title: [Experience with laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses at the Regional Hospital of Temuco, Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic surgery has clear advantages over open surgical procedures. In gynecology, laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses in pre or post menopausal women has been used for several years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report the experience with gynecologic laparoscopic surgery at the Temuco Regional Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1996 and 1998, laparoscopic surgery was done in 96 patients aged 16 to 56 years and open surgery in 56 patients aged 15 to 74 years, with a clinical or ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal masses or ovarian dermoid cysts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent tumors excised were epithelial and germinal cell. Laparoscopic surgery required a mean operative time of 69.9 min and it had a 3.1% of complications. Women subjected to this type of surgery had a mean hospital stay of 3.1 days and the mean postoperative stay was 2 days. Open surgery required an operative time of 69 min and it had no postoperative complications. The mean hospital stay for women subjected to this type of procedure was 9.5 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women subjected to laparoscopic surgical procedures for adnexal masses had a shorter hospital stay than women subjected to open surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Ginecología, Hospital Regional de Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Celis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sierralta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leiva
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soto
mesh_terms: D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D018293:Cystadenoma, Serous / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors