Adnexal mass surgery and anesthesia during pregnancy: a 10-year retrospective review

Many studies have addressed the specific perinatal risks of surgery and anesthesia during pregnancy, but there is still much undetermined. The objective of this retrospective review was to compare the adverse pregnancy outcome in patients undergoing laparoscopy and laparotomy with inhalational or regional anesthesia for adnexal mass in pregnancy.

From the records, the case notes of patients who had had surgery for adnexal mass during pregnancy over 10 years in the Cheil General Hospital and Women's Health Center were reviewed. The type of surgery and anesthesia and the outcome were recorded.

Of the 235 patients, general anesthesia was employed for laparotomy in 137 and for laparoscopic surgery in 27. Regional anesthesia for laparotomy was administered on 71 occasions. The incidence of preterm labor in the group given regional anesthesia (29.6%) was significantly higher than the groups given general anesthesia (5.8% in the laparotomy group, 0% in the laparoscopy group). The incidences of preterm labor and premature delivery in all surgical patients (preterm labor 12.3%, premature delivery 7.7%) were higher than among the non-surgical pregnant population over the same period (3.2%, 4.8%).

Patients undergoing laparotomy with regional anesthesia for adnexal mass in pregnancy may have higher risk of preterm labor than those given general inhalational anesthesia for laparotomy or laparoscopy. Therefore, if regional anesthesia is used for this type of surgery, then precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of preterm labor.