Surgery and the use of drugs provided reduced pain scores in patients with endometriosis but nevertheless exhibit disadvantages , such as risk of recurrence and side effects , respectively .
However , improved quality of life in these patients has been obtained with the use of conventional treatment
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by sustained painful symptoms that are responsible for a decline in the quality of life of sufferers .
Conventional treatment includes surgical and pharmacological therapy aim ing at reducing painful symptoms .
This study aim ed to evaluate pain levels in women with endometriosis , focusing on the influence of conventional treatment in controlling this variable .
Treatment of endometriosis is , therefore , a challenge for gynecologists and patients , as they must select the best therapeutic approach for this disease .
What is the impact on sexual function of laparoscopic treatment and subsequent combined oral contraceptive therapy in women with deep infiltrating endometriosis?
INTRODUCTION Deep infiltrating endometriosis ( DIE ) is a form of endometriosis in which the lesion penetrates for more than 5 mm under the peritoneal surface . It is a chronic disease which can impair women 's sexual function . There is a growing body of evidence supporting combined surgical/medical treatment in the management of DIE . AIMS The aims of this article are to evaluate the impact of the laparoscopic full excision of endometriosis and postoperative combined oral contraceptives ( COC ) administration on sexual function in patients with DIE and to compare sexual function outcomes of women su bmi tted to intestinal resection and nodule excision .  METHODS It is a prospect i ve cohort study in a tertiary care university hospital on 106 sexually active women , with histologically confirmed DIE , managed by laparoscopy and subsequent COC therapy for 6 months . Patients filled preoperatively and 6-month postoperatively a quality of sexual life question naire , the Sexual Health Outcomes in Women Question naire ( SHOW-Q ) and they ranked their symptom intensity using a 10-point visual analogue scale ( VAS ) . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sexual function was measured through the SHOW-Q scores and pain symptoms through VAS scores . Intraoperative details , type of intervention and perioperative complications were noted . RESULTS Six months after surgery and postoperative COC treatment , a significant improvement was observed in the SHOW-Q domains of pelvic problem interference , sexual satisfaction and desire ( P<0.05 ) . Laparoscopic management of DIE did not change significantly the orgasm area of the sexual functioning ( P=0.7 ) . No significant difference was found in SHOW-Q scores between patients su bmi tted to intestinal resection and patients su bmi tted to intestinal nodule excision ( P>0.05 ) . CONCLUSIONS Sexual desire , satisfaction with sex and pelvic problem interference with intercourse are significantly improved after 6 months from laparoscopic excision of DIE combined with postoperative COC therapy . No difference in sexual outcomes was detected between patients su bmi tted to intestinal resection and nodule excision
Surgery and the use of drugs provided reduced pain scores in patients with endometriosis but nevertheless exhibit disadvantages , such as risk of recurrence and side effects , respectively .
However , improved quality of life in these patients has been obtained with the use of conventional treatment
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by sustained painful symptoms that are responsible for a decline in the quality of life of sufferers .
Conventional treatment includes surgical and pharmacological therapy aim ing at reducing painful symptoms .
This study aim ed to evaluate pain levels in women with endometriosis , focusing on the influence of conventional treatment in controlling this variable .
Treatment of endometriosis is , therefore , a challenge for gynecologists and patients , as they must select the best therapeutic approach for this disease .