Due to the expanding use of laparoscopic surgery in gynecology, the necessi
ty for evaluation of results was raised. With the intention of quality cont
rol in gynecological endoscopy, the gynecological department of the Evangel
isches Diakonie-Krankenhaus in Bremen has developed, in cooperation with th
e Institute far Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bremen and on
behalf of the German Society for Gynecological Endoscopy, the quality contr
ol program,German Gynecological Endoscopy Complication Register". in 1997,
20 German endoscopic centers took part in the prospective observational stu
dy. A total number of 17,745 cases were reported. Altogether 20,050 endosco
pic procedures were performed, 8020 hysteroscopies and 12030 laparoscopies.
The complication rate far hysteroscopies amounted to 7.0 parts per thousan
d and that of laparoscopies to 9.6 parts per thousand. The quality control
program of the German Society for Gynecological Endoscopy is a unique tool,
comparable to the ,,German Perinatology Study". It allows to compare indivi
dual hospital profiles, an option that is necessary to gain the best possib
le results in terms of quality in gynecological surgery in the long term.