Association between parental decisions regarding abortion and severity of fetal heart disease.

The prenatal diagnosis of fetal heart disease potentially influences parental decision-making regarding pregnancy termination. Existing literature indicates that the severity, whether in complexity or lethality, significantly influences parental decisions concerning abortion. However, questions remain as to how fetal heart disease severity impacts parental decisions, given recent advancements in postsurgical outcomes. Therefore, we investigated risk factors associated with parents' decision-making regarding abortion following a prenatal diagnosis of fetal heart disease. Our analysis included 73 (terminated: n = 37; continued: n = 36) pregnancies with a fetal heart disease diagnosed before 22 weeks of gestation. Increased gestational age at diagnosis reduced the likelihood of parents' decision on termination (Model 1: adjusted odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.99; Model 2: 0.95 0.90-0.997). Critical disease (5.25; 1.09-25.19) and concurrent extracardiac or genetic abnormalities (Model 1: 4.19, 1.21-14.53; Model 2: 5.47, 1.50-19.96) increased the likelihood of choosing abortion. Notably, complex disease did not significantly influence parental decisions (0.56; 0.14-2.20). These results suggest that parental decision-making regarding abortion may be influenced by earlier gestational age at diagnosis, the lethality of heart disease, and extracardiac or genetic abnormalities, but not its complexity if prenatal diagnosis and parental counseling are provided at a cardiovascular-specialized facility.

Effectiveness, reliability, and validity of new Japanese diagnostic criteria for obstetrical disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Since July 2022, obstetrical disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in Japan has been diagnosed based on the new criteria (tentative version), which assesses the main underlying disease, fibrinogen level, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products or D-dimer level. In June 2024, the tentative version underwent minor revision and the final version was released. The previous Japanese criteria assessed underlying disease, clinical symptoms, and various laboratory findings. This study aimed to prove the effectiveness, reliability, and validity of the new criteria (final version). We analyzed 212 women with singleton pregnancies who delivered after 22 gestational weeks and experienced blood loss ≥ 1000 mL during vaginal delivery or ≥ 2000 mL during cesarean section. Those with missing laboratory findings before receiving blood transfusion at delivery were excluded. In the obstetrical DIC group, the frequency of fibrinogen levels < 150 mg/dL was significantly higher than in the control group (90% vs. 5%, p < 0.0001), as was the frequency of scores ≥ 8 according to the previous Japanese criteria (100% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001). Cronbach alpha was 0.757 and Spearman's rank-order correlation was 0.558 between the new and previous criteria. In conclusion, we proved the effectiveness, reliability, and validity of the Japanese new criteria (final version) to diagnose obstetrical DIC.

Modes of delivery and indications in women with COVID-19: a regional observational study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caesarean section (CS) has been the preferred deliver method for pregnant women with COVID-19 in order to limit the use of hospital beds and prevent morbidity among healthcare workers. METHODS: To evaluate delivery methods used during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the rates of adverse events and healthcare worker morbidity associated with caesarean deliveries. METHODS: We investigated maternal and neonatal backgrounds, delivery methods, indications and complication rates among pregnant women with COVID-19 from December 2020 to August 2022 in Mie Prefecture, Japan. The predominant mutation period was classified as the pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron epoch. RESULTS: Of the 1291 pregnant women with COVID-19, 59 delivered; 23 had a vaginal delivery and 36 underwent CS. Thirteen underwent CS with no medical indications other than mild COVID-19, all during the Omicron epoch. Neonatal complications occurred significantly more often in CS than in vaginal delivery. COVID-19 in healthcare workers was not attributable to the delivery process. CONCLUSION: The number of CS with no medical indications and neonatal complications related to CS increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this study included centres that performed vaginal deliveries during COVID-19, there were no cases of COVID-19 in healthcare workers. It is possible that the number of CS and neonatal complications could have been reduced by establishing a system for vaginal delivery in pregnant women with recent-onset COVID-19, given that there were no cases of COVID-19 among the healthcare workers included in the study.

We evaluated the incidence of adverse events associated with caesarean section (CS) deliveries and the morbidity of health care workers, which increased during the coronavirus infection pandemic. Maternal and neonatal background, delivery methods, indications and complication rates of pregnant women with COVID-19 from December 2020 to August 2022 in Mie Prefecture were investigated by time of onset. Of the 1291 pregnant women with COVID-19, 59 delivered while affected; 23 underwent vaginal delivery and 36 CS. Of these, 13 who underwent CS in the omicron epoch had no medical indication other than mild COVID-19. Neonatal complications were significantly more common with CS than with vaginal delivery, and there was no occurrence of COVID-19 in healthcare workers. In this study, there were no cases of COVID-19 among health care workers; establishing a system to perform vaginal delivery for pregnant women with COVID-19 could have reduced the number of CS and neonatal complications.

Tadalafil for Treatment of Fetal Growth Restriction: A Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major concern in perinatal care. Various medications have been proposed as potential treatments for this serious condition. Nonetheless, there is still no definitive treatment. We studied tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, as a therapeutic agent for FGR in clinical studies and animal experiments. In this review, we summarize our preclinical and clinical data on the use of tadalafil for FGR. Our studies in mouse models indicated that tadalafil improved FGR and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. A phase II trial we conducted provided evidence supporting the efficacy of tadalafil in prolonging pregnancy (52.4 vs. 36.8 days; p = 0.03) and indicated a good safety profile for fetuses and neonates. Fetal, neonatal, and infant mortality was significantly lower in mothers receiving tadalafil treatment than that in controls (total number: 1 vs. 7, respectively; p = 0.03), and no severe adverse maternal events associated with tadalafil were observed. Although further studies are needed to establish the usefulness of tadalafil in FGR treatment, our research indicates that the use of tadalafil in FGR treatment may be a paradigm shift in perinatal care.

Changes in use and outcomes after fibrinogen concentrate insurance coverage for critical obstetrical hemorrhage: a nationwide questionnaire survey in Japan.

Fibrinogen concentrate (FC) for acquired hypofibrinogenemia associated with critical obstetrical hemorrhage (COH) was covered by public medical insurance in September 2021 in Japan. We aimed to investigate changes in the policy of FC use and its effect on COH after insurance coverage. A primary survey covering September 2020 to August 2021 and a secondary survey covering September 2021 to August 2022 were conducted at 428 higher-level medical facilities. We investigated the policy of FC use in transfusion strategy and the maternal outcomes in COH. Among the hospitals that responded to both surveys, the number of facilities that use FC increased from 51.5 (101/196) to 78.6% (154/196) (P < 0.0001). The number of COH cases treated using FC increased from 14.3 to 24.3% (P < 0.0001) and that transfused with ≥ 10 units of red blood cells (RBCs) decreased from 36.8 to 29.8% (P = 0.001). The incidence of pulmonary edema reduced by 3.7-2.0% (P = 0.021), and transfusion-induced allergy by 1.9-0.7% (P = 0.008). No changes were observed in the incidence of thromboembolism, arterial embolization, or hysterectomy. The increased use of FC after insurance coverage led to changes in the transfusion strategy, which may be associated with decreases in transfusions of RBCs, pulmonary edema, and transfusion-induced allergies.

Visceral Adipose Tissue Percentage Compared to Body Mass Index as Better Indicator of Surgical Outcomes in Women With Obesity and Endometrial Cancer.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact visceral adipose tissue percentage (VAT%) on surgical outcomes during minimally invasive surgery in obese women with endometrial cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Mie University Hospital, Japan. PATIENTS: Of the 73 women (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m2) with obesity and primary endometrial cancer, 52 underwent robotic surgery, while 21 underwent laparoscopic surgery between April 2014 and December 2022. INTERVENTIONS: We investigated the correlation between surgical outcomes (operative time and blood loss) and obesity (BMI and visceral adipose tissue percentage [VAT%]). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Abdominal fat-related parameters were measured at the level of the umbilicus using preoperative computed tomography. A weak negative correlation was found between BMI and VAT% (CC = -0.313, p = .001). Multivariate analysis showed that VAT% had a stronger correlation to total and practical operative time than BMI (ß = 0.338 vs 0.267, ß = 0.311 vs 0.209, respectively) and was an independent predictor of blood loss. VAT% was an independent predictive marker prolonged for operative time and increased blood loss during lymphadenectomy. CONCLUSION: VAT% could be an indicator of surgical outcomes for patients with obesity and endometrial cancer.

Intravenous lipid emulsion for local anaesthetic systemic toxicity in pregnant women: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Local anaesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) is a rare but life-threatening complication that can occur after local anaesthetic administration. Various clinical guidelines recommend an intravenous lipid emulsion as a treatment for local anaesthetic-induced cardiac arrest. However, its therapeutic application in pregnant patients has not yet been established. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and map the evidence on the efficacy and safety of intravenous lipid emulsion for treating LAST during pregnancy. METHOD: We searched electronic databases (Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register Controlled Trials) and a clinical registry (lipidrescue.org) from inception to Sep 30, 2022. No restriction was placed on the year of publication or the language. We included any study design containing primary data on obstetric patients with signs and symptoms of LAST. RESULTS: After eliminating duplicates, we screened 8,370 titles and abstracts, retrieving 41 full-text articles. We identified 22 women who developed LAST during pregnancy and childbirth, all presented as case reports or series. The most frequent causes of LAST were drug overdose and intravascular migration of the epidural catheter followed by wrong-route drug errors (i.e. intravenous anaesthetic administration). Of the 15 women who received lipid emulsions, all survived and none sustained lasting neurological or cardiovascular damage related to LAST. No adverse events or side effects following intravenous lipid emulsion administration were reported in mothers or neonates. Five of the seven women who did not receive lipid emulsions survived; however, the other two died. CONCLUSION: Studies on the efficacy and safety of lipids in pregnancy are scarce. Further studies with appropriate comparison groups are needed to provide more robust evidence. It will also be necessary to accumulate data-including adverse events-to enable clinicians to conduct risk-benefit analyses of lipids and to facilitate evidence-based decision-making for clinical practice.

Management of pulmonary hemodynamics prior to delivery in a pregnant woman with development of decompensated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Prompt termination of pregnancy in patients with decompensated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is imperative for improvement of maternal hemodynamics, but such termination may also result in maternal death due to further deterioration of PAH immediately after delivery. However, there have been limited reports on whether implementation of PAH therapy with continuation of pregnancy improves the maternal outcome, especially in treatment-naïve patients with PAH. A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of dyspnea (WHO functional class IV) at 22 weeks and 3 days of gestation. She was diagnosed with PAH accompanied by right heart failure and low cardiac output. Intensive treatment was initiated with inotropic agents, oxygen therapy, and PAH therapy, resulting in improvement of her hemodynamics. A caesarean section was performed at 23 weeks and 3 days. Although her pulmonary arterial pressure transiently increased with oxygenation deteriorating immediately after delivery, worsening PAH improved without mechanical circulatory support. She continued receiving pulmonary vasodilators without relapse of pulmonary hypertension for three years. The improvement of pulmonary hemodynamics prior to delivery with PAH therapy led to a favorable outcome after delivery. Learning objective: Pulmonary hemodynamics in pregnant patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can deteriorate with the continuation of pregnancy, while termination can also cause PAH surge immediately after delivery. In treatment-naïve patients with PAH, who are most likely to benefit from PAH therapy, implementation of PAH therapy with continuation, even with a decompensated status, may improve the hemodynamics prior to delivery, resulting in a favorable outcome after delivery.

Two-dimensional phase-contrast MRI reveals changes in uterine arterial blood flow in pregnant women administered tadalafil for fetal growth restriction.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to examine the effect of uterine arterial (UtA) blood flow changes after tadalafil treatment for fetal growth restriction (FGR) using two-dimensional (2D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI). METHODS: We recruited 14 pregnant women with FGR aged 20-44 years, at ≥20 weeks' gestation, between May 2019 and July 2020. They underwent 2D PC-MRI for UtA blood flow measurement 3 days (interquartile range: 2-4) after diagnosis. This group (FGR group) was compared with 14 gestational age (GA)-matched healthy pregnant women (control group). Six patients in the FGR group received treatment with tadalafil administered at 20 mg twice daily after the first MRI until delivery. They underwent a second MRI a week later. RESULTS: The median total UtA blood/body surface area was 420 mL/min/m2 (290-494) in the FGR group and 547 mL/min/m2 (433-681) in the control group (p = 0.01). Percent increase in blood flow were significantly different between the FGR cases treated with tadalafil and control at 15.8 % (14.3-21.3) and 4.2 % (3.6-8.7), respectively (p = 0.03). DISCUSSION: UtA blood flow in pregnant women with FGR was significantly lower than that in healthy pregnant women. Tadalafil is expected to improve UtA blood flow, thereby improving placental function in pregnant patients with FGR.

Accurate evaluation of the progress of delivery with transperineal ultrasound may improve vaginal delivery: a single-center retrospective study.

Although digital examination of the cervix is the standard method used worldwide for evaluating the progress of delivery, it is subjective. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) is combined with digital evaluation for accurate assessment of fetal descent and rotation of the advanced part of the fetus. This retrospective study aimed to clarify the impact of introducing TPU on perinatal outcomes at Mie University Hospital. We analyzed singleton pregnant women who underwent delivery management at our hospital between April 2020 and March 2021. Perinatal outcomes were compared between patients who used TPU (TPU+ group) and those who did not (TPU- group). The angle of progression and head direction were measured. The rate of vaginal delivery was significantly increased (90.9% vs. 71.6%; P = 0.0017), and the second stage of labor was significantly prolonged in the TPU+ group (148.1 vs. 75.8 min; P < 0.0001). A significant difference was observed in termination in the latent phase between the TPU+ group [3/8 (37.5%) cases] and TPU- group [20/25 (80.0%) cases] (P = 0.036). The rate of vaginal delivery can be increased through accurate evaluation of the progress of delivery with TPU.

Tourniquet, Uterine Inversion, and Placental dissection （TURIP） procedure as a novel hemostatic technique to preserve fertility for placenta accreta spectrum disorders without placenta previa.

The number of cases of placenta accreta spectrum disorder has been increasing with the increase in in vitro fertilization and cesarean deliveries. In addition, placenta accreta spectrum without placenta previa is difficult to diagnose before delivery and sometimes requires a hysterectomy because of heavy bleeding. We have devised a uterus-preserving technique (referred to as the tourniquet, uterine inversion, and placental dissection procedure) for such cases. First, the bleeding is stopped by the tourniquet method, the uterus is relaxed with nitroglycerin, and the uterus is inverted to expose the adhesion site. After that, the placenta is detached by sharp dissection under direct visualization, and the detached areas are sutured, and then the tourniquet and internal rotation are released. This technique does not require advanced skills. Thus, a surgeon could avoid performing a hysterectomy and have a greater chance of uterus preservation when encountering massive hemorrhage caused by unpredictable placenta accreta spectrum without placenta previa in either cesarean deliveries or vaginal deliveries.

COVID-19 during pregnancy could potentially affect placental function.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic and has been extensively studied. However, the effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy, particularly on placental function, have not been verified. In this study, we used blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) to evaluate whether COVID-19 incidence during pregnancy has any lasting effects with respect to placental oxygenation. METHODS: This is a case-control study, in which eight cases of singleton pregnancies before 30 weeks gestation with COVID-19 mothers were included. Placental oxygenation was evaluated using BOLD-MRI after 32 weeks of gestation. BOLD-MRI was consecutively performed under normoxia (21% O2), hyperoxia (100% O2), and normoxia for 4 min each. Individual placental time-activity curves were evaluated to calculate the peak score (peakΔR2*) and the time from the start of maternal oxygen administration to the time of peakΔR2* (time to peakΔR2*). Eighteen COVID-19-free normal pregnancies from a previous study were used as the control group. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding maternal background, number of days of delivery, birth weight, and placental weight. The parameter peakΔR2* was significantly decreased in the COVID-19 group (8 ± 3 vs. 5 ± 1, p < .001); however, there was no significant difference in time to peakΔR2* (458 ± 74 s vs. 471 ± 33 s, p = .644). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, BOLD-MRI was used to evaluate placental oxygenation during pregnancy in COVID-19-affected patients. COVID-19 during pregnancy decreased placental oxygenation even post-illness, but had no effect on fetal growth; further investigation of the possible effects of COVID-19 on the fetus and mother is warranted.

Comparison of surgical outcomes between robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy and conventional total laparoscopic hysterectomy in gynecologic benign disease: a single-center cohort study.

We compared the surgical outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy (RAH) and total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). This single-center cohort study compared 139 RAH cases from January, 2017 to September, 2021 and 291 TLH cases between January, 2015 and December, 2020. We retrospectively evaluated surgical outcomes, including total operative time (defined as the time from port wound incision to port wound closure), net operative time (defined as the time from the start of pneumoperitoneum to the end of pneumoperitoneum), estimated blood loss, weight of excised uterus (±adnexa), and overall complications, and the relationship between surgeon experience and operative time, net operative time, and blood loss in RAH and TLH. There was no significant difference in the total operative time between the two groups. Regardless of surgeon experience, the net operative time was significantly shorter in the RAH group than in the TLH group (p <0.001) and the estimated blood loss was significantly lower in RAH cases than in TLH cases (p = 0.01). The net operative time per uterine weight was shorter in the TLH group than that in the RAH group; however, there was no significant difference. RAH resulted in statistically better surgical outcomes in terms of net operative time and blood loss, regardless of surgeon experience. However, net operative time and blood loss also seem to be significantly affected by uterus weight. Large trials are imperative to determine the more effective surgical approach between RAH and TLH for different patient subsets.

Evaluation of fetal acidemia during delivery using the conventional 5-tier classification and Rainbow systems.

The association between prepartum time-series fetal heart rate pattern changes and cord blood gas data at delivery was examined using the conventional 5-tier classification and the Rainbow system for 229 female patients who delivered vaginally. They were classified into three groups based on the results of umbilical cord blood gas analysis at delivery. The fetal heart rate pattern classifications were based on analysis of measurement taken at 10-min intervals, beginning at 120 min pre-delivery. The relationship between fetal heart rate pattern classification and cord blood pH at delivery changed over time. The 5-tier classification at each interval increased before delivery in the Mild and Severe groups compared with the Normal group. No significant differences were observed between acidemia groups. The Rainbow classification showed a significant differences between the acidemia groups at each interval, particularly during the prepartum period. A relationship between classification and outcome was evident before delivery for both the 5-tier classification and Rainbow system.

Fetal Biometric Assessment and Infant Developmental Prognosis of the Tadalafil Treatment for Fetal Growth Restriction.

Background and Objectives: Tadalafil is expected to treat fetal growth restriction (FGR), a risk factor for stillbirth and neonatal morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the fetal biometric growth pattern of fetuses with FGR treated with tadalafil by ultrasonographic assessment. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. Fifty fetuses diagnosed with FGR and treated by maternal administration of tadalafil and ten controls who received conventional treatment at Mie University Hospital from 2015 to 2019 were assessed. Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) at the start of treatment and at two weeks and four weeks of treatment were mainly assessed by ultrasound examination. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess the measures. The Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (KSPD) was used to assess the developmental prognosis on tadalafil-treated children at 1.5 years of corrected age (CA) and 3 years old. Results: The median gestational age at the start of treatment was 30 and 31 weeks in the tadalafil and control groups, respectively, and the median gestational age at delivery was 37 weeks in both groups. The Z-score of HC was significantly increased at 4 weeks of treatment (p = 0.005), and the umbilical artery resistance index was significantly decreased (p = 0.049), while no significant difference was observed in the control group. The number of cases with an abnormal score of less than 70 on the KSPD test was 19% for P-M, 8% for C-A, 19% for L-S, and 11% for total area at 1.5 years CA. At 3 years old, the respective scores were 16%, 21%, 16%, and 16%. Conclusions: Tadalafil treatment for FGR may maintain fetal HC growth and infants' neuro-developmental prognosis.

Efficacy of a portable interface pressure sensor for robotic surgery in preventing compartment syndrome.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study determines whether the use of a portable interface pressure sensor (Palm Q) for robotic surgery could prevent compartment syndrome. METHODS: In the present single center, non-trial observational study, patients diagnosed with gynecological diseases between April 2015 and August 2020 treated with laparoscopic or robotic surgery were enrolled. We assessed 256 cases involving surgery performed in the lithotomy position with an operative time >4 h. The Palm Q device was placed preoperatively on both sides of the patients' lower legs. The pressure was measured every 30 min preoperatively and intraoperatively and adjusted to ≤30 mmHg. If the pressure reached ≥30 mmHg, the operation was stopped, the patient was repositioned, the leg position was released, the pressure was reduced to ≤30 mmHg, and the procedure was resumed. We compared the maximum creatine kinase levels of the Palm Q and non-Palm Q groups. We also analyzed the correlation between the patients' symptoms postoperatively (shoulder and leg pain) and compartment syndrome. RESULTS: Our data showed that immediate postoperative creatine kinase levels predict compartment syndrome. Propensity score matching of the 256 enrolled patients resulted in 92 cases (46 per group), balanced for age, body mass index, and lifestyle disease. Creatine kinase levels differed significantly between the Palm Q and non-Palm Q groups (p = 0.041). None of the patients in the Palm Q group experienced well-leg compartment syndrome complications. CONCLUSION: Palm Q can potentially help to prevent perioperative compartment syndrome.

Surgical technique for fertility preservation for placenta accreta spectrum without previa: Tourniquet, uterus inversion and placental dissection procedure.

The placenta accreta spectrum without previa is difficult to diagnose before delivery and sometimes requires hysterectomy. A fertility preservation procedure is useful when placenta accreta spectrum is unexpectedly encountered. A 38-year-old woman, conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), was not diagnosed of placenta accreta spectrum until delivery. A cesarean section was performed for fetal breech presentation. The placenta could not be detached from the uterine fundus and marked bleeding started. We conducted the "TURIP" procedure: ensured hemostasis with tourniquet of uterine isthmus, uterus inversion to expose the adhesion site with intra-venous nitroglycerin administration, placental detachment by sharp dissection under direct visualization. The detached areas were sutured for hemostasis. The patient recovered uneventfully and achieved the second pregnancy by IVF 1 year later. The TURIP procedure is useful to preserve fertility in unpredicted placenta accreta spectrum without previa, even in undiagnosed cases before delivery.

Balloon Trocar Is a Suitable Instrument for Retroperitoneal Para-aortic Lymphadenectomy in Gynecologic Malignant Diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the surgical technique of retroperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy to prevent peritoneal rupture in gynecologic malignant disease. In this video, the authors describe how to use a balloon trocar to create a safe and efficient working space without peritoneal rupture. DESIGN: A step-by-step video demonstration of a surgical technique. SETTING: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mie University, Tsu, Japan. INTERVENTIONS: Para-aortic lymphadenectomy is a part of most gynecologic oncology procedures for primary and recurrent gynecologic malignancies. There are 2 approaches to para-aortic lymphadenectomy: transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches. Although there are no significant differences between these approaches (such as in terms of the number of isolated lymph nodes or related complications), they are performed based on the operator's preference. The retroperitoneal approach is an unfamiliar surgical technique compared with usual laparotomy and laparoscopic surgery, and its disadvantages include a steeper learning curve for attaining proficiency. It is also difficult to develop the retroperitoneal space without a peritoneal rupture. In this video, we demonstrate the use of balloon trocars to create a retroperitoneal compartment. The patient was placed in the lithotomy position with the pelvis elevated at 5° to 10°. The left internal iliac approach, which is considered the standard approach, was used in this case (Fig 1). After identifying the left psoas muscles and the ureter crossing the common iliac artery, dissection of the left para-aortic lymph node was initiated (Supplemental Video 1, 2). CONCLUSION: Herein, we demonstrated a successful surgical technique for retroperitoneal para-aortic lymphadenectomy to prevent peritoneal ruptures.

Maternal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The perinatal resuscitation history in Japan is short, with the earliest efforts in the field of neonatology. In contrast, the standardization and dissemination of maternal resuscitation is lagging. With the establishment of the Maternal Death Reporting Project and the Maternal Death Case Review and Evaluation Committee in 2010, with the aim of reducing maternal deaths, the true situation of maternal deaths came to light. Subsequently, in 2015, the Japan Council for the Dissemination of Maternal Emergency Life Support Systems (J-CIMELS) was established to educate and disseminate simulations in maternal emergency care; training sessions on maternal resuscitation are now conducted in all prefectures. Since the launch of the project and council, the maternal mortality rate in Japan (especially due to obstetric critical hemorrhage) has gradually decreased. This has been probably achieved due to the tireless efforts of medical personnel involved in perinatal care, as well as the various activities conducted so far. However, there are no standardized guidelines for maternal resuscitation yet. Therefore, a committee was set up within the Japan Resuscitation Council to develop a maternal resuscitation protocol, and the Guidelines for Maternal Resuscitation 2020 was created in 2021. These guidelines are expected to make the use of high-quality resuscitation methods more widespread than ever before. This presentation will provide an overview of the Guidelines for Maternal Resuscitation 2020.