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Introduction Robot‐assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) has gained widespread application in several surgical specialties. Previous studies on the feasibility and safety of RALS vs standard laparoscopy (S‐LPS) for rectosigmoid endometriosis are limited and reported conflicting data. This study aims to compare S‐LPS and RALS in patients with rectosigmoid endometriosis in terms of perioperative surgical and clinical data. Material and methods This is a multicentric, observational, prospective cohort study including 44 patients affected by rectosigmoid endometriosis referred to two tertiary referral centers for endometriosis from September 2018 to September 2019. Patients were divided into two groups: 22 patients underwent S‐LPS, and 22 underwent RALS. Our primary outcome was to compare operative time (from skin incision to suture) between the two groups. Secondary outcomes included: operative room time (patient entry into operative room and patient out), estimated blood loss, laparotomic conversion rate, length of hospital stay, perioperative complications, and evaluation of endometriosis‐related symptoms at 12‐month follow up. Results The two groups were comparable regarding preoperative and surgical data, except for higher rates of hysterectomies and bilateral uterosacral ligament removal procedures in the RALS group. Also after adjusting for these discrepancies, operative time was similar between S‐LPS and RALS. Operative room time was statistically longer in the RALS group compared with that of S‐LPS. No statistically significant difference was found concerning other study outcomes. Pain and bowel symptoms improved in both groups at 12‐month follow up. Conclusions If performed by expert teams, RALS provides similar perioperative outcomes compared with S‐LPS in rectosigmoid endometriosis surgical treatment, except for longer operative room time.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced healthcare providers to reorganize their activities to protect the population from infection, postponing or suspending many medical procedures. Patients affected by chronic conditions were among the most affected. In the case of catastrophes, women have a higher lifetime prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and those with endometriosis have higher anxiety levels, making them fragile in such circumstances. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, conducted in May 2020, we considered all women aged ≥18 years, followed up at our referral centre for endometriosis. Patients were sent an anonymous 6-section questionnaire via email, containing different validated tools for the evaluation of anxiety levels and the risk of PTSD. A multivariable linear regression was performed to assess the impact of patients’ characteristics on the distress caused by the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. Results: Among the 468 women recruited, 68.8% were quite-to-extremely worried about not being able to access gynaecologic care, with almost one-third of them scoring ≥33 on the IES-R. Older age and increased levels of anxiety were associated with higher risks of PTSD (age: b = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.12 − 0.44; GAD-7: b = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.38 − 2.05), with up to 71.8% of patients with severe anxiety (GAD-7 > 15) having an IES-R score ≥33 suggestive for PTSD. Women who could leave home to work showed lower levels of PTSD (b = −4.79, 95% CI = −8.44 to − 1.15, ref. unemployed women). The implementation of telemedicine in routine clinical practice was favourably viewed by 75.6% of women. Discussion: Women with endometriosis are particularly exposed to the risk of PTSD during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, especially if they are older or have higher levels of anxiety. Gynaecologists should resort to additional strategies, and telemedicine could represent a feasible tool to help patients cope with this situation.KEY MESSAGES The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the lives of women with endometriosis, who appeared to have a considerable risk of PTSD. Older age, higher anxiety levels and unemployment were independently associated with the risk of developing PTSD. Clinicians should develop successful alternative strategies to help patients cope with this situation, and telemedicine might represent an applicable and acceptable solution.

Objective To determine whether it is possible to predict the risk of ureteral endometriosis (UE) using a mathematical model based on preoperative findings. Design Prospective observational study conducted between January 2017 and April 2020. Setting Tertiary-level academic referral center. Patient(s) Three hundred consecutive women of reproductive age with a diagnosis of posterior deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) scheduled for laparoscopic surgery. Intervention(s) Before surgery, anamnestic data and the severity of endometriosis-related symptoms were evaluated, and all patients underwent a complete gynecological examination. Transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound were performed to map the endometriotic lesion. Ureteral involvement was surgically and histologically confirmed. Main Outcome Measure(s) To select important risk factors for UE and determine a suitable functional form for continuous predictors, we used the multivariable fractional polynomial. Results UE was surgically found in 145 women (48.3%). Based on our multivariable polynomial mathematical model, UE was significantly associated with adenomyosis, parametrial involvement, and previous surgery for endometriosis. A posterior DIE nodule with a transverse diameter >1.8 cm was associated with a higher probability of ureteral involvement. Conclusions Posterior DIE nodule with a transverse diameter >1.8 cm, adenomyosis, parametrial involvement, and previous surgery for endometriosis appear to be good predictors of UE.

Objective To assess the impact on women’s reproductive outcomes of barbed sutures to repair uterine breaches during laparoscopic myomectomy compared with traditional smooth sutures. Design Retrospective, monocentric cohort study, with information on subsequent pregnancies prospectively acquired for some women. Setting Tertiary-level academic referral center. Patient(s) Women older than 18 years who had undergone a laparoscopic myomectomy and had sought pregnancy afterward, divided into two groups based on type of suture used to repair the uterine wall: group A (nonbarbed) and group B (barbed). Intervention(s) Laparoscopic removal of FIGO types 3, 4, 5, and 6 uterine leiomyomas by use of either only barbed sutures or only traditional smooth sutures to reconstruct the uterine defect. Main Outcome Measure(s) Pregnancy achievement rates, delivery modes, main pregnancy complications, perioperative complications for both kinds of suture, and the trend of the use of barbed sutures over time at our center. Result(s) Of 164 patients included, 83 were in group A and 81 in group B. Ninety-one patients (55.5%) experienced at least one postoperative pregnancy, with no differences between the groups (group A 60.5%; group B 50.6%). Of the 103 recorded postoperative pregnancies, 70 (68%) resulted in live births, 29 (28.1%) in first-trimester miscarriages, and 4 (3.9%) were ongoing. Conclusion(s) Barbed sutures have a similar impact on reproductive outcomes as smooth conventional threads, both in terms of pregnancy and obstetric complication rates, after laparoscopic myomectomy.