[Robotic assisted laparoscopy: comparison of segmentary colorectal resection and shaving for colorectal...

To compare perioperative complications of two surgical methods for digestive endometriosis management: "shaving" and colorectal resection in robotic-assisted laparoscopy.

Twenty-eight women underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopy for digestive endometriosis, confirmed histologically. Six women had a digestive resection and twenty-one women had a shaving procedure. Short-term and long-term results and complications were compared between the two groups.

Operative time was significantly shorter (P=0.0002) and estimated blood loss was significantly lower (200 ml vs 560 ml, P=0.04) in the shaving procedure group in comparison with the resection group. We observed one conversion to laparotomy in the resection group and one case of bladder injury in the shaving group. Length of hospital stay was longer (P=0.0001) in the resection group than in the shaving group. At the two-month re-evaluation, there was no significant difference between the two groups for the number of women in full remission for pelvic pain, urinary or gastrointestinal symptoms or dyspareunia. Two women of the resection group reported functional gastrointestinal signs that persisted 24 months after the intervention.

Both immediate and delayed operative morbidity are more frequent in case of resection. Surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis, even if operated with robotic assisted laparoscopy, is associated with significant morbidity.