Post-treatment hypomenorrhoea—a clinical indicator of long-term successful outcome of transcervical resection of the endometrium

This study aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and define one of the indicators of successful outcome of endometrial resections. The study was carried out in a district general hospital setting. This was a retrospective analysis of 54 consecutive women who underwent endometrial resection over a 5-year period. Three (5.5%) complications were noted. Two were primary haemorrhage and one was a postoperative vaginal discharge. Eighty per cent of the patients expressed satisfaction with the outcome of their treatment. Expression of satisfaction at a later date was related to reduced menstrual flow at 6 months (0.005<P<0.001, P=0.18 (95% CI=0.13-0.23). Dissatisfaction was noted in 10 patients. These included two patients whose expectations of outcome were amenorrhoea, although they admitted to reduced menstrual flow. Four patients had other complications, such as adenomyosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and pelvic endometriosis. Endometrial resection is still an effective option for the majority of patients for whom it is a preferred choice. Amenorrhoea at 6 months may be an objective indicator of long-term successful outcome of this procedure, and hence a useful tool for patient counselling.