Colpotomy drainage of pelvic abscess.

Sixty-five patients who had a pelvic abscess drained by colpotomy or rectal incision were studied. The minority of the patients (28) developed the abscess after a hospital-acquired infection (Group I) while the other 37 patients developed the abscess after a community-acquired infection (Group II). Except for those patients who developed an abscess after hysterectomy, about one-third of the patients in both groups required a subsequent major operative procedure because of residual infection or symptoms. Of the 40 patients in whom there was a possibility of conceiving following the drainage procedure, 4 (10%) conceived at a later date.