Clinical outcome following vaginal drainage of pelvic abscess

Fifty-nine women treated by colpotomy drainage for pelvic abscess over a 20-year period (January 1961 to July 1981) were studied. Mean age was 27.3 years (+/- 9.5 SD). Mean parity was 2.0 (+/- 2.3 SD). The abscess was secondary to pelvic inflammatory disease in 37 cases, abortion in four, cesarean section in six, other surgery in two, intrauterine device in four, appendicitis in four, and followed term vaginal delivery in two. The mean stay in the hospital was 14.4 (+/- 10.7) days. There were two deaths, both related to septic abortion with diffuse peritonitis. Further surgery during the same admission was performed in 13 instances (seven hysterectomies); additional surgery at a later admission was carried out in 11 patients (10 hysterectomies). Fourteen of these procedures were emergencies. Two patients were readmitted with pelvic inflammatory disease. Five of 40 potentially fertile patients (12.5%) had successful pregnancies at a later date.