Participants
Information on the 272 women included in the current study were from two
databases, published in three separate studies, which described the use
of sonovaginography for the prediction of surgical complexity (18-20).
Participants in the original studies were seen between January 2016 and
October 2021 in Sydney, Australia. They underwent surgery with one of
six minimally invasive gynaecological surgeons (MIGS), all with the
highest level of surgical ability, as per the Royal Australian New
Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists/Australasian
Gynaecological Endoscopy & Surgery Society (RANZCOG/AGES) (21). Each
participant had a systematic visual inspection of the pelvis, upper
abdomen, and appendix. The databases used in this paper therefore
contained comprehensive, coded data mapping the location and morphology
of disease, as well as the surgical procedures performed for each case.
Surgical findings were arranged under the columns of anterior
peritoneal, anterior deep, posterior peritoneal, posterior deep, lateral
and adnexal pathology. Under these columns pathology was coded and
mapped under 66 subheadings. In addition, the presence of hydroureter
and the presence and extent of pouch of Douglas obliteration (partial or
complete) was described. Likewise, surgical procedures were listed
including ureterolysis and the type of bowel surgery performed. The
databases from the three studies were interrogated to ensure there were
no cases with incomplete data. The participants were then de-identified.
Inclusion criteria from the original studies were women of reproductive
age, and either a history of chronic pelvic pain, or a history of
endometriosis, or both. Exclusion criteria were women with suspected
malignancy, pregnancy, premature ovarian failure, menopause, and
nonsurgical management. Additional exclusion criteria for this study
were patients with incomplete data. All women included in the databases
had previously consented for their de-identified surgical data to be
used in research.