To compare laparoscopy with laparotomy for the surgical management of ovarian dermoid cysts, a retrospective analysis of data of 108 patients who had surgery at our institution from January 1998 to August 2001 was performed. The surgical data of these patients were obtained from a computerized data base. The following data were abstracted: the patients' demographic features, size of dermoid cysts, spillage rate, estimated blood loss, operative times, duration of hospital stays, and

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... e or postoperative complications. Statistical techniques included Student's t-tests, Fisher's exact tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and chi-square analysis. Of 108 patients with dermoid cysts, 53 (49.1%) underwent laparoscopy and 55 (50.9%) had laparotomy. The mean estimated blood loss was significantly less in laparoscopy (71.6±63.5 ml) compared with laparotomy (119.2±101.6 ml). Hospital stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopy group (0.6±0.8 days) compared with the laparotomy group (2.2±1.0 days). Also, the postoperative complication rate was lower in the laparoscopy group (3.8%) compared with the laparotomy group (14.5%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Whereas the laparotomy group's spillage rate of 4.1% and operative time of 86.7±39.6 min were significantly lower than the laparoscopy group's spillage rate of 31.4% and operative time of 118.4±51.5 min, the laparoscopy group had less blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and fewer complications. The laparoscopic management of benign cystic teratomas can be safely performed.