Study objective: To assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic surgery in treatment of ectopic pregnancy in hemodynamically unstable women.
Design: Three-year observational study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
Setting: Tertiary university hospital.
Patients: One hundred one women with ectopic pregnancy who underwent laparoscopic surgery, 18 with substantial intraabdominal bleeding and with clinical signs and symptoms of hemodynamic instability.
Intervention: Laparoscopic surgery.
Measurements and main results: Compared with stable patients, hemodynamically unstable women had significantly more free blood in the abdomen (1244 +/- 590 vs 173 +/- 301 ml, p <0.0001), had significantly lower hemoglobin levels (7.8 +/- 1.4 vs 11.9 +/-1.4 g%, p <0.0001), and required significantly more frequent blood transfusions (83% vs 3.6%, p <0.0001). Similarly, their hemodynamic values such as pulse rate and blood pressures were worse. Among these women, 15 (83%) had a tubal pregnancy, 2 had an interstitial pregnancy, and 1 had a tubal abortion. Those with tubal pregnancy who were hemodynamically unstable underwent salpingectomy. Only one required conversion to laparotomy. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred, and all women made a full and uneventful recovery.
Conclusion: Improved anesthesia and cardiovascular monitoring, together with advanced laparoscopic surgical skills and experience, justifies operative laparoscopy for surgical treatment of ectopic pregnancy even in women with hemodynamic instability.