Pelvic abscesses: pelviscopy or laparotomy.

Between 1983 and 1988, we treated 66 patients with pelvic abscesses. Twenty-five patients required laparotomy and 41 underwent pelviscopy for treatment. The choice of the operative procedure, laparotomy or pelviscopy, depended on the age of the patient, the clinical presentation and the operative findings. The two collectives demonstrated no differences in the duration of hospitalization and in-patient treatment with antibiotics. A conservative, organ-preserving procedure could be performed in 80% of patients operated pelviscopically. In follow-up examinations 1-2 years after operation, 27% of the patients treated per pelviscopy complained of chronic abdominal pain as compared to 37% of those treated per laparotomy. In young patients, pelviscopic treatment of pelvic abscesses is a valuable alternative to laparotomy.