Management of a persistent adnexal mass in pregnancy: what is the ideal surgical approach?

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To compare short-term and pregnancy-related outcomes of laparoscopy with laparotomy for management of a persistent second-trimester adnexal mass.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of pregnant women at 14 weeks or more of gestation undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy for management of an adnexal mass (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENTS

Women of reproductive age with a persistent adnexal mass at 14 weeks or more of gestation.

INTERVENTION

Removal of adnexal mass via laparoscopy or laparotomy.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Between 1990 and 2008, 101 pregnant women underwent treatment of a persistent adnexal mass at 14 weeks or more of gestation at our institution. Fifty women underwent laparoscopy, and 51 underwent laparotomy. Similar demographic and adnexal mass characteristics were identified between the 2 surgical groups. Eight patients in the laparotomy group experienced postoperative complications, compared with none in the laparoscopy group (p < .02). Mean surgical estimated blood loss and length of hospital stay were significantly less in the laparoscopy group compared with the laparotomy group: 17.5 mL vs 100 mL (p < .001) and 0.7 days vs 2.78 days (p < .001), respectively. There were no observed differences in pregnancy-related outcomes between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSION

Minimally invasive surgery is a reasonable approach to management of a second-trimester adnexal mass in gravid women. Laparoscopy enables a shorter hospital stay, decreased blood loss, and fewer postoperative complications without seeming to have a negative effect on pregnancy-related outcomes. While these findings are reassuring, larger studies are encouraged to continue to evaluate this issue.