An Epidemiological Study on the Complications caused by the Sterilization Program

불임시술의 합병증에 관한 역학적 연구

Intending to offer basic information for a prospective health services in Korea, this study is to investigate the complication caused by sterilization in goverment family planning program from 1962 to 1995. The results are as follows: 1. Total number of sterilization performed during the period from 1962 to 1995 were 1.367,772 cases of male sterilization and 2,889,635 cases of female sterilization. 2. Incidence of the complication caused by sterilization operation from 1980 to 1995 were 1,883(0.20%) out of 925,801 cases in vasectomies and 15,866(0.70%) out of 2,256,020 cases in tubal sterilizations. 3. Major complications in vasectomy were epididymities of 658 cases (34.9%), vas recanalization of 326 cases(17.3%), hematoma of 266 cases(14.1%), scrotal abscess of 184 cases(9.8%), sperm granuloma of 76 cases(4.0%),and other of 373 cases(19.8%). On the other hand, in tubal sterilization, ectopic pregnancy was the most significant complication of 15,078 cases (95.0%) among 15,866 total complications, followed by pelvic inflammatory diseases of 155 cases(0.9%), peritonities of 96 cases(0.6%), ovarian & tubal bleeding of 31 cases(0.2%), intestinal perforation of 16 cases (0.1%), uterine bleeding of 14 cases(0.1%), uterine cervix laceration of 1 case (0.1%), and other of 271 cases(1.7%), while 161 pregnancies(0.1%) were terminated and 43 cases(0.3%) with normal delivery. 4. The occurrence rate of the complication for each period showed that most of the complication cases by vasectomy occurred in a year after the operation -the cases were 1,256 (66.7%). 254 cases(13.5%) occurred between the next year and the 2nd year, 138 cases (7.3%) between the 2nd year and the 3rd year, 73 cases(3.9%) between the 3rd year and the 4th year, 52 cases(2.8%) between the 4th year and the 5th year, 31 cases(1.6%) between the 5th year and the 6th year, 79 cases(4.2%) over the 6th year. Tubal sterilization indicated that the occurred complication cases in a year were 2,175 cases(13.7%), 2,113 cases(13.3%) occurred between the next year and the 2nd year, 2,082 cases(13.1%) between the 2nd year and the 3rd year, 2,049 cases (12. 9%) between the 3rd year and the 4th year, 1,819 cases(11.5%) between the 4th year and the 5th year, 621 cases(10.2%) between the 5th year and the 6th year, 4,007 cases(25.3%) over the 6th year. 5. For the cost of complication treatment, total \7,928,229,000 were paid as medical expenditure in which \609,438,000 for vasectomy and \7,318,791,000 for tubal sterilization. Accordingly per capita expenses were \345,000 for vasectomy and \467,000 for tubal sterilization. As the proportion of government sterilization program was decreased after 1988, that of private sterilization program would be increased. So it is recommended to set a guideline for the private sterilization program and to continue government sterilization program for the lower class.