Nd:YAG laser ablation of early pelvic endometriosis: A report of 61 cases

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Abstract
Sixty‐one patients with mild or moderate endometriosis were treated with the Nd:YAG laser between May 1983 and March 1986. During the follow‐up period, 31 patients received no supplemental medical treatment. Ten patients were given danazol, five for recurrence of pain and five because of the extent of the disease. Sixteen patients were given oral contraceptives, 12 for birth control and four for pain. Four patients received danazol plus oral contraceptives as concurrent therapy. Overall, symptoms improved following surgery for 45 patients (74%); two patients (3%) reported a worsening of symptoms, while 12 patients (20%) reported no change in their symptoms. The overall improvement rate was 65% for those receiving no hormonal treatment, 70% for those on danazol, 94% for those on oral contraceptives, and 75% for those on both contraceptives and danazol. This latter finding, however, is not significant because of the small patient sampling. Nevertheless, these findings reflect the benefit of laser ablation of early‐stage pelvic endometriosis with or without the concurrent use of conservative medical therapy.