title: Serum hCG decline following salpingotomy or salpingectomy for extrauterine pregnancy.
abstract: Twenty-five women with ectopic pregnancy were surgically treated, fifteen by conservative salpingotomy and ten by radical salpingectomy. All patients showed a clinically normal postoperative course. Serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels were determined serially before and after the surgical procedure until non-pregnant values (< 5 mI.U./ml) were reached. Serum hCG decline was compared between patients treated by salpingotomy versus salpingectomy, using calculated hCG half-life times. We observed a significantly slower decline of serum hCG levels during the early phase of hCG disappearance in patients treated by salpingotomy versus patients treated by salpingectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Fertility, Middleheim Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hellemans
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gerris
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joostens
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdonk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Francx
mesh_terms: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin