Laparascopic surgery effective treatment for endometriosis
15.01.18
Press release from this month's issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum:
In this month’s issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, endometriosis experts from Aarhus University Hospital published their results of a large study of women who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resection for endometriosis not responding to hormonal treatment. Surgeons collected information on pelvic pain and quality of life before and after laparoscopic bowel resection for endometriosis.
Of 175 women who completed preoperative surveys regarding pelvic pain and quality of life, 97% of women also completed these same surveys one year after surgery. There are few studies where such symptom data have been collected prospectively in patients, meaning both before and after surgery. The most common bowel site of endometriosis was in the upper rectum. Major findings of this study included a dramatic increase in the number of patients not on any hormonal or pain medication after surgery (19% of patients preoperatively vs. 44% postoperatively taking no hormone treatment and 6% of patients preoperatively vs. 38% postoperatively taking no pain medication), and a profound increase in quality of life.
Women reported significant reductions in pain intensity associated with menstrual periods, between periods and less pain associated with bowel movements. In addition, women who had undergone laparoscopic bowel resection for endometriosis also reported significant improvements in general health, vitality, mental health, physical functioning and many other components of improved quality of life. This group has previously shown that laparoscopic bowel resection also results in less painful sex.
Study Citation: Riiskjær M, Forman A, Kesmodel US, Andersen LM, Ljungmann K, Seyer-Hansen M. Pelvic pain and quality of life before and after laparoscopic bowel resection for rectosigmoid endometriosis: a prospective, observational study. Dis Colon Rectum 2018;61:221-229.