Studies of segmental bowel resections in patients with endometriosis were eligible for inclusion. Studies had to describe at least five bowel resections. Eligible studies also had to report on at least three of the following criteria: surgical technique used, number of patients, duration of surgery, indication for surgery, localisation and diameter of nodules, other lesions, complications, confirmation by pathology, recurrences, pain, and fertility after six and 12 months. Definitions were provided in the review.
The included studies considered mainly rectum resections (88%, where reported), although sigmoid resections were also included. The proportion of procedures undertaken by laparoscopy varied according to the age of the study; earlier studies (1997 to 2000) used less than 10% laparoscopy, whilst later studies (2005 to 2009) used over 80% laparoscopy. The indication for bowel resection varied across studies; some studies resected prior to surgery based on examinations and tests, while other studies made the decision to resect during surgery or did not clearly specify.
Two authors independently performed study selection Disagreements were resolved by discussion.