OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility, safety and limiting factors of laparoscopic management of pelvic mass in pregnancy. MATERIAL: and methods. During a 10-year period, 21 laparoscopic procedures were performed in patients with pelvic masses in pregnancy after exclusion of appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy. Laparoscopic surgery was done during the first trimester of pregnancy in 8 cases, the second trimester in 12 cases and the third trimester in one case. All the procedures were performed with general anesthesia and the laparoscopic cystectomies were performed with the intraperitoneal technique. RESULTS: The indications were: persistent or sonographically abnormal ovarian cyst (12 cases), torsion of ovarian cyst (5 cases), and symptomatic pelvic mass (4 cases: 2 painful cysts and 2 infarction of fibroma). One borderline tumor were discovered. The laparoscopic procedure could not be performed in two cases due to difficulty of access to the lesion. No patient encountered complications during the intra- and post-operative periods. The mean hospital stay was 4.5 days. The outcome of the pregnancy was normal in all cases. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic management of pelvic masses in pregnancy by an experienced team, is a safe and effective procedure.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility, safety and limiting factors of laparoscopic management of pelvic mass in pregnancy. MATERIAL: and methods. During a 10-year period, 21 laparoscopic procedures were performed in patients with pelvic masses in pregnancy after exclusion of appendicitis and ectopic pregnancy. Laparoscopic surgery was done during the first trimester of pregnancy in 8 cases, the second trimester in 12 cases and the third trimester in one case. All the procedures were performed with general anesthesia and the laparoscopic cystectomies were performed with the intraperitoneal technique. RESULTS: The indications were: persistent or sonographically abnormal ovarian cyst (12 cases), torsion of ovarian cyst (5 cases), and symptomatic pelvic mass (4 cases: 2 painful cysts and 2 infarction of fibroma). One borderline tumor were discovered. The laparoscopic procedure could not be performed in two cases due to difficulty of access to the lesion. No patient encountered complications during the intra- and post-operative periods. The mean hospital stay was 4.5 days. The outcome of the pregnancy was normal in all cases. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic management of pelvic masses in pregnancy by an experienced team, is a safe and effective procedure.