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Robot-assisted Versus Standard Laparoscopic Approach for the Surgical Treatment of Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis

Not Applicable
Conditions
Endometriosis
Interventions
Procedure: standard laparoscopic surgery
Procedure: robot-assisted surgery
Diagnostic Test: assessment of sexual function
Diagnostic Test: assessment of bowel symptoms
Diagnostic Test: assessment of urinary symptoms
Registration Number
NCT03633786
Lead Sponsor
IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
Brief Summary

Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a severe form of endometriosis in which lesions affect retroperitoneal tissue and pelvic organs wall. It is often a cause of significant pain (dysmenorrhea, dysuria, dyspnea, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain) and infertility, drastically reducing patients' quality of life.

Surgical therapy with complete removal of endometriotic lesions is often necessary when the disease is resistant to medical therapy.

The minimally invasive surgical approach has proved to be the most advantageous.

Over time, there has been a growing use in the gynecological field of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

Several clinical cases and retrospective studies on robotic surgery for DIE have highlighted favorable surgical outcomes, with the exception of operative times, compared to standard laparoscopic approach.

However, a randomized control studies comparing surgical outcomes and postoperative pelvic organs function in women with DIE submitted to robotic-assisted or conventional laparoscopy is missing.

In order to analyze the real impact of robotic advances the present study sought to assess surgical outcomes and urinary, bowel and sexual functions in women with DIE requiring minimally invasive surgery through robot-assisted or conventional lps approach.

Detailed Description

Patients with clinical and trans-vaginal / abdominal ultrasound diagnosis of deep endometriosis, undergoing surgery for the removal of endometriotic lesions are included in the study.

Patients are divided into 2 groups:

Group A: standard laparoscopic approach

Group B: robot-assisted approach

After surgery, patients will be included in the post-operative follow-up, as usual in our clinical practice.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
40
Inclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosis of deep endometriosis based on clinical and transvaginal/transabdominal ultrasound examinations and, when necessary, magnetic resonance
  • Patients with indication for removal of endometriosic lesions by standard and robot-assisted laparoscopy
  • Obtaining Informed Consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Contraindications for removal of endometriosic lesions by standard and robot-assisted laparoscopy
  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Hepatic insufficiency
  • Psychiatric diseases
  • History of oncologic disease

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Group A: standard laparoscopic surgerystandard laparoscopic surgerypatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing standard laparoscopic surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group B: robot-assisted surgeryassessment of sexual functionpatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing robot-assisted surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group B: robot-assisted surgeryassessment of urinary symptomspatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing robot-assisted surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group A: standard laparoscopic surgeryassessment of sexual functionpatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing standard laparoscopic surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group B: robot-assisted surgeryassessment of bowel symptomspatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing robot-assisted surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group A: standard laparoscopic surgeryassessment of urinary symptomspatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing standard laparoscopic surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group A: standard laparoscopic surgeryassessment of bowel symptomspatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing standard laparoscopic surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Group B: robot-assisted surgeryrobot-assisted surgerypatients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis undergoing robot-assisted surgery; assessment of sexual function; assessment of bowel symptoms; assessment of urinary symptoms
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Operative timeIntraoperative

Evaluation and comparison of operative time in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Length of hospitalizationUp to 4 days: from the date of surgery until the last day of hospitalization

Evaluation and comparison of the length of hospitalization in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery

Laparotomic conversion rateIntraoperative

Evaluation and comparison of laparotomic conversion rate in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery

Complication rateup to three months after surgery; from date of surgery until the date of first documented complication, assessed up to 3 months

Comparison of standard laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery concerning complication rate in patients affected by deep infiltrating endometriosis, using Clavien-Dindo Classification.

Evaluation of sexual functionup to three months after surgery

Evaluation and comparison of sexual function in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery before and after surgery, using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The FSFI is a validated questionnaire useful to measure sexual functioning in women. It was developed for the specific purpose of assessing domains of sexual functioning (e.g. sexual arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, pain) in clinical trials. The full scale score range goes from a minimum of 2.0 to a maximum of 36.0.

Evaluation of urinary symptomsup to three months after surgery

Evaluation and comparison of urinary symptoms in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery before and after surgery, using the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS) questionnaire. It is a validated questionnaire with 3 subscale scores for incontinence symptoms (BFLUTS-IS) (range from 0 to 20), voiding symptoms (BFLUTS-VS) (range from 0 to 12), and filling symptoms (BFLUTS-FS) (range from 0 to 15), with the addition of single subscales for sexual function (BFLUTS-sex) (range from 0 to 6) and quality of life (BFLUTSQoL) (range from 0 to 18).

Change of haemoglobin levels24 hours after surgery

Evaluation and comparison of the change of haemoglobin levels in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery

Evaluation of bowel symptomsup to three months after surgery

Evaluation and comparison of bowel symptoms in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery before and after surgery, using the Knowles-Eccersley-Scott-Symptom Questionnaire (KESS). The KESS is a validated questionnaire for diagnosis of constipation. KESS has an added advantage of differentiating between various subtypes of constipation. Total scores can range from 0 (no symptoms) to 39 (high symptom severity). A cut-off score of \> 11 indicates constipation.

Evaluation of disease recurrence rateUp to 12 months after surgery; from date of surgery until the date of first clinical or trans-vaginal/abdominal ultrasound documented recurrence, assessed up to 12 months

Evaluation and comparison of disease recurrence rate in patients underwent standard laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery before and after surgery.

Endometriosis recurrence can have different levels: symptoms recurrence based on patient history (VAS pain score ≥ 5), but no proof of recurrence by imaging and/or surgery; endometriosis recurrence based on non-invasive imaging in patients with or without symptoms; recurrence of histologically proven endometriosis: when the patient is re-operated, endometriosis is visually observed and confirmed histologically.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Gynecology and Physiopathology of Human Reproductive Unit, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital

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Bologna, BO, Italy

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