ObjectiveTo systematically review the effectiveness and safety of laparoscopy with postoperative gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) versus laparoscopy alone for endometriosis.
MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) on laparoscopy with postopertative GnRH-a versus laparoscopy alone in treatment of endometriosis were retrieved in the following databases:the Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2013), PubMed, EMbase, WanFang Data, CNKI, and CBM from inception to February, 2013. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the literature were screened, the data was extracted and the methodological quality of the included studies was also assessed by two reviewers independently. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1.7 software.
ResultsA total of 15 RCTs involving 1 761 patients were included. There were statistically significant differences between the laparoscopy with postoperative GnRH-a group and the laparoscopy alone group in the following 4 aspects:the symptom relief rate (RR=1.24, 95%CI 1.16 to 1.33, P < 0.000 01), the recurrence of lesion (RR=0.35, 95%CI 0.24 to 0.51, P < 0.000 01), the recurrence of pain (RR=0.70, 95%CI 0.53 to 0.92, P=0.01), and the pregnancy rate (RR=1.43, 95%CI 1.25 to 1.65, P < 0.000 01).
ConclusionLaparoscopy postoperative GnRH-a for endometriosis can enhance the symptom relief rate, reduce the recurrence of lesion and the recurrence of pain, and increase the pregnancy rate. But because of the limitation of the quality of the included studies and publication bias, the above conclusion should be verified by conducting more high quality RCTs.
