Risk factors for recurrence of deep infiltrating endometriosis after surgical treatment

To evaluate the frequency of complications and factors associated with the recurrence of endometriosis in women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) undergoing surgical treatment.

A retrospective observational cohort study with 72 women who underwent surgery and followed up by DIE at the University of Campinas from 2007 to 2017. The variables analyzed were clinical characteristics, use and type of drug treatment before and after surgery, operative time and complications inherent to the procedure, as well as the recurrence of lesions on imaging.

The mean age of women was 39.7 ± 6.3 years and the mean follow-up was 4.56 ± 2.60 years. Complications were reported in 16.6% of surgeries and recurrence of lesions in 34.7%. The risk of intraoperative complications was higher in the presence of lesions of the bowel and in those who used intramuscular progestin before surgery. A higher risk of recurrence was observed among those who did not use hormonal treatment or used a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) in the postoperative period.

Women with DIE have a high rate of complications during surgical treatment and a higher risk of recurrence when they did not receive hormonal treatment or when treated with LNG-IUD after surgery.