Effect of Surgical Specialty on Management of Adnexal Masses in Children and Adolescents: An 8-Year Single-Center Review.

Study Objective: Children with adnexal masses might be managed by pediatric surgeons, urologists or gynecologists, with the potential for different management strategies between specialties. In this study we compared ovarian conservation rates and surgical approach for adnexal masses in children and adolescents managed either by pediatric surgeons/urologists or gynecologists at a tertiary care institution.

Design: Retrospective cohort review.

Setting: Tertiary pediatric and adult university hospital.

Participants: Patients younger than 18 years of age with an adnexal mass managed surgically with removal of histologically confirmed ovarian or fallopian tube tissue from 2008 to 2015.

Interventions: Laparoscopic or open procedure for adnexal mass.

Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was rate of ovarian conservation relative to surgical specialty. The secondary outcome was surgical approach relative to surgical specialty.

Results: Forty-eight patients underwent surgery for adnexal masses; 26 (54%) under pediatric surgery/urology and 22 (46%) under gynecology care. Laparoscopy was performed in 5 (19%) pediatric and 19 (86%) gynecology cases (P = .000006). Of 24 patients older than 12 years of age with a benign tumor, 10 (42%) underwent procedures resulting in loss of an ovary with or without fallopian tube; 8 of these (80%) were under pediatric care. Of the remaining 14 (58%) who underwent ovarian conserving surgery, 12 (80%) were under gynecology care (P = .0027).

Conclusion: Patients with a benign tumor were significantly more likely to undergo ovary-preserving surgery under gynecology care than under pediatric surgery/urology care. A multidisciplinary team approach involving gynecology and pediatric surgical specialties would be valuable in assessing the merits of ablative or conservative surgery in each case.