External Iliac Artery Injury During Ovarian Drilling Procedure: A Case Report

Major vascular injury is a rare but serious complication seen in gynecologic laparoscopic surgery. Most of the vascular complications occur on the small vessels in the anterior abdominal wall and usually take place during Veress needle and trocar insertion at the beginning of the procedure. A 34-year-old primary infertile woman with bilateral polycystic ovaries underwent laparoscopic ovarian drilling procedure. During drilling of the right ovary, the right external iliac artery was damaged by the unipolar cautery. An immediate exploratory laparotomy was performed and the vessel was repaired. Here, we present an unusual case of major vessel injury by unipolar cautery during a laparoscopic procedure. Gynecologists must be cautious about this serious complication until the end of the laparoscopy, since the treatment is simple and lifesaving if immediately recognized.