Puerperal sterilization on the private and ward services of a large metropolitan hospital
Guttmacher, A.F.
Fertility And Sterility 8(6): 591-602
1957
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-0282 PMID: 13480391 Document Number: 516219
Early puerperal sterilization has gained widespread popularity. In view of this, the Mt. Sinai Hospital analyzes its experience with the procedure January 1, 1953 to January 1, 1957. In this period 1.1% of the private patients and 7.9% of the clinic patients had an early puerperal sterilization. 24% of the private patients were sterilized for multiparity and 6.3% of the clinic patients. The Mt. Sinai Hospital has a rule that any private or clinic patient may have a puerperal sterilization performed if she and her husband so request and they have 6 living children. This multiparity indication is modified to 5 living children if the wife is 30 to 35 years old and, to 4 if she is 35 or more. Ninety-one percent were sterilized by the Pomeroy tubal technique and 9% by hysterectomy. A careful follow-up study was done on 157 clinic patients who had been sterilized at times varying from the hour of delivery to 5 days postpartum. The median time elapsed after sterilization when the study was done was 19 months. No pregnancies occurred. The study showed no specific effect on the sex lives of the couples. Seven of the patients regretted that sterilization had been performed, despite the fact they had requested it.