Female sterilization via minilaparotomy.

A simple, safe, economical and potentially reversible technique for female sterilization via minilaparotomy is evaluated in 204 patients (not recently pregnant and postpartum). Only light general anesthesia is required, and the procedure is performed with only equipment normally available in any hospital or outpatient clinic. A 2cm circumumbilical or suprapubic incision is made, and the physician manipulates the uterus to bring the fallopian tube in line with the incision. As the cornu passes the incision, the release of intraabdominal pressure at the site of the wound usually pushes the tube out of the peritoneal cavity. A majority of the procedures were performed in less than five minutes. No surgical difficulties were encountered, and no immediate complications or complaints were reported. Patients were usually hospitalized for one or two nights. Early postoperative complications or complaints were reported for 8.4% of the not-recently-pregnant patients and for 4.1% of the postpartum patients at the 7-to-21-day follow-up visit. The most frequently reported complications and complaints were fever and lower abdominal pain. Further studies to determine the effectiveness of this type of sterilization and whether the procedure can be performed safely with local anesthetics and on an outpatient basis are being planned.