Long-acting progestogens and the combined oral contraceptive pill are equally effective at alleviating endometriosis pain for three years after laparoscopic excision, a UK study suggests.

However, the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) was associated with a higher risk of repeat surgery or hysterectomy surgeries, the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary-led team said.

Their study, dubbed the PRE-EMPT (preventing recurrence of endometriosis) trial, included 405 women of reproductive age who were randomly assigned to receive long-acting progestogens (LAPs) or the COCP after laparoscopic excisional or ablative surgery.

Over two-thirds of participants (mean age 29) had endometriosis grade I or II, with 91% deemed to have all their endometrial tissue excised during surgery across 34 gynaecological units in the UK.