Efficacy of surgical intervention for the treatment of pain and improvement of quality of life in patients with endometriosis

Introduction: Endometriosis is a condition characterised by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, which induces a chronic inflammatory reaction. It is estimated to affect 5%-15% of all women of childbearing age, with higher incidences in women suffering from pelvic pain (70%) and women with infertility issues (20%-48%). Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of surgical intervention on levels of pain and quality of life (QOL) experienced by patients undergoing surgical treatment for endometriosis in our unit. Methods: This was a retrospective questionnaire-based study. Seventy-seven patients were identified in the hospital electronic database of surgeries. Patients were asked to rate levels of pain and QOL at the present time and to recall the same symptoms prior to undergoing surgery for endometriosis. The validated EQ-5D-3L assessment tool was used to measure QOL. Results: Data from 26 patients were included in our final analysis. Significant reductions were demonstrated in pain scores before, during, after and between menstruations (p<0.05), during intercourse (p<0.01) and upon defecation (p<0.05). There was a significant improvement in patients' overall QOL following surgery (p<0.01). Use of adhesion prevention intraoperatively or medication postoperatively did not result in significant differences in levels of pain or QOL. Conclusions: Our results suggest that surgical intervention for endometriosis is an effective way to reduce pain and improve QOL in a majority of patients. However, this study design is susceptible to recall and selection bias, which may have impacted upon results.