Perforated bowel following hysteroscopy with myomectomy in the emergency department.

Background: Abdominal pain remains a top chief complaint for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). Benign or emergent etiologies can present similarly. A thorough history and physical examination are critical for emergency physicians, especially for post-operative patients with concerns for a possible bowel perforation. Hysteroscopies with myomectomies are a minimally invasive surgical technique to remove fibroids. Gynecologic procedures historically have a low incidence of bowel perforation, however, in patients with post-operative pain presenting to the ED, distinguishing between a normal post-operative course and a post-operative complication can be challenging.

Case: A 33-year-old female with a history of obesity, colitis, type II diabetes, and hypertension presented to the freestanding ED with complaints of severe lower abdominal following a hysteroscopy with myomectomy earlier that day. The initial differential diagnosis had concern for a surgical complication, although her computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis revealed mildly dilated loops of small bowel, suggestive of a low-grade small bowel obstruction (SBO) or enteritis. On reassessment, she noted pre-operative diarrhea after taking antibiotics. After admission, a transvaginal ultrasound revealed a collection of fluid in her pelvis prompting a diagnostic laparoscopy. Two enterotomies in her ileum with two uterine defects were successfully repaired, and she recovered several days later with minimal complications.

Discussion: This patient initially presented with abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting following a hysteroscopy with myomectomy, where initial testing led to a possible diagnosis of enteritis. Due to her continued abdominal pain, the ED physician admitted the patient, and it was found that she had two ileum perforations from suspected uterine perforations.