Endoscopic management of ectopic pregnancy

Abstract

The rationale for the conservative management of ectopic pregnancy is the preservation of reproductive potential. Removal of trophoblast through a linear incision (salpingotomy) can be easily performed by endoscopy. The injection of vasopressin into the broad ligament is required in less than 10% of cases and its routine use is not recommended because of the risk of severe side-effects. The techniques in cases of isthmic or cornual tubal pregnancy are also described. Other alternatives such as expectant management, methotrexate, RU 486 and prostaglandins have also recently been proposed. Although methotrexate therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in cases of unruptured tubal pregnancy, further studies are needed to determine whether or not this medical therapy is a safer option than laparoscopic surgery and to compare the subsequent intrauterine and recurrent ectopic pregnancy rates. Endoscopic salpingotomy is an efficacious procedure. Indeed, residual trophoblast is found in only 5% of cases after this surgical procedure. In these cases of persistent trophoblast, methotrexate is proposed as the medical approach of choice. Evaluation of the postoperative fertility after linear salpingotomy demonstrates an intrauterine pregnancy rate of 63% and a recurrent ectopic pregnancy rate of 8%. In conclusion, endoscopic management of tubal pregnancy is a safe and efficacious therapy. The contraindications are relative and depend essentially on the surgeon's experience.