TY - JOUR
T1 - Continuous versus cyclic use of oral contraceptives after surgery for symptomatic endometriosis
T2 - A prospective cohort study
AU - Vlahos, Nikos
AU - Vlachos, Athanasios
AU - Triantafyllidou, Olga
AU - Vitoratos, Nikolaos
AU - Creatsas, George
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - Objective To evaluate the efficacy of continuous oral contraceptive (OC) use versus the usual cyclic fashion in the recurrence of endometriosis-related symptoms after surgery. Design Prospective cohort trial involving patients in two tertiary care units. Setting Academic institution in collaboration with a private hospital. Patient(s) 356 patients underwent surgical treatment by laparoscopy for symptomatic endometriosis. Intervention(s) After surgical treatment for endometriosis, patients offered 6-month course of cyclic OC (including a 7-day pill-free period) or continuous OC. Main Outcome Measure(s) Recurrence rate of endometriosis-related symptoms and endometriomas after fertility-sparing surgery. Result(s) Out of 356 patients, 167 were placed on the usual cyclic OC course and 85 on continuous OC for a minimum of 6 months. The continuous OC group experienced a statistically significant reduction in recurrence rates for endometrioma, dysmenorrhea, and non-menstrual pelvic pain as compared with the cyclic OC group. There was no reduction in the recurrence of dyspareunia between the two groups. Conclusion(s) After surgical treatment of endometriosis, the use of both cyclic and continuous OC improves pain symptoms when compared with preoperative scores. Continuous OC appears to be associated with a reduced recurrence rate for dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain, and endometrioma but not for dyspareunia as compared with cyclic OC.
AB - Objective To evaluate the efficacy of continuous oral contraceptive (OC) use versus the usual cyclic fashion in the recurrence of endometriosis-related symptoms after surgery. Design Prospective cohort trial involving patients in two tertiary care units. Setting Academic institution in collaboration with a private hospital. Patient(s) 356 patients underwent surgical treatment by laparoscopy for symptomatic endometriosis. Intervention(s) After surgical treatment for endometriosis, patients offered 6-month course of cyclic OC (including a 7-day pill-free period) or continuous OC. Main Outcome Measure(s) Recurrence rate of endometriosis-related symptoms and endometriomas after fertility-sparing surgery. Result(s) Out of 356 patients, 167 were placed on the usual cyclic OC course and 85 on continuous OC for a minimum of 6 months. The continuous OC group experienced a statistically significant reduction in recurrence rates for endometrioma, dysmenorrhea, and non-menstrual pelvic pain as compared with the cyclic OC group. There was no reduction in the recurrence of dyspareunia between the two groups. Conclusion(s) After surgical treatment of endometriosis, the use of both cyclic and continuous OC improves pain symptoms when compared with preoperative scores. Continuous OC appears to be associated with a reduced recurrence rate for dysmenorrhea, non-menstrual pelvic pain, and endometrioma but not for dyspareunia as compared with cyclic OC.
KW - Drosperinone
KW - dysmenorrhea
KW - endometriosis
KW - laparoscopy
KW - non-menstrual pelvic pain
KW - oral contraceptives
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U2 - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.07.008
DO - 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.07.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 23953327
AN - SCOPUS:84887105554
SN - 0015-0282
VL - 100
SP - 1337
EP - 1342
JO - Fertility and sterility
JF - Fertility and sterility
IS - 5
ER -