Quality of Life after Segmental Resection of the Rectosigmoid by Laparoscopy in Patients with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis with Bowel Involvement

Study Objective: To estimate the quality of life of patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of a segment of the rectosigmoid for the treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis with bowel involvement. Design: Prospective application of the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire to 151 women before and 1 year after surgical intervention (Canadian Task Force Design Classification II). Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, and Samaritano Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Patients: A total of 151 women (mean age 34.05 +/- 5.65 years) with deep infiltrating endometriosis underwent resection of a segment of the rectosigmoid by laparoscopy between 2002 to 2009. Interventions: All the patients had historical data collected and underwent clinical examination and transvaginal ultrasonography with prior bowel preparation for resection of a segment of the rectosigmoid by laparoscopy indicated for patients with symptoms (pelvic pain) with 1 or more lesions of more than 3 cm in length or multifocal lesions. Measurements and Main Results: Wilcoxon signed rank test verified differences between the degrees of the symptoms and the SF-36 scores before and 1 year after laparoscopic treatment. There was a significant improvement (p < .001) in all pain-related symptoms, as well as a significant increase (p < .001) in scores in all the SF-36 domains and in the sum of the components comprising both physical and mental health. Conclusion: Laparoscopic segmental resection of the rectosigmoid fulfills its essential objective of treating endometriosis with bowel involvement and improving patients' QoL to a significant extent. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (2011) 18, 730-733 (C) 2011 AAGL. All rights reserved.