Randomized clinical trial of two laparoscopic treatments of endometriomas: cystectomy versus drainage and coagulation

Objective: To assess the efficacy of two laparoscopic methods for the management of endometriomas with regard to pain relief, pregnancy rate, and disease recurrence. Design: Prospective, randomized clinical trial. Setting: Tertiary care hospital. Patient(s): Sixty-four patients with advanced stages of endometriosis. Intervention(s): Patients were randomly allocated at the time of laparoscopy to undergo either cystectomy of the endometrioma (group 1) or drainage of the endometrioma and bipolar coagulation of the inner lining (group 2). Main Outcome Measure(s): Pain relief and pregnancy rate. Result(s): Thirty-two patients were enrolled in each group. The 24-month cumulative recurrence rates of dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, and nonmenstrual pelvic pain were lower in group I than in group 2 (dysmenorrhea: 15.8% versus 52.9%; deep dyspareunia: 20% versus 75%; nonmenstrual pelvic pain: 10% versus 52.9%). The median interval between the operation and the recurrence of moderate to severe pelvic pain was longer in group 1 than in group 2 (19 months [range, 13.5-24 months] versus 9.5 months [range, 3-20 months]). The 24-month cumulative pregnancy rate was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (66.7% versus 23.5%). Conclusion(s): For the treatment of ovarian endometriomas, a better outcome with a similar rate of complications is achieved with laparoscopic cystectomy than with drainage and coagulation. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:1176-80. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).