Female sterilisations with Filshie clips: What is the risk failure? A retrospective survey of 30 000 applications

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the failure rate of Filshie clip sterilisations in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN: Retrospective study between 1994 and 1998. SETTING: All specialist gynaecologists practising in the state of Victoria, Australia. INTERVENTIONS: Questionnaires (up to three) followed by telephone calls if necessary. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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.