Rationale:
Tubal sterilization as a contraception method has a high success rate; however, it also carries a low risk of incidental pregnancy. A majority of these pregnancies are ectopic. In this study, we report a rare case of spontaneous right distal tubal pregnancy after bilateral laparoscopic tubal sterilization.
Patient concerns:
A 36-year-old woman who had undergone bilateral laparoscopic tubal sterilization presented with abdominal pain and a positive test for pregnancy.
Diagnosis:
Ectopic pregnancy was suspected based on absence of gestational sac in the uterine cavity on ultrasound and elevated beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level.
Intervention:
Since the patient had unstable vitals, emergency laparoscopic surgery was performed, which revealed a right distal fallopian tube pregnancy. We performed a complete bilateral residual tubal stump excision.
Outcomes:
The patient recovered well after surgery, with a reduction in β-hCG level, and was discharged after 3 days.
Lessons:
To ensure complete sterilization, the gap at the excised end needs to be adequately widened and enhanced with electro-destruction to prevent formation of a fistula.