Oophoropexy and the management of Hodgkin's disease. A reevaluation of the risks and benefits.

Female patients with Hodgkin's disease who undergo staging laparotomy frequently have oophoropexy performed to preserve both fertility and hormone production. Because of recent changes in therapy favoring systemic chemotherapy rather than total nodal irradiation for patients with stage III Hodgkin's disease, the need for oophoropexy may be less than previously described. Thirty-nine women of childbearing age underwent laparotomy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, from 1970 to 1984. Twenty-seven patients underwent oophoropexy. Only three of these patients would have needed this procedure based on their subsequent therapy. Two patients required additional gynecologic surgery because of complications related to the oophoropexy. The success rate in preservation of menstrual function and fertility is also discussed. We review the previous experience with oophoropexy and suggest an alternative approach to the routine use of this procedure.