Ovarian cancer is described as a type of cancer with a sneaky progression, without early symptoms.
Since the cancer is often discovered late, the prognosis is often poor. Approximately 700 women in Sweden are diagnosed each year.
Ovarian tubes in women who are to be sterilized can already today be removed through so-called opportunistic salpingectomy, which is used in gynecological surgery for pathological changes.
Marginally significant difference
However, it has not been clear until now whether the laparoscopic surgery can lead to more complications compared to when the ovarian tubes are clipped.
According to the research group, the differences have been marginal.
Nearly 1,000 women who were to be sterilized via laparoscopic surgery participated in the study. 499 underwent conventional sterilization where the ovarian tubes were clipped, and 473 underwent an extended operation where the ovarian tubes were removed.
In the group whose ovarian tubes were removed, slightly more than 8 percent experienced some complication, such as urinary tract infection and wound infection, within eight weeks after the procedure.
In the group that underwent the other type of sterilization, the corresponding figure was slightly more than 6 percent.
"This is classified in this context as an accepted difference, without clinical significance," it states in a press release from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
"Major gain"
The study is published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
"Every case of ovarian cancer we can avoid is a major gain for society and for the women who would otherwise have been affected. Removing the ovarian tubes during sterilization could provide an opportunity to prevent many new cases of cancer," says Annika Strandell, chief physician in gynecology and associate professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, in the press release.
Corrected: In an earlier version, incorrect parts of the genital organ to be operated on were stated in the headline and image caption.
