Laparoscopic tubal sterilization in obese women: experience from a teaching institution.

To determine whether laparoscopy presents any significant risks for tubal sterilization in obese women, we retrospectively reviewed the records of 248 consecutive patients who had laparoscopic tubal sterilization between January and December 1991 at our institution. The 147 obese women were compared with the 101 nonobese women as controls for the study parameters. Two methods of closed laparoscopy were used as interval procedures, with similar proportions in obese and nonobese women. We observed no complications in any patient, and there were not significant differences in the mean operating time and estimated blood loss between the two groups of women. We concluded that laparoscopy should be considered safe and laparoscopic tubal sterilization can be performed in obese women with the same efficiency, morbidity rate, and length of hospitalization as in nonobese women.