TUBAL PATENCY AFTER LAPAROSCOPIC TREATMENT OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

Objective. To evaluate operative course, tubal patency and reproductiv e performance after laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy in rel ation to initial human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) values and to the kind of operation. Design, Retrospective study. Patients, Fourty-five patients affected by ectopic pregnancies: thirty-two treated with lapa roscopic linear salpingotomy subvided into two groups depending on the hCG serum values < 10,000 mUl/ml (twenty patients: group 1) or > 10,0 00 mUl/ml (twelve patients Group 2), thirteen patients (Group 3) under going laparoscopic salpingectomy, Hysterosalpingographic examination w as performed two or three months after surgery. Main outcome measures. Operative time, major surgical complications, tubal patency and pregn ancy rate after surgery. Results. Operative time was significantly (p< 0.05) lower in both group 1 and 3 (22.5 +/- 3.2 and 19.1 +/- 6.3, resp ectively) than in group 2 (39.4 +/- 5.6). Bilateral patent tubes were observed in eighteen cases of group I (90%) and eight cases of group 2 (60%), No statistically significant differences were found between th e pregnancy rate of both group I (8/18) and 2 (3/8) and of group 3 (3/ 11). Conclusions. Reproductive outcome is similar in both conservative and destructive laparoscopic management of ectopic pregnancy; further more it shows a trend of improvement, not statistically significant, i n conservative treatment.