Outcomes of laparoscopic management of chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the rates of reoperation following laparoscopic management of endometriosis, with additional aims to examine long-term fertility and quality of life outcomes. This is a retrospective study and a prospective questionnaire of subjects who underwent laparoscopic surgery for pelvic pain and/or endometriosis from 2010 to 2015. The rate of reoperation was 8.60%. Following surgery, 83.3% of previously infertile subjects with endometriosis attempted to conceive with an 80.0% success rate. Subjects had significant improvement in each quality of life measurement and most sexual function indices analysed.

Impact Statement

• What is already known on this subject? Endometriosis is estimated to affect around 35–50% of women experiencing chronic pelvic pain and/or infertility. Surgical management of endometriosis is recommended for patients who desire fertility, are afflicted by a more severe form of endometriosis, or have had persistent or recurrent pain in spite of medical management.

• What the results of this study add? The overall rate of reoperation for subjects was low at 8.6%. The majority of infertile patients were able to conceive following surgery.

• What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Laparoscopic management of endometriosis is an effective management tool with low rates of reoperation and high efficacy in treating infertility caused by endometriosis.

Keywords:

• Laparoscopy
• excision
• reoperation
• pelvic pain
• endometriosis
• recurrence

Disclosure statement

Dr. Moawad is an advisory board member for Boston Scientific, CooperSurgical and Myovant Sciences. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to report.