Robot-assisted segmental resection of tubal pregnancy followed by end-to-end reanastomosis for preserving tubal patency and fertility: An initial report

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether robotic tubal reanastomosis after segmental resection of tubal pregnancy is a feasible means of preserving tubal integrity and natural fertility in those with compromised contralateral tubal condition. The study was performed at a university medical center in a retrospective manner where da Vinci robotic system-guided segmental resection of tubal ectopic mass followed by reanastomosis was performed to salvage tubal patency and fertility in those with a single viable fallopian tube. Of the 17 patients with tubal pregnancies that were selected, 14 patients with successful tubal segmental resection and reanastomosis were followed up. The reproducibility of anastomosis success and cumulative pregnancy rates of up to 24 months were analyzed. Patient mean age was 28.88 ± 4.74 years, mean amenorrheic period was 7.01 ± 1.57 weeks and mean human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level was 9289.00 ± 7510.00 mIU/mL. The overall intraoperative cancellation rate due to unfavorable positioning or size of the tubal mass was 17.65% (3/17), which was converted to either salpingectomy or milking of ectopic mass. Of the 14 attempted, anastomosis for all 14 cases was successful, with 1 anastomotic leakage. One patient wishing to postpone pregnancy and 2 patients where patency of the contralateral tube was confirmed during the operation, were excluded from the pregnancy outcome analysis. Cumulative pregnancy rate was 63.64% (7/11), with 3 (27.27%) ongoing pregnancies, 3 (27.27%) livebirths, and 1 missed abortion at 24 months. During the follow-up, hysterosalpingography (HSG) was performed at 6 months for those who consented, and all 10 fallopian tubes tested were patent. No subsequent tubal pregnancies occurred in the reananstomosed tube for up to a period 24 months. For patients with absent or defective contralateral tubal function, da Vinci-guided reanastomosis after segmental resection of tubal pregnancy is feasible for salvaging tubal patency and fertility.