Intraoperative Intraabdominal Ultrasound for Endometriosis
EndometriosisEndometriosis; Bowel1 moreThe diagnosis of bowel endometriosis lesions is in most cases a combination of anamnesis, clinical exam, transvaginal ultrasound (and/or MRI and/or endorectal sonography) and laparoscopy. Both the transvaginal ultrasound as well as the MRI have showed a great accuracy with very good sensititivity and specificity regarding the imaging diagnosis of bowel endometriosis. The conventional laparoscopy contributes to the diagnosis of bowel endometriosis by visualizing the nodules and palpating the deep endometriosis nodule using the instruments, therefor offering the surgeon a haptic feedback by grasping, pushing and rolling the bowel wall and the nodules. Horace Roman and Dan Martin showed that 25% of patients undergoing a conventional laparoscopic segmental bowel resection with a minilaparotomy hat palpable non-visualized endometriosis nodules. These nodules could be directly palpated with the hands because the bowel was exteriorized through the minilaparotomy. The direct palpation of the bowel offers of course a superior haptic feedback compared to the haptic feedback offered by the laparoscopic palpation using the instruments. However this was a direct palpation of only the oral part of the bowel. The aboral part of the bowel caudal to the staple line could not be evaluated by direct palpation. New surgical techniques for the segmental bowel resection with transvaginal/transanal NOSE(natural orifice specimen extraction) have been described in the last years. The novel techniques avoid the minilaparotomy and assure a 100% minimal invasive approach offering better esthetic outcomes. However in such cases a direct palpation of the bowel wall using the hands in order to identify non- visualizable nodules is not possible as the bowel remains the whole time of the procedure inside of the abdomen. On the other side the robotic-assisted laparoscopy doesn't offer the surgeon a haptic feedback at all. In these cases the surgeon has to rely on the visual aspects of the lesions and therefor "touch" the lesions with his eyes - the visual information should replace the haptic feedback. So in the case of a robotic assisted laparoscopic segemental bowel resection with a NOSE it is not possible to palpate the bowel at all - neither with instruments, not with the hands. Other surgical techniques used to excise smaller colorectal nodules are the rectal shaving and the full thickness excision (disc excision) using a circular stapler. In these situations the surgeon has to rely exclusively on the visual information as well on the haptic feedback given by the conventional laparoscopic instruments. In more than 30% of the cases of full thickness rectal resection the resection the margins are infiltrated by the endometriosis nodules. All the above mentioned situations raise the question of the radicallity in terms of healthy resection margins and of multifocal lesions that cannot be visualized and/or palpated. In this study we are evaluating the diagnostic value of the intraoperative intraabdominal ultrasound for deep infiltrating colorectal endometriosis.
Chronic Pelvic Pain in Endometriosis
EndometriosisPhysical Inactivity2 moreEndometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory disease affecting 10% (1 out of 10) of women of reproductive age. Pelvic pain is common among women with endometriosis. Women with chronic pelvic pain conditions have elevated rates of relational stress and lower quality of life. The aim of our study is to analyse the extent of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis, as well as the study focuses on correlations between pelvic pain and physical activity, pain-related self-efficacy, perceived stress and different aspects of health related quality of life.
Endometrioma Treatment and Ovarian Function
EndometriomaOvarian endometriosis (endometrioma) can be a cause of subfertility. According to European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) guidelines, surgery for endometrioma is recommended when an endometrioma is more than 3 cm in diameter because this management is associated with better spontaneous conception rates. Nevertheless, surgery can also be potentially associated with a risk of destruction of functional ovarian tissue and reduction in ovarian reserve. Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is a member of the Transforming Growth Factor beta family and is expressed by the small (<8 mm) pre-antral and early antral follicles. The AMH level reflects the size of the primordial follicle pool, and may be the best biochemical marker of ovarian function across an array of clinical situations Its level in serum is almost stable between 20 and 35 years of the woman´s life, unless using hormonal contraception and / or they suffer with Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The level of AMH is also a useful indicator for the prediction chances of success of spontaneous or assisted conceptions. However, there paucity of data regarding changes in serum levels of AMH following surgery for endometrioma. An alternative way for estimating ovarian reserve is quantifying ovarian mass with using standard 3D transvaginal ultrasound calculation (OVM) and assessment of antral follicular count. The gold standard of endometrioma surgery is laparoscopic excision with suture or gentle coagulation of the rest of ovary or by the use of laparoscopic treatment with argon plasma energy.
The Role of Expectations on Complaints and Well-being After Endometriosis Surgery in Women
EndometriosisExpectations1 moreEndometriosis is a prevalent disease in women of procreative age. Most endometriosis patients are affected in their daily life by complaints such as chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, infertility, or pain during sexual intercourse. Yet, its etiology is poorly understood. Although laparoscopy is well known as the gold standard for treating endometriosis, 20-30% of treated women still show persistent complaints following successful laparoscopy. It has been widely recognized that expectations profoundly affect treatment courses and outcomes in many different health conditions. Additionally, evidence suggests that optimizing preoperative expectations can improve post-operative outcomes such as disability and return to work. The objective of this study is to investigate whether expectations also affect treatment course and outcome in women after endometriosis surgery. For this purpose, the investigators conduct a mixed-method observational cohort study to gather data on psychological factors, particularly treatment and symptom-related expectations, as well as complaints and well-being of patients after surgery. A sample of N = 300 women will be asked pre- and postoperatively to evaluate these psychological factors and indicators of treatment course and outcome. Overall, the study will last 12 months, including one assessment preoperatively (baseline), seven monthly assessments postoperatively, and a follow-up assessment 12 months after endometriosis surgery. The study aims to determine potential interactions between aforementioned psychological factors, their influence on the postoperative health, and the long- and short-term symptom course of patients with endometriosis. The study results will provide a better understanding of the symptom- and treatment course in women with endometriosis and subsequently supply clinical approaches to optimize treatment of endometriosis.
IUD and Norethindrone Acetate for Treatment of Endometriosis
EndometriosisEndometriosis is the most common reproductive disease afflicting young women, often leading to debilitating chronic pelvic pain and impaired quality of life. Safe, effective, and convenient long-term treatments are lacking for adolescents and young adults. The levonorgestrel-containing IUD (LNG-IUD) represents an attractive long-term drug delivery system for the treatment of endometriosis during adolescence and young adulthood. However, while the LNG-IUD has an acceptable safety profile, it is not associated with a favorable bleeding profile and may not fully suppress endometriosis pain when used as monotherapy. Investigators hypothesize that the addition of NETA will improve bleeding patterns, maximize pain control, and improve continuation rates of the IUD when the two medications are used in combination. This proposed prospective trial provides the ideal context in which to investigate these clinical questions and advance research on the best treatments for endometriosis.
ENDOMED: Evaluation of the Evolution of Endometriosis Lesions on Imaging Under Medical Treatment...
Endometriosis PelvicEndometriosis is a difficult disease to diagnose because the symptoms are varied, unspecific and inconsistent from one patient to another. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of this pathology. Moreover, the management of endometriosis can be medical or surgical depending on the severity and location of the lesions and the patient's expectations. The recommendations of the National College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the French National Health Authority are medical treatment first in a certain number of situations. These patients undergoing medical treatment then require close clinical and radiological follow-up in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment and the evolution of the disease. The literature describes the appearance of endometriosis lesions on pelvic MRI quite well for the establishment of the diagnosis, but there are few data on the evolution and imaging description of these lesions when hormonal treatment is in progress. Thus, we decided to evaluate and describe the evolution of endometriosis lesions on magnetic resonance imaging under medical treatment and to examine a correlation between this radiological evolution and the clinical evolution of the patients.
An Investigation of Nomothetic Versus Idiographic Assessment in Chronic Pain
EndometriosisVulvodynia1 moreEndometriosis, vulvodynia, and fibromyalgia are chronic pain conditions that cause great suffering. Despite the significant prevalence of all three conditions, they are receiving relatively little attention in psychological treatment research. Despite the popularity of methods that rely on aggregated group data, such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), concerns have been raised in recent years about the generalizability of results from these methods to the individual level - group-to-individual generalizability. Since psychological treatments in the clinic are focused on enhancing the well-being of a specific individual this might affect how researchers should study these conditions. The current project aims to investigate: (a) item suitability for daily assessment of psychological variables, (b) group-to-individual generalizability in outcome measures frequently used in psychological studies and treatments of chronic pain, (c) relations over time between process and outcome variables, and (d) possible differences in results obtained across three pain conditions.
Evaluation of Nutritional Status, Eating Habits and Improvement of Symptoms With a Nutritional Intervention...
EndometriosisThe study aims to investigate the nutritional status and eating habits of women suffering from endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain in relation to describe the possible improvement of clinical symptoms following a nutritional intervention. The primary aim is to describe and evaluate the impact of nutritional intervention on clinical symptoms (pain, quality of life and intestinal function) in women suffering from endometriosis with chronic pelvic pain. The first secondary aim will be to describe and evaluate the impact of the nutritional intervention by describing the changes in some specific areas of the patients (sexual, psychological) together with the quantification of some routine blood chemistry parameters (inflammatory markers, levels of proteins and vitamins) . The second secondary objective will be aimed at describing the changes in clinical symptoms and the parameters mentioned above in patients based on the severity/stage of the pathologies under study.
Investigating the Effectiveness of PelvicSense(R) on Pain and Sexual Outcomes in Endometriosis
EndometriosisThis study will examine the effectiveness of the PelvicSense 3-month online program on pain and other outcomes in those with endometriosis. This study is prospective in nature and will involve several assessment points: baseline, immediately post-treatment (at the end of the 3 month program), and 3-month follow up. All aspects of the study will be conducted remotely (e.g., online, email, video calls), and participants will be at least 18 years of age, fluent in English, and experience pain due to endometriosis for at least 3 months with a physician diagnosis. Participants are expected to continue their treatment as usual and this information will be documented throughout the study.
ENDOMET - Novel Diagnostic Tools and Treatments for Endometriosis
EndometriosisEndometriosis is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of functional endometrial glands and stroma in ectopic locations outside the uterine cavity. The ectopic endometrial tissue responds to estradiol and other hormones similarly to the normal endometrium. Endometriosis is one of the most common benign gynecological conditions, as many as 5-10% of women in the reproductive age may be affected. In addition to pain which may be severe, subfertility is one of the typical problems associated with endometriosis and may be present in up to 40% of those affected. There is lack of a clear correlation between severity of pain and degree of compromised fertility. Different modes of treatment exist. Hormonal treatments are based on the suppression of estrogenic action on endometriosis as well as the endometrium. Unfortunately, discontinuation of the hormonal treatment typically results in a rapid recurrence of the disease. Surgery may alleviate the symptom for different lengths of time, however, curative treatment frequently involves hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy. In order to escape this radical treatment, new targeted therapy in the form of novel pharmacological agents would be of crucial importance. Presently, endometriosis can be reliably diagnosed only by laparoscopy. Since this is an invasive surgical procedure, new diagnostic tools would be warmly welcomed. Furthermore, as the progression of the disease is presently impossible to predict, new markers for the "malignancy" of each case are desperately needed. The aim of the investigators research is to identify expression of endometriosis specific RNAs/proteins. Evaluation of expression profiles in samples of endometriosis and endometrium of patients with careful clinical and surgical classification of endometriosis as well as healthy control women should initially enable to identify novel targets for new therapies and biomarkers. Particularly the different pain symptoms will be recorded annually and evaluated comprehensively. Furthermore, combined with an adequate 10-year follow up (based on a questionnaire, including fertility, received treatments and different pain symptoms; NRS), the study should enable for example to identify markers for endometriosis associated infertility as well as cases where the disease progresses very rapidly or reoccurs. Different forms of effective treatment may thereafter be designed following the identification of such factors.