Operative and conservative treatment of tubo-ovarian abscess due to pelvic inflammatory disease.

Of 83 patients with tubo-ovarian abscess studied retrospectively, 18 were treated within 24 hours of admission with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoo-ophorectomy. The other 65 patients were treated conservatively. In six patients, conservative therapy proved an immediate failure, and 14 patients had delayed failure. Thirty-nine patients were successfully treated conservatively, and six were lost to follow-up. We examined the length of hospital stay in the surgically treated group and the conservatively treated group. Immediate operation and delayed operation were examined in terms of mortality, morbidity, and hospital stay. Conservative therapy consisting of broad spectrum antibiotics combined with conservative operation when applicable is an effective method of treating unruptured tubo-ovarian abscess.