title: A randomized comparison of endometrial laser intrauterine thermotherapy and hysteroscopic endometrial resection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the difference of long-term amenorrhea rate in patients with menorrhagia treated by endometrial laser intrauterine thermal therapy (ELITT), a new nonhysteroscopic endometrial ablation procedure, versus transcervical hysteroscopic endometrial resection (TCRE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized clinical study. Healthy volunteers in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients were treated with the ELITT procedure and 58 patients with TCRE; both groups were treated with GnRH agonists before the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bleeding status and patient satisfaction after treatment were evaluated as well as the intraoperative complication rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 12 months, the amenorrhea rate was 56% in the ELITT group and 23% in the TCRE group. At 36 months, the figures were 61% for ELITT and 24% for TCRE. No significant complications were recorded for either procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this randomized study demonstrate that both procedures are equally effective in the treatment of menorrhagia. However, the ELITT procedure has proven to be superior in inducing amenorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istituto Materno Infantile, University of Palermo, via Libertà 112, 90100 Palermo, Italy. perino@unipa.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perino
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Gaspare
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cucinella
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondo
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pane
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venezia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004412:Dysmenorrhea / Q000628:therapy; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*