Laparoscopic Presacral Neurectomy Versus Neurotomy with the Argon Beam Coagulator

Presacral neurectomy is effective treatment for dysmenorrhea and midline pelvic pain. The purpose of this paper is to report the benefits of the argon beam coagulator (ABC) used laparoscopically to perform a presacral neurotomy compared with conventional techniques for presacral neurectomy. In 51 patients undergoing laparoscopic presacral neurectomy, 34 were performed using the ABC only without dissection or excision, and 17 underwent presacral neurectomy by conventional methods. Postoperative pain reduction was the same in both groups, 77% versus 73%, with average anesthesia time 64 minutes for the ABC neurotomy versus 92 minutes with conventional techniques. One major vascular complication requiring immediate laparotomy occurred in the ABC group. When properly applied laparoscopically, the ABC is an effective tool to rapidly coagulate and separate the presacral nerves with minimal smoke, excellent visualization and no retroperitoneal dissection.