Table 4.
Medical and Surgical Complications and Additional Procedures Performed Within 30 Days of Placement of a Medicaid-Funded Long-Acting Contraceptive Procedure Provided to California Patients, 2008–2014
| Levonorgestrel IUC (n = 35,705) | Copper IUC (n = 23,628) | Laparoscopic tubal ligation (n = 23,965) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical complications* | |||
| Acute cardiovascular event | 15 (0.04%) | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 41 (0.17%) |
| Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism | 16 (0.04%) | 13 (0.06%) | 28 (0.12%) |
| Anesthetic/respiratory complications | 57 (0.16%) | 30 (0.13%) | 172 (0.72%) |
| Infection | 112 (0.31%) | 93 (0.39%) | 698 (2.91%) |
| Surgical complications | |||
| Acute hemorrhage | 12 (0.03%) | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 192 (0.80%) |
| Abdominal injury | 124 (0.35%) | 65 (0.28%) | 713 (2.98%) |
| Cervical laceration | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 0 (0%) | 15 (0.06%) |
| Additional procedures | |||
| Hysterectomy† | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 0 (0%) | 948 (3.96%) |
| Salpingectomy† | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 950 (3.96%) |
| Oophorectomy† | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 0 (0%) | 1887 (7.87%) |
| Laparoscopy | 15 (0.04%) | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 335 (1.40%) |
| Hysteroscopy | 36 (0.10%) | < 11 (< 0.01%) | 922 (3.85%) |
Excluding procedures performed within 42 days of a birth. Statistically significant with p < 0.05 for all comparisons of tubal ligation to IUC shown in the table. Data are n (%); CMS guidance limits presentation of cells with n less than 11
*ICD-9 codes used to define each variable are available from authors by request
†Claims data do not allow identification of whether additional procedures were planned in advance