Laparoscopic sclerotherapy for ovarian endometriomas during surgery for deep endometriosis: Outcomes of a 134-patient cohort.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate postoperative fertility outcomes and recurrence rates in patients undergoing laparoscopic ethanol sclerotherapy for endometriomas, combined with the resection of deep endometriosis lesions.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Franco-European Multidisciplinary Endometriosis Institute (IFEMEndo), Clinique Tivoli-Ducos, Bordeaux, France. The study included 134 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgical resection of deep endometriosis lesions and ethanol sclerotherapy for endometriomas ≥40 mm, between October 2019 and September 2023. The procedure involved aspiration of cyst contents followed by 96% ethanol instillation. The main outcomes measured were fertility rates, endometrioma recurrence, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, and postoperative complications.

Results: The mean patient age was 31.8 ± 4.6 years, with 39 (29%) experiencing infertility. Preoperative AMH levels averaged 2.96 ± 2.02 ng/mL and decreased significantly postoperatively (mean difference 1.1 ng/mL, P = 10^-8). Severe postoperative complications occurred in 4.5% of patients, none attributed to ethanol sclerotherapy. After surgery, 78 patients expressed a desire to conceive and 45 (57%) achieved pregnancy, with 19 (42%) being spontaneous. The mean time to pregnancy was 13 ± 9 months. Cumulative pregnancy rates were 55.5% at 24 months and 78.8% at 36 months. Predictors of pregnancy included higher preoperative AMH levels (hazard ratio [HR] 1.35, P = 0.008) and absence of prior abdominal surgery (HR 0.32, P = 0.007). Recurrence of endometriomas was observed in 17 (16.5%) patients over a median follow-up of 23 months.

Conclusion: In this cohort of patients treated with laparoscopic ethanol sclerotherapy during resection surgery for deep endometriosis, the procedure was safe, with satisfactory pregnancy and recurrence rates comparable to other ablative techniques.