The effect of obesity on intraoperative complication rates with hysteroscopic compared to laparoscopic sterilization: a retrospective cohort study

Background Surgical sterilization is a common method of contraception. There have been few studies evaluating the effect of obesity on procedural complications with either laparoscopic or hysteroscopic methods of sterilization. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of intraoperative complications of hysteroscopic tubal occlusion with laparoscopic tubal ligation among obese and nonobese women. Methods This retrospective cohort study compared women undergoing interval laparoscopic or hysteroscopic sterilization in the operating room between September 2009 and December 2011 at a single hospital. Serious complications included: unintended surgery, uterine perforation, anaphylaxis, blood transfusion, infection requiring antibiotics, hospital admission, fluid overload, myocardial infarction, and venous thromboembolism. Post-operative events included: nausea/vomiting, doctor evaluation or additional pain medication required in the recovery room, and emergency department visit within 2 weeks of surgery. The association between sterilization type and incidence of complications was examined overall, separately by BMI group, and also among patients who received general anesthesia. Results A total of 433 laparoscopic and 277 hysteroscopic procedures were reviewed. The BMI distribution of the sample was 35 % normal weight, 31 % overweight, and 34 % obese which is comparable to the general US female population. No life-threatening events were identified. Serious complications were similar with 20 (4.6 %) in the laparoscopic group and 11 (4.0 %) in the hysteroscopic group (p = 0.9). The most common serious complications were bleeding from the tube, cervical laceration, and uterine perforation. Although not statistically significant, women with a BMI of 30 or greater had only 1 (1 %) serious complication in the hysteroscopic group compared to 7 (5.2 %) in the laparoscopic group. Postoperative events were increased in the laparoscopic group (16.2 %) compared to the hysteroscopic group (6.9 %), especially among overweight and obese women (p <0.01). Failure to complete the intended bilateral occlusion occurred for 14 women in the hysteroscopic group compared to just one woman in the laparoscopic group (p <0.001). Conclusion Both laparoscopic and hysteroscopic tubal sterilization are safe with few serious complications based on these data. No cases of laparotomy, blood transfusion, or life-threatening events were identified. There was no difference in serious complication rate by sterilization method. Overweight and obese women were no more likely to experience a serious complication with either method than women with a BMI <25. There were fewer postoperative events (p <0.01) with hysteroscopic sterilization, but far fewer failed laparoscopic procedures (p <0.001). These study findings can be used to enhance sterilization counseling.