Laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy

Abstract

Each year, roughly 2% of pregnant women will undergo non-obstetrical abdominal surgery. Appendicitis, symptomatic cholelithiasis and adnexal masses are some of the common diagnoses encountered. Pregnancy poses challenges in the diagnosis and surgical management of these conditions for several reasons. Since the 1990’s, laparoscopic surgery has gained popularity and in the past few years has become the standard of care for pregnant women with surgical pathologies. The advantages of laparoscopic surgery include shorter hospital stay, lower rates of wound infection, and decreased time to bowel function. This brief review discusses key points in laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy and highlights studies comparing laparoscopic and open approaches in common surgical conditions during pregnancy.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Laparoscopy; Surgery

Core tip: Laparoscopic surgery is increasingly common in pregnancy. The indications for surgery are similar to non-pregnant patients in the same age population. The benefits of laparoscopic surgery include decreased length of staying, lower rates of wound infection and ventral hernia apply to pregnant patients as well. This brief review highlights studies comparing laparoscopic surgery to open approach in common clinical scenarios.