Preventive therapeutic options for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometrioma: gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist with or without levonorgestrel intrauterine system insertion.

PURPOSE: Here, we compared endometrioma recurrence rates in patients who have undergone a laparoscopic cystectomy and treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) alone or a GnRHa combined with a levonogestrel intrauterine system (LND-IUS). METHODS: We enrolled endometrioma patients who underwent laparoscopic cyst enucleation and divided them into two groups according to postoperative management: GnRHa alone and GnRHa in combination with LND-IUS. We compared preoperative history, perioperative parameters, postoperative endometrioma recurrence, and symptoms between these two groups. RESULTS: A total of 320 patients were included in the final analysis. With a median 84.6 months of follow-up, we detected significant differences between the two groups with respect to age at surgery (31.6 ± 4.8 vs. 37.6 ± 4.2 years, χ2 = 1.978, p < 0.001), gravida (0 vs. 2, χ2 = 4.391, p < 0.001), parity (0 vs. 1, χ2 = 0.035, p < 0.001), body mass index (21.0 ± 2.5 vs. 21.9 ± 2.4, χ2 = 0.0096, p = 0.009), r-AFS score (48 vs. 64, χ2 = 4.888, p = 0.001), and operation time (60 vs. 75 min, χ2 = 9.119, p = 0.003). Patients treated with both GnRHa and LND-IUS achieved significantly less endometrioma recurrence (23.6 vs. 11.5%, χ2 = 5.202, p = 0.023) and higher rates of pain remission (92.1 vs. 100%, χ2 = 6.511, p = 0.011), while those with GnRHa alone suffered more recurrent and painful symptoms (χ2 = 9.280, p = 0.026). Multivariate analysis using a Cox regression demonstrated that combined GnRHa and LNG-IUS treatment correlated with a decreased endometrioma recurrence rate after laparoscopic cystectomy (RR 0.369, 95% CI 0.182-0.749, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment of GnRHa and LNG-IUS exhibited superior pain relief and recurrence prevention among endometrioma patients after fertility-sparing surgery. Thus, combination treatment is a preferable long-term option for patients without intent for pregnancy in the near future.

[Effects of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system on pain and recurrence associated with endometriosis and adenomyosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in treatment of pain associated with endometriosis (EM) and adenomyosis (AM), and in prevention of disease recurrence. METHODS: Thirty-three cases of moderate to severe EM or AM patients received insertion of LNG-IUS immediately after conservative operation, or after recurrence of simple pain, and were self controlled respectively before and after insertion of LNG-IUS. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was compared, and the change of the lesion and the uterine size, as well as the serum steroid and CA(125) were observed. The side-effects, such as bleeding pattern were recorded. The bleeding period was compared between the cases injected with or without gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) before insertion of LNG-IUS. RESULTS: Baseline and follow-up VASs of EM were 8.09 +/- 0.21 and 1.64 +/- 1.12 (P = 0.042), of AM were 8.41 +/- 1.59 and 3.99 +/- 3.87 (P = 0.068), respectively. During nearly 2 years' follow-up, moderate dysmenorrhea recurred in only 1 case who was hyper-estrogenism at that time. Generally, irregular bleeding and spotting period were longer in this LNG-IUS treated group than those reported in literatures in which LNG-IUS was used for contraception. Persistent prolonged spotting was seen in most of the patients during 1 year follow-up. Average bleeding days in one month during the first 6 months after insertion of LNG-IUS were both around 18 days, whether using GnRHa or not. CONCLUSIONS: LNG-IUS greatly reduces pain associated with EM and AM, and delays disease recurrence. Irregular bleeding and spotting is the main side effects. Administration of GnRHa in advance does not improve the bleeding symptoms.

[Effect of different surgical approaches on quality of life and cost-consequence].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and transvaginal hysterectomy (TVH) on quality of life, cost and health care utilization. METHODS: A study of women who underwent elective hysterectomy was performed to assess the effect of operations on quality of life using WHO quality of life-bref before operation, at the 4th, 14th and 28th day after operation, respectively. The data of total cost and health care utilization were also analyzed. RESULTS: The score of quality of life at the 4th day after operation in TVH patients was significantly higher than that in TAH patients (93 +/- 6 vs 81 +/- 11, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in this score between TVH and LH, and between LH and TAH patients. However, at the 14th and 28th after operation, the scores in both TVH and LH patients were significantly higher than that in TAH patients (95 +/- 7 and 96 +/- 7 vs 85 +/- 9, P < 0.001 and 0.001; 96 +/- 10 and 98 +/- 7 vs 87 +/- 10, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the total costs among three groups. The better health care utilization was in LH and TVH patients, and the worse in TAH patients. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of LH and TVH on quality of life and health economics is similar, and appears to be superior than that of TAH.