Is laparoscopic surgery safe in postpartum women?

During pregnancy and the postpartum period, high levels of progesterone increase a woman's vulnerability to gallstone formation. Up to 10 percent of pregnant patients are believed to have gallstones. Biliary tract disease is the second most common nonobstetric surgical problem during pregnancy and the postpartum period. There are concerns that laparoscopic gall bladder surgery may be complicated in the postpartum period because of changes in the biliary tract itself as well as the presence of an enlarged uterus and other intra-abdominal changes. In particular, laparoscopic surgery has been questioned in patients who have undergone a recent cesarean delivery. Diettrich and Kaplan conducted a prospective study to document special considerations for successful laparoscopic biliary surgery in postpartum patients.