Introduction and results in the endoscopic treatment of extrauterine pregnancy

After having applied endoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy for one year we herein report on 50 patients who were treated either by laparoscopy (in 20 cases) or laparotomy (in 30 cases). Conservative endoscopic surgery was performed in 12 cases (9 salpingotomy, 2 endoscopic restoration, 1 partial resection of the ovary) while conservative surgical methods by laparotomy were applied in 13 cases (8 milk out, 3 milk out with fimbrioplasty, 1 salpingotomy, 1 partial resection of the ovary). Partial endoscopic salpingectomy was necessary in 8 cases. Out of the women with laparotomy management 4 underwent an adnexectomy and 13 a salpingectomy. After laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy two patients developed an intrauterine pregnancy and in one case an ectopic pregnancy was observed again. In the laparotomy-group no intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy recurred in the period under review. There was no complication after laparoscopic management of ectopic pregnancy. However a temperature above 38 degrees C occurred in 5 cases after laparotomy caused by local inflammation or by post-operative infiltration. After endoscopic salpingostomy patency of the fallopian tubes was proofed by hysterosalpingography in 6 cases, and all tubes were found to be patent. Endoscopic management of ectopic pregnancy is recommended due to low post-operative morbidity rates and short time of hospitalization.