Salpingotomy versus salpingectomy in women with tubal pregnancy

Abstract

Evaluation of: Mol F, van Mello NM, Strandell A et al. Salpingotomy versus salpingectomy in women with tubal pregnancy (ESEP study): an open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 383(9927), 1483–1439 (2014). Ectopic pregnancy can still manifest itself as a life-threatening condition and, hence, the establishment of accurate evidence-based treatment modalities remain paramount. Surgical treatment has long been a mainstay of ectopic pregnancy treatment. To date, there is a wealth of data establishing laparoscopic treatment as the ‘gold standard’; however, paradoxically, the evidence behind choosing the two main treatment methods of salpingotomy and salpingectomy, especially with regards to future fertility potential, remain unclear. This article is a summary of a randomized controlled trial of salpingotomy versus salpingectomy in patients with an apparent contralateral healthy tube and the impact on future fertility. It attempts to answer the clinical question whether preservation of tube by salpingotomy increases the futures chances of natural conception as opposed to salpingectomy.