Unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the data of cases of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization.


METHODS
Retrospective case series analysis.


METHODS
National multicenter.


METHODS
Ten cases of unintended pregnancies after Essure sterilization in the Netherlands were reported from August 2002 through May 2008.


METHODS
Data on the hysteroscopic Essure sterilization procedures and postprocedure confirmation tests of the reported cases were reviewed and analyzed by two authors. The causes of the unintended pregnancies were determined in agreement with the physicians who performed the sterilizations.


METHODS
Most pregnancies occurred in patients with only one device placement and bilateral occlusion on hysterosalpingography (HSG). Other cases included misinterpretation of HSG, undetected abnormal device position by ultrasound, one undetected preprocedure pregnancy, and two patient failures to follow up with the physician advice.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of pregnancy after hysteroscopic sterilization may be reduced by strictly following the follow-up protocol, performing a urinary pregnancy test on the day of the procedure, and instructing the patient to return for the follow-up visit. A procedure with only a single device placement in a patient without a history of tubectomy of the heterolateral tube should be considered unsuccessful.
Veersema
Sebastiaan
S
St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. s.veersema@planet.nl
Vleugels
Michel P H
MP
Moolenaar
Lobke M
LM
Janssen
Catharina A H
CA
Brölmann
Hans A M
HA
D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography; D015907:Hysteroscopy; D007433:Intrauterine Device Expulsion; D007434:Intrauterine Devices; D009426:Netherlands; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011258:Pregnancy Tests; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult