Abstract:

The most common site of extragenital endometriosis is the intestinal tract, which accounts for approximately 80% of all extragenital endometriosis. The symptoms of intestinal endometriosis are crampy pain, flatulence, painful tenesmus, hyper-peristalsis, progressive constipation, diarrhea alternating with constipation, and occasionally rectal bleeding. As endometriosis in this location often undergoes fibrotic changes, it can be resistant to hormonal therapy, which makes surgical therapy the only option for many women. Until recently, laparoscopic treatment of bowel endometriosis was thought to be impossible. Development of several safe and effective techniques for laparoscopic treatment of intestinal endometriosis has made such treatment possible. In this chapter, the authors describe five proven techniques for treatment of intestinal endometriosis: shaving, disk excision, anterior rectal wall excision, segmental resection, and appendectomy.

Authors:

Linda A. Lewis, M.D., Camran Nezhat, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., F.A.C.S., Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, USA

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Abstract:

Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common problem. Hysterectomy has been the standard treatment for women with heavy menstrual bleeding who have not responded to medical treatment. Minimally invasive procedures to destroy the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) are alternatives to hysterectomy. They involve destroying the endometrium using lasers, radiofrequency waves, electrocautery, microwaves, heated saline, or a heated balloon. Microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) is one of these minimally invasive procedures. In this Chapter, use of microwave MEA in the management of heavy menstrual bleeding is described. MEA was developed in Bath, UK in the mid 1990s. MEA is a second-generation method of EA, which involves the use of microwaves at a fixed frequency of 9.2 GHz to destroy the endometrial lining. Initial results for MEA were encouraging, with active treatment times of less than three minutes and high satisfaction rates. Recent studies also showed an equivalent outcome with regards to patients' satisfaction and health-related quality-of-life issues. The procedure, indications, contraindications, principles of operation, potential risks, results, and patient-satisfaction is described herein.

Authors:

Mr. Ellis Downes, M.R.C.O.G., Dr. Rehana Yasmin, M.B.B.S., Dr. Rhonda Flemming, M.R.C.O.G., Chase Farm Hospital, London, UK

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