A randomized controlled comparison of minialpartomy and lapartomy in ectopic pregnancy cases

Backround: As ectopic pregnancy is associated with significant maternal mortality and morbidity it maybe worthwhile to find alternative surgical method to traditional laparotomy.
Aims: To compare the efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of minilaparotomy surgery for ectopic pregnancy cases with standard laparotomy method.
Setting and design: A total of 60 patients of ectopic pregnancy were randomized for minilaprotomy and laparotomy (30 cases each) for three years from January. 1998 to March 2001 in a medical college hospital.
Material and methods: Patients history, clinical examination, intraoperative, preoperative and postoperative data were recorded and compared in minilaparotomy and laparotomy groups. Statistical analysis used: Chi-square and Fischer chi-square test is used using P value of less than 0.05 as level of significance.
RESULTS. Mean operative time was significantly less in minilaparotomy (38 minutes) than in laparotomy group (54 minutes). Postoperative complications were fever in 4(13.33%) and 6(20%) cases, paralytic ileus in 3(10%) and 8(26.66%) cases, urinary tract infection in 2(6.66%) and 3(10%) cases and wound infection in 1(3.33%) and 5(16.66%) cases respectively in the two groups and were significantly less in the minilaparotomy cases. Mean day of mobility, starting normal diet and discharge from the hospital were 10 hours and 24 hours, 1.5 days and 3.1 days and 3.4 days and 6.9 days respectively in the two groups and were significantly less in the minilaparotomy group than the laparotomy group.
Conclusions: Surgery by minilaparotomy technique in ectopic pregnancy cases appears to be a safe and feasible method and is superior to conventional laparotomy as there are minimum perioperative and postoperative complications and patients can be discharged early from the hospital without the need of expensive equipment.