title: Individual patient data meta-analysis of randomized evidence to assess the effectiveness of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation in chronic pelvic pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been conflicting results in randomized trials of the effects of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) in chronic pelvic pain. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis using individual patient data (IPD) to provide the most comprehensive and reliable assessment of the effectiveness of LUNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic searches were conducted in the Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and Cochrane Library databases from database inception to August 2009. The reference lists of known relevant papers were searched for any further articles. Randomized trials comparing LUNA with no additional intervention were selected and authors contacted for IPD. Raw data were available from 862 women randomized into five trials. Pain scores were calibrated to a 10-point scale and were analysed using a multilevel model allowing for repeated measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between LUNA and No LUNA for the worst pain recorded over a 12 month time period (mean difference 0.25 points in favour of No LUNA on a 0-10 point scale, 95% confidence interval: -0.08 to 0.58; P = 0.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LUNA does not result in improved chronic pelvic pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Birmingham, Birmingham Women's Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK. j.p.daniels@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Champaneria
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lichten
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vercellini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Hills
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aimi
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014599:Uterus / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery