Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sexual function and quality of life are significantly reduced in endometriosis patients, particularly those with deep infiltrative endometriosis (DIE). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of endometriosis excision and excision techniques on sexual function among individuals with DIE to those of healthy females in an objective manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 140 individuals who were diagnosed as having DIE and reported dyspareunia in our clinic between January 2018 and 2024, and 70 patients who presented to our family planning clinic. The preoperative and 6-month post-surgery scores of the female sexual function index (FSFI), quality of sexual experience scale (QSES), and visual analog scale (VAS) values of all patients who described preoperative dyspareunia were examined retrospectively from the patient files. RESULTS: In our study, the FSFI score of healthy groups was seen to be significantly greater than the pre-surgery and post-surgery groups (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The QSES scores of the healthy group were found to be significantly higher than the pre-surgery and post-surgery groups (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The VAS dyspareunia values of the healthy group were discovered to be significantly lower than the pre-surgery and post-surgery groups (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The FSFI and QSES scores of the post-surgery group were significantly higher than those of the pre-surgery group (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). The VAS dyspareunia score of the post-surgery group was seen to be significantly lower than that of the pre-surgery group (p<0.001). The FSFI and QSES scores of patients who underwent laparotomy were discovered to be significantly greater than that of individuals who underwent laparoscopic surgery (p<0.001 and p=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The surgical approach may have a positive effect on both organ dysfunction and sexual function in women with DIE; this issue should be considered carefully.