[Operative treatment of benign ovarian tumours in adolescent patients: laparotomy or laparoscopy?]

The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of operative procedures, laparoscopy or laparotomy, carried out in cases of benign adolescent ovarian tumours.

A retrospective review of 709 patient charts with ovarian tumours, who had undergone surgical interventions at The Department of Surgical Gynaecology and Endoscopy of The Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital--Research Institute in Łódź--has been conducted. Among groups of girls treated either with laparoscopy or laparotomy, the following parameters were analysed: age of the patients, character of the tumour (based on the pathological result), size of the lesion, type of the surgical procedure, duration of the hospitalisation and postoperative complications.

109 girls had ovarian tumours operated--54 times laparoscopy and 55 laparotomy times were performed. An average age of patients who underwent laparoscopy was 16.2 years, in case of laparotomy: 15.3 years (p > 0.05). An average size of tumours excised in laparotomy was 82 mm (60-190 mm), whereas in laparoscopy 64 mm (30-80 mm) (p > 0.05). The most common laparotomic procedure was the ovarian cystectomy (63%) and cystovariectomy (32%), while during laparoscopy the cystectomy was performed in 92% (p > 0.05). Duration of the laparoscopy was shorter, average was 46.7 min, whereas mean time of laparotomy was 49.2 min (p > 0.05). Also duration of postoperative hospitalisation was longer in case of laparotomy, its average time was 5.4 days in comparison with laparoscopy--2.8 days (p < 0.05).

Laparoscopy performed in adolescents due to benign ovarian tumours seems to be a very safe way of the surgical treatment. Moreover, laparoscopy reduces duration of hospitalisation and convalescence, also giving a nice cosmetic effect.