Seven-Year Outcomes After Hysteroscopic and Laparoscopic Sterilizations.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate 7-year outcomes after hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilizations, including subsequent tubal interventions and hysterectomies.

METHODS

This observational cohort study included women undergoing hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilizations in outpatient and ambulatory surgical settings in New York State during 2005-2016. We examined subsequent procedures (tubal ligation or resection, and hysterectomy not related to uterine leiomyomas or gynecologic tumors) after the index procedures. After propensity score matching, we used Kaplan-Meier analysis to obtain estimated risks of subsequent procedures within 7 years of index sterilization procedures, and Cox proportional hazard models to compare the differences between groups.

RESULTS

We identified 10,143 and 53,206 women who underwent interval hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilizations, respectively, in New York State during 2005-2016. The mean age of the cohort was 34.2 years (range 18-80). The propensity score-matched cohort consisted of 10,109 pairs of women. The estimated risk of undergoing an additional tubal ligation or resection within 7 years was higher after hysteroscopic sterilization than it was after laparoscopic sterilization (3.9% vs 1.6%, HR 2.89, 95% CI 2.33-3.57). The difference was most pronounced within the initial year after attempted sterilization (1.5% vs 0.2%; HR 6.39, 95% CI 4.16-9.80). There was no significant difference in the risk of receiving a hysterectomy (0.9% vs 1.2%; HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.53-1.00) between women who underwent hysteroscopic and laparoscopic sterilizations.

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing hysteroscopic sterilization have a higher risk of receiving an additional tubal resection or ligation than those undergoing laparoscopic sterilization, particularly within the first year of the index procedure. There is no difference in undergoing a subsequent hysterectomy between the two groups. With limited evidence of outcomes after hysteroscopic sterilization beyond 7 years and existing reports of removals years after initial implantations, continuous monitoring of long-term outcomes for women who received the device is warranted.