title: Risk factors for complications of interval tubal sterilization by laparotomy.
abstract: The complication rate among 282 women undergoing interval tubal sterilization by laparotomy was studied as part of the prospective multicenter Collaborative Review of Sterilization. Using a standard definition of major complications, the overall complication rate was 5.7 per 100 procedures. Women experiencing complications had a significantly lengthened postoperative recovery period before the resumption of normal activities. Important risk factors for complications included diabetes, cigarette smoking, previous abdominal or pelvic surgery, and a history of pelvic inflammatory disease. Women with an initial abdominal incision of 7 cm or longer had three times the complication rate of women with shorter incisions. These results provide objective evidence that, for tubal sterilizations, minilaparotomy (laparotomy with a small abdominal incision) is associated with lower morbidity than is conventional laparotomy.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000150:complications; D010388:Pelvis / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000009:adverse effects*