Delayed hemorrhage following conservative surgery for tubal ectopic pregnancy: prevention and early detection

There is growing acceptance of conservative surgery for ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. An uncommon, yet potentially fatal, complication is delayed hemorrhage due to persistence of gestational tissue. An illustrative case is presented. Routine postoperative determination of serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels and the use of frozen sections when a partial salpingectomy is carried out are recommended to identify and prevent this condition.