Pain control and quality of life after laparoscopic en-block resection of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) vs. incomplete surgical treatment with or without GnRHa administration after surgery

Purpose To evaluate the role of post-surgical medical treatment with GnRHa in patients with DIE (Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis) that received complete or incomplete surgery laparoscopic excision. Methods Hundred fifty-nine patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis of the cul-de-sac and of the rectovaginal septum with pelvic pain undergoing laparoscopic surgery in academic tertiary-care medical center. Eighty patients underwent complete laparoscopic excision of DIE (Arm A) while 79 patients underwent incomplete surgery (Arm B). After surgery each surgical arm was randomized in two groups: no treatment groups 1A [40 pts] and 1B [40 pts] and GnRHa treatment for 6 months groups 2A [40 pts] and 2B [39 pts]. Pain recurrence and quality of life were evaluated in follow-up of 12 months and compared between groups. Results No differences were observed between patient groups 1A and 2A. Groups 1A, 2A and 2B obtained significantly lower pain scores than those achieved by the group 1B undergoing incomplete surgical treatment and no post-surgical therapy. At 1-year follow-up patients treated with en-block resection (Groups 1A and 2A) showed the lowest pain scores and the highest quality of life in comparison with the other two groups (Group 1B and 2B). Conclusion GnRHa administration is followed by a temporary improvement of pain in patients with incomplete surgical treatment. It seems that it has no role on post-surgical pain when the surgeon is able to completely excise DIE implants.