2.3 Main outcome measures
The primary outcome measures of interest were: (1) Improvement of symptoms (pain scores and size of the lesions were used to assess this outcome measure). The VAS was used to assess the severity of AWE symptoms, and a higher score was indicative of more severe symptoms; (2) Intraoperative condition (intraoperative blood loss, time of operation and the incidence of mesh implantation); (3) Recovery (the length of hospital stay and the postoperative length of hospital stay); (4) Adverse events (defined as skin burns, intestinal injury, fever, infection, anaesthesia-related complications, complications of the urinary system, and complications of the digestive system); (5) Symptom recurrence; (6) Reintervention rate (requirements for a new therapy owing to symptomatic recurrence).