Histopathological Findings in Tubal Sterilization Specimens: A Single-Center Cohort Study

Abstract

Aim

To evaluate the histopathological spectrum of fallopian tube specimens obtained after tubal sterilization and to investigate its association with sterilization timing, surgical technique, and patient characteristics.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study reviewed the medical records of women who underwent tubal sterilization between January 2023 and August 2025 at a tertiary referral center. Procedures were classified by timing (peripartum, interval, opportunistic) and surgical technique. Histopathological findings were categorized as normal, vascular congestion, cystic changes, inflammatory alterations, structural or obstructive changes, or specific lesions. Associations between histopathological findings and age, gravida, parity, sterilization timing, and surgical technique were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Results

A total of 944 women were included (median age: 35 years; range: 22–49). Most procedures were peripartum (83.2%), followed by interval (16.6%) and opportunistic (0.2%). Normal histology was the most common finding (62.1%), followed by vascular congestion (21.5%), cystic changes (11.1%), inflammation (3.3%), and specific lesions (1.3%). Histopathological findings differed significantly according to sterilization timing and surgical technique (p < 0.001). Normal histology predominated in peripartum sterilizations performed during cesarean delivery, whereas abnormal findings were more frequent in interval and opportunistic procedures. Increasing age was associated with specific histopathological categories (p = 0.003), while no significant associations were observed with gravida or parity.

Conclusions

Histopathological findings in tubal sterilization specimens were associated with sterilization timing and patient age, while no significant associations were observed with gravida or parity. These results underscore the importance of interpreting tubal pathology within the appropriate clinical context and provide large-scale data addressing an existing gap in the literature.