Perioperative Results of Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cornual Resection and Cornuotomy in Cornual Pregnancy; Three Years Experiences of a Tertiary Referral Center

INTRODUCTION: Cornual pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy that accounts for 2 to 4% of ectopic pregnancies, with a mortality rate of 2.0 to 2.5%. Traditionally, interstitial pregnancies were treated by medical treatment (methotrexate) or by laparotomy, cornual resection or hysterectomy. We aimed to report perioperative outcomes in these series of patients treated with laparoscopic surgery for cornual ectopic pregnancy.
METHODS: The data of the patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for interstitial pregnancy (n=10) were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic characteristics of the patients such as age, gravida, parity, predisposing factors were examined. Complaints of admission, operation and duration, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels, size of pregnancy materials, length of hospital stay and complications were evaluated.
RESULTS: Eight patients underwent laparoscopic cornual resection and two patients underwent laparoscopic cornuotomy. The mean age of the patients included in the study was 29.5±4.0 years, gravida 2.2±1.1, parity 0.7±0.82, delta hemoglobin 1.19±0.57 g/dl. Abnormal bleeding and inguinal pain were the most common symptoms in symptomatic patients. The mean operation time was 64.5±22.6 (40-120) minutes. The mean hospital stay of the operated patients was 2.7±0.67 days.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic treatment of cornual ectopic pregnancies is an appropriate and safe treatment option. In our experience, the laparoscopic approach minimizes overall blood loss without causing trauma and allows a bloodless area for anatomic restoration. We believe that laparoscopic cornual resection and cornuotomy can be performed successfully in the hands of experienced surgeons and the future fertility chances of the patients can be preserved.