Should the gynecologist perform laparoscopic bowel resection to treat endometriosis?
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic bowel resections for endometriosis performed by gynecologic surgeons. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force Classification II-3). SETTING: Fertility and pelvic surgery clinics. PATIENTS: One hundred sixty-eight women (age 21-53 years) with symptoms including pelvic pain, infertility, or both with 252 bowel endometriotic lesions underwent laparoscopic bowel resection performed by gynecologic surgeons between May 2000 and January 2008. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic procedures for excision of several endometriotic nodes and lesions included shaving resection (LscShR), discoid resection (LscDR), segmental resection (LscSgR), terminal ileal resection (LscIR), partial cecal resection (LscCR), and appendectomy (LscAp). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The 168 patients underwent 172 laparoscopic bowel resections (4 patients were operated on twice) by the same surgeon. Lesions were distributed as follows: 133 (7
