ABSTRACT
Surgical intervention in the gravid patient presents a dilemma in which the surgeon must weigh the risks and benefits not only to the mother but also to the fetus. Approximately one in 500 to one in 635 women will require nonobstetrical abdominal surgery during pregnancy (1,2). Acute appendicitis, cholecystitis, and intestinal obstruction are the three most common nonobstetrical emergencies requiring surgery during pregnancy (1). Other conditions requiring surgical intervention during pregnancy include symptomatic cholelithiasis, adrenal tumors, hematological disorders that involve the spleen, ovarian cysts, adnexal mass or torsion, heterotopic pregnancy, and abdominal pain of unknown etiology.
