Termination of Pregnancy-Steptoe and Imran MEDICf=mNALThe mean duration of stay in hospital for patients undergoing abdominal hysterotomy was 101 days. The average stay after aspiration and laparoscopic sterilization was 2-4 days, the shortest being nine hours. In this latter group the mean age of the patients was 32-6-syears and the average number of children 3-5.Complications occurred in only seven cases of the series, and there were no maternal deaths. The details of these complications are as follows:Three cases of chronic nephritis and one case of mitral valve disease developed mild pyrexia, and were treated with penicillin.One case of incomplete aspiration of the uterus needed a repeat evacuation of retained products, blood transfusion, and antibiotics.One case required readmission because of a pelvic abscess; this was drained through a posterior colpotomy incision.One case had damage to vessels of the mesosalpinx which was not readily controlled, and laparotomy was immediately performed with suture of the damaged vessels.As a rule antibiotics were not prescribed without first taking swabs from the cervix and vagina for bacteriological examination, identification, and sensitivity. In the pyrexial cases the urine was also examined for possible infection as a routine. Blood grouping and haemoglobin estimations were also carried out in all cases. The amount of blood loss was always measured. Blood transfusion was used in only two patients in whom the preoperative haemoglobin level was below 73 %.The criteria for choosing to carry out the procedures on a day-patient basis were the absence of a complicating medical disease or signs of pelvic infection, the presence of a preoperative haemoglobin of 80%, and no occurrence of any complication during the operation. The procedure should be carried out only where full hospital facilities are available, and where preparation for a laparotomy has previously been made. The day cases received atropine 0 6 mg. only half an hour before operation. A short-acting general anaesthetic was always used, and full resuscitation facilities and equipment were available in a large recovery bay next to the theatre which could accommodate six patients. Intramuscular ergometrine 0 5 mg. was given half an hour before discharge to the patient's home. The patient's general practitioner was informed of the proposed plan of discharge from the hospital, and was also contacted during the morning of the operation on the day patients.In these circumstances it is believed that this combined procedure has a definite place in the gynaecological repertory, being safe, economic in usage of beds, and without disturbance of patients (Steptoe, 1969).