Five-Year Follow-Up After Laparoscopic Large Nerve Resection for Deep Infiltrating Sciatic Nerve Endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To report neurologic follow-up of patients after laparoscopic large resection of deep infiltrating endometriosis of the sciatic nerve.

DESIGN: Prospective clinical case series.

SETTING: Tertiary referral unit specializing in advanced gynecologic surgery and neuropelveology.

PATIENTS: All data for patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis of the sciatic nerve between 2004 and 2016 (n = 259) were documented prospectively. In this study, patients who underwent a large resection of the sciatic nerve (>30% of the nerve) and were followed for at least 5 years were evaluated (n = 46). All patients presented preoperatively with incapacity for normal gait and foot drop. All were suffering from intractable and constant neuropathic sciatic pain (visual analog scale [VAS] score of 9 to 10 despite strong pain medicine), with sensorimotor disorders of the affected leg.

INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic large resection of endometriosis of the sciatic nerve.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All procedures were performed by laparoscopy. Postoperative management included medical treatment with neuroleptic agents and intensive physiotherapy. At the 5-year follow-up, all patients reported significant pain reduction, with a median VAS score of 2.1 (range, 0 to 3) and recovery of normal gait, including the ability to climb stairs.

CONCLUSION: In deep infiltrating intraneural endometriosis of the sciatic nerve, patients present with motor disorders before and after surgical resection. The average VAS score was reduced from 9.33 preoperatively to 1.25 at a 3-year follow-up. When full resection of endometriosis including nerve resection is completed, sciatic nerve function recover, but recovery of a normal gait may take at least 3 years and intensive physiotherapy.