Effectiveness of Hysteroscopic Techniques for Endometrial Polyp Removal: The Italian Multicenter Trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare the effectiveness and safety of different techniques of hysteroscopic polypectomy. DESIGN Multicenter, prospective observational trial (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING Nineteen Italian gynecologic departments (university-affiliated or public hospitals). PATIENTS Consecutive patients suffering from endometrial polyps (EPs). INTERVENTIONS Hysteroscopic polypectomy, as performed through different techniques. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Included in the study were 1404 patients (with 1825 EPs). The setting was an ambulatory care unit in 40.38% of the cases (567 women), of whom 97.7% (554) did not require analgesia/anesthesia. In the remaining 59.62% of women (837 women), the procedures were performed in an operating room under mild sedation, local or general anesthesia. Minor complications occurred in 32 patients (2.27%), without significant differences between the techniques used (p = ns). Uterine perforation occurred in 14 cases, all performed in the operating room with some kind of anesthesia, only 1 with a vaginoscopic technique and the remaining during blind dilatation (odds ratio [OR], 19.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-335.79; p = .04). An incomplete removal of EPs was documented in 39 patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that a higher risk of residual EPs was associated with the use of a fiber-based 3.5-mm hysteroscope (OR, 6.78; 95% CI, 2.97-15.52; p