Is Laparoscopic Uterosacral Nerve Ablation Effective for Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Chronic pelvic pain in women is a common condition that impairs quality of life and often necessitates diagnostic laparoscopy. Nerves in the uterosacral ligaments are believed to carry pain signals from pelvic structures. Although laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) is an option for treating patients with chronic pelvic pain, uncertainty about the procedure's efficacy has made this a controversial surgery. Investigators at 18 U.K. hospitals recruited women who were seen in gynecology outpatient clinics and who underwent diagnostic laparoscopies for noncyclic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, or dyspareunia lasting longer than 6 months. At laparoscopy, women with moderate or worse endometriosis, substantial pelvic adhesions, or serious a…