Ectopic first pregnancy treated by methotrexate versus salpingectomy—Maternal and perinatal outcomes in a subsequent pregnancy: A retrospective study

Abstract

Objective: To study obstetric outcomes of a second pregnancy among women with a first ectopic pregnancy (EP) treated with methotrexate compared with laparoscopic salpingectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including all women with a first EP and a following pregnancy that concluded by delivery at ≥24 weeks of gestation between March 2011 and April 2021. Second pregnancy outcomes were compared between women treated with methotrexate and those treated with salpingectomy in their first pregnancy. Results: Overall, 125 women were included, of which 64 (51.2%) were treated with methotrexate and 61 (48.8%) were treated with salpingectomy. In women treated with salpingectomy, the proportion of women conceiving by in vitro fertilization and those with measured gestational sac diameter or β-subunit human chorionic gonadotropin was higher. The proportion of women conceiving by in vitro fertilization in their second pregnancy was higher in the salpingectomy group (55.2% versus 18.0%, P < 0.001). All maternal and neonatal outcomes were similar in both groups. The rate of low birth weight < 2500 g was 7.8% in the methotrexate group versus 18% in the salpingectomy group (P = 0.111). Conclusion: Maternal and neonatal outcomes of a second pregnancy among women treated for EP in their first pregnancy are similar in women treated by methotrexate and those treated by salpingectomy.