Bilateral tubal ligation in a rural hospital in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE To document bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) rates and highlight the need to improve on the rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review of BTLs done in a five-year period from January 2000 to December 2004 constituted the study group. RESULTS There were a total of 103 BTLs, 58 were Caesarean BTLs, six were cases of BTL with repair of uterine rupture and 39 had BTL from mini-laparotomy. There were 937 Caesarean sections and 2,356 deliveries during the study period. BTL therefore constituted 0.044% of the total deliveries. The majority (51.7%) were above 35 years of age and grandmultiparity constituted 60.4% of BTL cases. The majority was in the low social Class 4 and 5 (41.3%). Grandmultiparity was the most common indication (60.4%). Previous Caesarean sections were more in the highest social class with a mean of 2.9 ± 1.21 while ruptured uterus had the lowest. Unbooked cases of BTL constituted 62.1% of BTL. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral tubal ligation rate was low in this study with grandmultiparity being the commonest indication, the majority of patients were elderly parturient and largely unbooked. Social class was highest among those with previous Caesarean section.