Risk and outcome of bowel injury during transvaginal pelvic endoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk and outcome of bowel injury associated with new techniques of transvaginal pelvic endoscopy.

DESIGN: A multinational retrospective survey based on confidential, self-reported cases.

SETTING: Tertiary referral centers for infertility.

PATIENT(S): Infertile patients without obvious pelvic pathology.

INTERVENTION(S): Transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy and fertiloscopy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Full-thickness bowel injury.

RESULT(S): Thirty-nine responders reported a total of 24 bowel injuries (0.65%) in 3667 procedures. After initial experience, the prevalence of bowel injury was 0.25%. All of the injuries were diagnosed during the procedure. Twenty-two (92%) of the cases were managed without consequences.

CONCLUSION(S): The bowel lesion caused by the new techniques of transvaginal pelvic endoscopy tends to be minor and under strict conditions can be treated expectantly.