Local anesthesia and minilaparotomy: a safe procedure for tubal occlusion in women with severe health problems.

From 1982 to 1986, 79 women with severe health problems underwent tubal occlusion by minilaparotomy using local anesthesia and intravenous sedation as a permanent method of fertility regulation. All the patients reported herein were classified as "high risk" population for a surgical procedure due to the following medical reasons: cardiovascular (30.2%); diabetes mellitus (25.3%); thyroid disease (18.9%); adrenal dysfunction (11.3%); kidney transplantation (6.3%); severe hypertension (3.7%); and pulmonary problems (3.7%). The procedure morbidity was 3.7% and the mortality 0%. The follow-up rate at 1 year was 86% and no pregnancies or complications of the primary disease due to the surgical procedure have been reported. It was concluded that tubal ligation by minilaparotomy performed by well-trained staff and with back-up hospital services on an out-patient basis is a safe and effective method of family planning in patients considered as a "high risk" population. Post-doctoral research fellows in Reproductive Biology.