 days after sterilization. The resistance in the uterine arteries approached the presterilization level at 3 months after the operation, although these changes were not statistically significant. Two women had pelvic pain in the first days after the procedure, and they were compared with the symptom-free patients. Two days after sterilization, the patients with pain had significantly higher vascular resistance in all parts of the uterine arteries as compared to the symptom-free patients. After 3 months the difference had decreased in the largest uterine arteries and in the middle parts of the uterine arteries, but in the fundal parts the resistance was still higher than before sterilization. Vascular resistance in the ovarian arteries was increased in both groups, although the elevation was more pronounced in patients with pain. These preliminary findings imply that sterilization may cause an increase in the local vascular resistance, which is measurable by color Doppler sonography.