title: Laparoscopy during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery with that of open laparotomy in pregnant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-year case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care, university and community hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based sample. From 1990 through 1995, 16 pregnant patients underwent laparoscopic surgery (study group) and 18 underwent open laparotomy (control group) during the first or second trimester. Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 6 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the study group, 4 patients underwent appendectomies and 12 underwent cholecystectomies. The control group included 7 appendectomies and 11 cholecystectomies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2 groups were compared for age, trimester, surgical time, oxygen saturation, end-tidal carbon dioxide, return of gastrointestinal tract function, duration of intravenous or intramuscular narcotics, postoperative stay, gestational age of delivery, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, birth weights, and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, trimester, oxygenation, end-tidal CO2, gestational age at delivery, Apgar scores, and birth weights were not different between the 2 groups. The patients who underwent laparoscopy had significantly longer operative times 82 vs 49 minutes), shorter stay (1.5 vs 2.8 days), earlier resumption of regular diet (1.0 vs 2.4 days), and shorter duration of intravenous or intramuscular narcotics (1.2 vs 2.6 days) (all P < .01). Four complications were found in the laparotomy group vs 6 in the laparoscopy group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic surgery in pregnant women significantly decrease hospitalization, decreases narcotic use, and quickens return to a regular diet when compared with open laparotomy in pregnant women. No significant differences between the 2 groups in perioperative morbidity or mortality were present. These data suggest that therapeutic laparoscopy during pregnancy in the first or second trimester is safe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Albuquerque, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Curet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Josloff
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Pitcher
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Curet
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Miscall
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Zucker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome