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BACKGROUND There have been conflicting results in randomized trials of the effects of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) in chronic pelvic pain. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis using individual patient data (IPD) to provide the most comprehensive and reliable assessment of the effectiveness of LUNA. METHODS Electronic searches were conducted in the Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and Cochrane Library databases from database inception to August 2009. The reference lists of known relevant papers were searched for any further articles. Randomized trials comparing LUNA with no additional intervention were selected and authors contacted for IPD. Raw data were available from 862 women randomized into five trials. Pain scores were calibrated to a 10-point scale and were analysed using a multilevel model allowing for repeated measures. RESULTS There was no significant difference between LUNA and No LUNA for the worst pain recorded over a 12 month time period (mean difference 0.25 points in favour of No LUNA on a 0–10 point scale, 95% confidence interval: −0.08 to 0.58; P = 0.1). CONCLUSIONS LUNA does not result in improved chronic pelvic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Currently, there are a number of clinical trials, but no international collaboration for collating research on effectiveness of laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA) for alleviating chronic pelvic pain. Objective Meta-analysis was used by collecting individual patient data (IPD) from the existing trials, to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of LUNA that will be generalisable in various clinical contexts. Methods IPD will be sought and collected from all relevant (both already finished and continuing) randomised trials identified through previous systematic reviews. After obtaining raw data and cleaning the database, analysis will be of all patients ever randomised based on the intention-to-treat principle using endpoints measured at 12 months following randomisation. Proposal We will update searches, contact all authors, obtain data in whatever form it can be provided, build a single database, produce results for individual studies, have them verified by original authors, explore of any heterogeneity and reasons behind it and finally pool all raw data in to a meta-analysis using appropriate statistical methods. The project will test the effectiveness of LUNA for women with chronic pelvic pain. It will also motivate collaborating primary investigators to undertake new primary studies to corroborate or improve upon the conclusions derived from the retrospective analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]