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Visual-Numeric Endometriosis Scoring System (VNESS) for mapping surgical findings: A validation study.
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  • Shaheen Khazali,
  • Benedetto Mondelli,
  • Kyle Fleischer,
  • Averyl Bachi,
  • Michael Adamczyk,
  • Nucelio Lemos,
  • Harald Krentel,
  • Arvind Vashisht,
  • Abdelmonim Abdalla,
  • Arash Mohazzab,
  • Gayathri Delanerolle,
  • Marc Possover,
  • Roya Padmehr,
  • Khadijeh Shadjoo,
  • Gaby Moawad,
  • Ted Lee,
  • Ertan Saridogan
Shaheen Khazali
HCA the Lister hospital- Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynaecology (CEMIG London
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Benedetto Mondelli
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Kyle Fleischer
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
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Averyl Bachi
HCA the Lister hospital- Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynaecology (CEMIG London
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Michael Adamczyk
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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Nucelio Lemos
Mount Sinai Hospital
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Harald Krentel
Bethesda Hospital
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Arvind Vashisht
University College Hospital Women's Health Service
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Abdelmonim Abdalla
Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology
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Arash Mohazzab
Iran University of Medical Sciences
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Gayathri Delanerolle
University of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
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Marc Possover
Possover International Medical Center AG
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Roya Padmehr
Avicenna Research Institute
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Khadijeh Shadjoo
Avicenna Research Institute ACECR
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Gaby Moawad
George Washington University Hospital
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Ted Lee
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
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Ertan Saridogan
University College Hospital Women's Health Service
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Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to assess inter-rater reliability for components of the Visual-Numeric Endometriosis Scoring System (VNESS). VNESS is a novel system for describing surgical findings in each compartment of the pelvis in a way that is simple to use, visually intuitive and mirrors a laparoscopic image of the pelvis. Design Validation study using short surgical laparoscopic video clips. Setting Anonymized video clips of endometriosis surgery scored by 50 Gynaecologists from 12 countries. Population Gynaecologists as scores of short surgical clips selected from a series of endometriosis procedures performed between 2012 and 2022. Methods 50 gynaecologists scored 93 short surgical videoclips using VNESS. 4650 scores were compared against a reference score and analysis was performed to assess inter-rater reliability. Main outcome measures The outcome measures were percentage agreement between given and reference scores, as well as intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), Cohen Kappa and Quadratic Weighted Kappa Coefficients were calculated to evaluate inter-rater reliability. Results The highest and lowest percentage agreement with the reference score was seen in VNESS 4 (full thickness disease, 97% perfect agreement) and VNESS 1 (superficial disease, 53% perfect agreement) respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed strong inter-rater reliability for all VNESS compartments except the vagina. Conclusions This study suggests that VNESS has excellent inter-observer reliability. Correlation is stronger with more severe disease.