Most patients presenting for laparoscopic surgical management will have had previous medical therapy, diagnostic and occasionally therapeutic laparoscopies.(2) Using real time data collection on a palm top computer details of patient symptomatology, with specific simple pain scales and physical signs are collected and subsequently correlated with operative findings, treatment and any immediate or late complications. Results of histological analysis can then be entered. Changes in symptomatology and physical findings are recorded at follow up visits in an identical format allowing direct comparisons to be made on an individual patient basis and the effects of different operative interventions on groups of patients allowing the appropriate comparisons to be explored.

Data from the palm top is down loaded to a relational data base on a conventional computer. Although not a substitute for a well designed clinical trial, of itself a rarity in surgical practice, audit of this nature is useful in establishing the clinical efficacy of various surgical interventions. Data to demonstrate this will be presented on a group of patients undergoing excision of their rectovaginal endometriosis.