Clinical evaluation of endometriosis and differential response to surgical therapy with and without application of Oxiplex/AP* adhesion barrier gel

OBJECTIVE: To correlate parameters of endometriosis obtained during routine clinical evaluation with the subsequent formation of adhesions following surgical treatment by laparoscopy. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. SETTING: Tertiary referral centers for the treatment of endometriosis. PATIENT(S): Thirty-seven patients (65 with adnexa) with stage I-III endometriosis; endometrioma-only patients were excluded. INTERVENTION: Laparoscopic surgical treatment of endometriosis, followed by randomization to Oxiplex/AP (FzioMed, Inc., San Luis Obispo, California) gel treatment (treated group) of adnexa, or surgery alone (control group); follow-up laparoscopy 6-10 weeks later. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Adnexal Americn Fertility Society score, correlated with color and location of endometriosis, as well as stage of disease determined by masked review of videotapes. RESULT(S): Control patients with at least 50% red lesions had a greater increase in ipsilateral adnexal adhesion scores than patients with mostly black or white and/or clear lesions. Treated patients with red lesions had a greater decrease in adnexal adhesion scores than control patients. There was a correlation between baseline endometriosis stage and postoperative adhesion formation in control patients, but not treated patients. CONCLUSION(S): Patients with red endometriotic lesions had greater increases in their adhesion scores than patients with only black, white, and/or clear lesions. Oxiplex/AP gel was effective in reducing adhesions, compared to surgery alone, in all groups.