Vaginal extraction of pelvic masses following operative laparoscopy

To investigate the clinical outcome of patients undergoing operative laparoscopy for a benign pelvic mass followed by vaginal extraction of the surgical specimen.

Patients presenting with a suspected benign mass greater than 5 cm or an extrauterine pregnancy undergoing operative laparoscopy were considered eligible. Patients with endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and previous hysterectomy were excluded. In all cases the surgical specimen was removed through a colpotomy performed in laparoscopy at the level of the posterior vaginal fornix. Additionally, a review of the literature has been conducted to specifically address the incidence of colpotomy-related complications.

Sixty-three patients were included in the study. The median (range) time required to extract the freed mass to the complete suture of the colpotomy was 15 min (5-31). This time was significantly longer in patients with myomas than for others [median 21 min (range: 10-31) vs median 10 min (5-13), p<0.05]. No intra- and postoperative colpotomy related complications occurred. No patients complained dyspareunia at follow-up visits. A total of 23 studies were reviewed for a total of 501 patients and only one (0.2%) complication (severe vaginal bleeding) was directly attributable to the colpotomy.

Removal of a pelvic mass through a laparoscopic colpotomy is feasible, safe, and offers better cosmetic results than transabdominal extraction of the surgical specimen.