Predicting pelvic pain after endometrial ablation: which preoperative patient characteristics are associated?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine which patient characteristics are associated with an increased risk of postablation pelvic pain. DESIGN: Canadian Task Force classification II-2. METHODS: Data were collected from a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent endometrial ablation between January 2006 and September 2010 at a large academic medical center. Patients were identified via Current Procedural Terminology codes (58563, 58353, and 58356) for any type of endometrial ablation (rollerball or global); the sample size was 437 women. Multiple conditions and comorbidities were recorded for each patient. Bivariate analysis of patient demographics and the incidence of pain after endometrial ablation were evaluated using the chi square, Fisher exact, and independent t tests where appropriate. A final multivariate analysis with logistic regression was conducted to determine the exact patient characteristics that are associated with pelvic pain after endometrial ablation. RESULTS: Of 437 women who underwent endometrial ablation, 20.8% reported pain after their ablation. Patients were followed for up to 6.5 years postablation with a median follow-up of 794 days. The median number of days for the development of pain after ablation was 301 days, with 75% of patients who developed pain reporting it within approximately 2 years of their procedure. The median time to hysterectomy for those with pain was 570 days. Other postablation treatments included hormonal therapies in 9.4% of the total population. A total of 20.8% of patients reported postablation pelvic pain, but only 6.3% underwent subsequent hysterectomy for that indication. Preablation patient characteristics significantly associated with the development of postablation pain include dysmenorrhea (aOR = 1.73), smoking status (aOR = 2.31), prior tubal ligation (aOR = 1.68), and age less than 40 (aOR 1.90). Although not statistically significant, a diagnosis of endometriosis appears to be related to postablation pain (aOR = 2.24). Adenomyosis (suggested on ultrasound) and body mass index associations were not statistically significant. A patient with all 4 risk factors for postablation pain (i.e., dysmenorrhea, smoking, prior tubal ligation, and <40 years old) has a 53% (95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.66) chance of experiencing postablation pain. CONCLUSION: The observed incidence of pelvic pain is 20.8% after endometrial ablation and is more frequently observed in women with preablation dysmenorrhea, tobacco use, prior tubal ligation, age less than 40, and possibly endometriosis. One should consider these preexisting conditions when counseling patients regarding outcome expectations after an endometrial ablation procedure.

Acquired Uterine Arteriovenous Malformation and Retained Placenta Increta.

BACKGROUND: Uterine arteriovenous malformations are rare and have been reported to occur after uterine trauma (eg, surgery, gestational trophoblastic disease, malignancy). CASE: A 33-year-old woman, gravida 3 para 3, presented 4 weeks post-cesarean delivery with episodic profuse vaginal bleeding. Pelvic ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left uterine arteriovenous malformation. After consideration of all treatment options, total laparoscopic hysterectomy was performed. CONCLUSION: Acquired uterine arteriovenous malformations and placental ingrowth into the myometrium are increasingly reported after surgical uterine procedures. This case of a postpartum patient with both uterine arteriovenous malformation and retained placenta increta suggests a correlation between the two complications.

Risk profiles and outcomes of total laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: With the increasing rates of minimally invasive hysterectomy procedures serving as impetus, the aim of this study was to analyze the 30-day risk profiles associated with total laparoscopic hysterectomy and laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH). METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients who underwent a total laparoscopic hysterectomy or LAVH operation between 2006 and 2010. Patient demographics and 30-day complication rates were calculated. Multivariable regression analyses were used to study the effect of hysterectomy approach on outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 6,190 patients underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, with 66.3% receiving LAVH and 33.7% receiving a total laparoscopic hysterectomy. The patient cohorts were well-matched. Although total laparoscopic hysterectomy procedures were significantly longer than LAVH operations (2.66 hours compared with 2.20 hours; P<.001), there was no difference in overall morbidity or reoperation rates between the LAVH and total laparoscopic hysterectomy populations (7.05% compared with 6.3% for overall morbidity; 1.3% compared with 1.7% for reoperation). Regression analyses revealed that surgical approach was not a significant predictor of overall postoperative morbidity or reoperation in minimally invasive hysterectomy patients. Additionally, obesity did not demonstrate a significant association with morbidity or reoperation rates; however, operative time was found to be a significant predictor of reoperation (odds ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.07-1.42). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hysterectomy is well-tolerated with total laparoscopic hysterectomy and LAVH, yielding comparable rates of postoperative morbidity and reoperation. On average, LAVH procedures were 28 minutes faster than total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Additionally, increasing body mass index was not associated with higher rates of morbidity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.