Objective: This study was undertaken to compare the relative efficacy and safety of hysteroscopic endometrial resection and laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy in the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding.
Study design: One hundred eighty-one patients affected by menometrorrhagia and unresponsive to medical treatment agreed to be randomized to either laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy or hysteroscopic endometrial ablation. They were monitored for 2 years to evaluate perioperative and postoperative outcomes, resolution of symptoms, and patient satisfaction.
Results: Duration of hospitalization, period of convalescence, perioperative complications, and resumption of normal activity were similar between the two groups. Operative time was significantly shorter in the hysteroscopic group, but patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the laparoscopic group.
Conclusion: For the treatment of menorrhagia, hysterectomy has the distinct advantage of being curative but the disadvantage of being more invasive than the hysteroscopic approach. However, laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy preserves the curative effect of hysterectomy without its increased surgical invasiveness, as suggested by the current study.