title: Follow-up report on a randomized controlled trial of laser laparoscopy in the treatment of pelvic pain associated with minimal to moderate endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the longer term efficacy of laparoscopic laser surgery in the treatment of painful pelvic endometriosis and to observe the natural history of the disease at second-look laparoscopy in a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-year follow-up of a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A referral center for the laparoscopic laser treatment of endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients with pelvic pain and minimal to moderate endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  After the 6-month follow-up visit, the randomization code was broken, and follow-up was continued to 1 year. Symptomatic patients were offered second-look laser laparoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Continued symptom relief at 1 year after treatment and findings at second-look laparoscopy in symptomatic controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptom relief continued at 1 year in 90% of those who initially responded. All symptomatic controls had a second-look procedure, with 7 (29%) showing disease progression, 7 (29%) showing disease regression, and 10 (42%) having static disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The benefits of laser laparoscopy for painful pelvic endometriosis are continued in the majority of patients at 1 year. Untreated painful endometriosis will progress or remain static in the majority of patients but will spontaneously improve in others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Pooley
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ewen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome