This is a retrospective review of 335 elective sterilizations performed in a private community practice. One hundred sixteen minilaparotomy sterilizations and 219 laparoscopic Falope-Ring sterilizations were reviewed. The study indicates a significantly greater mean hospital stay (1.78 versus 1.05 days), requirement for postoperative analgesics (3.34 doses versus 1.76), operative time (23.35 versus 18.82 minutes), and number of days (5.2 versus 2.84) required to resume normal functional activity on a subjective basis in the minilaparotomy group. There were two subsequent pregnancies among the laparoscopic group and none in the minilaparotomy cases. Technical failures occurred in 2.7% of the laparoscopic group. The authors offer suggestions, based on their results, for counseling patients interested in sterilization procedures.