Female sterilisations with Filshie clips: what is the risk failure? A retrospective survey of 30,000 applications.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the failure rate of Filshie clip sterilisations in Victoria, Australia.


METHODS
Retrospective study between 1994 and 1998.


METHODS
All specialist gynaecologists practising in the state of Victoria, Australia.


METHODS
Questionnaires (up to three) followed by telephone calls if necessary.


METHODS
A response rate of 276/277 (99.6%) was obtained. All pregnancies were recorded.


RESULTS
Seventy-three failures were notified from an estimated 30,000 Filshie clip sterilisations carried out in the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
The estimated failure rate of Filshie clip sterilisations in the state of Victoria carried out by specialist gynaecologists was between 2 and 3 per 1000 sterilisation operations.
Kovacs
Gabor T
GT
Monash Medical School, Division of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Box Hill Hospital, Victoria, Australia. gab.kovacs@boxhill.org.au
Krins
Anthony J
AJ
D003250:Constriction; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014739:Victoria