Comparative study of laparoscopic oophorectomy

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences between laparoscopic oophorectomies and oophorectomies performed by laparotomy with respect to total hospital cost, length of hospital stay, and operative time. DESIGN: A prospective analysis of all women who underwent one of these procedures from January 1, 1992, to December 31, 1992. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-seven women requiring surgery for the management of pelvic pain, adnexal masses, or endometriosis. INTERVENTIONS: Twenty-six women underwent laparoscopic surgery and 31 had laparotomy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The results for laparoscopy and laparotomy, respectively, were as follows: mean hospital cost $6139 versus $7053 (p = 0.02); hospital stay 1.07 versus 3.87 days (p = 0. 00); and mean operative time 175.23 versus 136.94 minutes (p = 0. 003). No woman had a serious complication, and none in the laparoscopy group required a laparotomy. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic oophorectomy is a safe, highly successful, and cost-effective procedure, although it is associated with a longer operative time than laparotomy.