Study objective: To determine whether surgical treatment of chronic pelvic pain is associated with changes in personality profile.
Design: Prospective clinical trial (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
Setting: University-affiliated tertiary referral center.
Patients: Sixteen women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for evaluation and treatment of chronic pelvic pain.
Intervention: Before and 3 months after surgery all subjects completed the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2 and the West Haven-Yale multidimensional pain inventory.
Measurements and main results: Laparoscopic surgery for chronic pelvic pain was associated with a postoperative decrease in pain severity score by 53% (p <0.001), increase in activity level score by 24% (p <0.001), decrease in hypochondriasis score by 6% (p = 0.049), decrease in depression score by 12% (p = 0.007), and decrease in conversion hysteria score by 7% (p = 0.02). Improvements in pain severity and activity level were comparable in women with abnormal and normal preoperative scores of hypochondriasis, depression, and conversion hysteria.
Conclusion: Improvement in chronic pelvic pain is associated with an improvement in personality profile. Abnormal versus normal preoperative scores for hypochondriasis, depression, or conversion hysteria scales are not predictive of change in pain or activity level after surgery.