A comparison of vaginal surgery and operative hysteroscopy for the treatment of cesarean-induced isthmocele: a retrospective review.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cesarean-induced isthmocele can cause heavy or prolonged menses, dyspareunia, and dysmenorrhea. We compared the efficacy of vaginal surgery and operative hysteroscopy for the treatment of cesarean-induced isthmocele. METHODS: Seventy-seven women with cesarean-induced isthmocele underwent either vaginal surgery or operative hysteroscopy between August 2008 and December 2011. We evaluated operating time, blood loss, complications, and postoperative pregnancy. Operative efficacy was defined as an improvement in menstrual periods and a change in residual isthmocele nidus size on transvaginal ultrasonography. RESULTS: The operative efficacy of vaginal surgery was superior to that of hysteroscopy (93.5 vs. 64.5%; p < 0.001). However, patients who underwent vaginal surgery had a longer operative time (55 vs. 25 min; p < 0.001) and greater blood loss (50 vs. 10 ml; p < 0.001). Two patients in each group were able to achieve subsequent pregnancy. Patients who had menstrual periods longer than 7 days after surgery were more likely to have a residual nidus. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic efficacy of vaginal surgery is superior to operative hysteroscopy in the treatment of cesarean-induced isthmocele.

Vaginal repair of cesarean section scar diverticula.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new vaginal surgery for repair of cesarean scar diverticula and to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment for correcting the anatomic defect and eliminating abnormal uterine bleeding. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: University-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Data for 42 patients were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had abnormal uterine bleeding, prolonged menstrual flow, and/or postmenstrual spotting. The diagnosis of a cesarean scar diverticulum of the uterus was established using transvaginal ultrasound. INTERVENTIONS: Hysteroscopy was performed to visualize the defect if necessary. Vaginal repair involved excision of the scar and surrounding tissue, followed by closure using 2 layers of sutures. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The median (range) duration of surgery was 60 (30-120) minutes; blood loss during surgery was 45 (10-100) mL; length of hospital stay was 3 (2-11) days. Perioperative complications occurred in 1 of 42 patients (2.4%). Follow-up ranged from 10 to 23 months. The efficacy of anatomic correction and rate of symptomatic relief was 92.9% (39 of 42 patients). CONCLUSION: Vaginal repair is a minimally invasive and effective surgical approach for treatment of uterine scar diverticula associated with previous cesarean section.

Characteristics of the patients with adnexal torsion and outcomes of different surgical procedures: A retrospective study.

There is no uniform standard to assess the viability of the ovary and choose conservative surgery or radical surgery for patients with adnexal torsion. This retrospective study aims to explore the characteristics of patients with adnexal torsion and the outcomes of different surgical procedures.A retrospective analysis of 174 cases diagnosed with adnexal torsion at our hospital between January 2005 and October 2014 was performed. Patients' clinical characteristics, surgical procedures, and postoperative recovery were analyzed.Of the cases, 31 (17.82%) did not have any emergent symptom; adnexal torsion were found during other surgeries. Among all 174 adnexal torsion patients, 14 cases received conservative treatment, including anti-inflammatory treatment, and 8 (58.1%) were pregnant. Of the cases, 160 underwent surgical treatment: 144 (90%) were confirmed to have ovary/ovarian cyst torsion, among whom 26 (18.1%) had their adnexa retained (group A) and 118 (81.9%) underwent adnexectomy (group B). Age, time of torsion, and rounds of torsion in group A were significantly less than in group B. None of the patients with adnexa preservation surgery had any complication, such as abdominal infection or thrombotic diseases.Patients with ovary/ovarian cyst torsion can attempt to preserve the ovaries without serious clinical complications; there were no severe complications such as embolism after the conservative surgeries in this study.

Parecoxib increases muscle pain threshold and relieves shoulder pain after gynecologic laparoscopy: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Postlaparoscopic shoulder pain (PLSP) remains a common problem after laparoscopies. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pressure pain threshold (PPT) of different muscles and PLSP after gynecologic laparoscopy, and to explore the effect of parecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, on the changes of PPT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients were randomly allocated into two groups; group P and group C. In group P, parecoxib 40 mg was intravenously infused at 30 minutes before surgery and 8 and 20 hours after surgery. In group C, normal saline was infused at the corresponding time point. PPT assessment was performed 1 day before surgery and at postoperative 24 hours by using a pressure algometer at bilateral shoulder muscles (levator scapulae and supraspinatus) and forearm (flexor carpi ulnaris). Meanwhile, bilateral shoulder pain was evaluated through visual analog scale score at 24 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Preoperative PPT level of the shoulder, but not of the forearm, was significantly and negatively correlated with the intensity of ipsilateral PLSP. In group C, PPT levels of shoulder muscles, but not of forearm muscles, decreased after laparoscopy at postoperative 24 hours. The use of parecoxib significantly improved the decline of PPT levels of bilateral shoulder muscles (all P<0.01). Meanwhile, parecoxib reduced the incidence of PLSP (group P: 45% vs group C: 83.3%; odds ratio: 0.164; 95% confidence interval: 0.07-0.382; P<0.001) and the intensity of bilateral shoulder pain (both P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Preoperative PPT levels of shoulder muscles are closely associated with the severity of shoulder pain after gynecologic laparoscopy. PPT levels of shoulder muscles, but not of forearm muscles, significantly decreased after surgery. Parecoxib improved the decrease of PPT and relieved PLSP.

[Analysis of 216 cases of total laparoscopic hysterectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). METHODS: A retrospective study of laparoscopic hysterectomy was conducted in this setting. From March 2002 through March 2004, 216 women were subjected to TLH. The average age of the patients was 45.5 years (38-60 years). Out of the 216 patients, 24 had dysfunctional uterine bleeding, 5 atypical endometrial hyperplasia, 139 uterine fibroid, 46 adenomyosis, 2 cervical carcinoma in situ and 36 had a previous lower abdominal surgery. The TLH was carried out using ultrasonic scalpel and the amputated uterus was removed transvaginally. The vagina and peritoneum were closed under laparoscopy. RESULTS: Of the 216 cases who underwent TLH, 23 had bilateral adnexectomy, 36 had ovarian cystectomy, and 54 had adhesiolysis simultaneously. No case was converted to laparotomy. The mean operating time was (103 +/- 35) min. The average amount of blood loss was 83 +/- 45 ml (60-320 ml) during operation. The average hospital stay after operation was (5.3 +/- 1.9) days. There were 4 patients with urinary tract injury in this study population. One bladder perforation was found during operation and repaired under laparoscopy. Two patients had vesicovaginal fistula formation. One ureteral-vaginal fistula was found after operation. The fistula was all closed spontaneously with a prolonged catheter drainage. CONCLUSIONS: TLH appears a safe, effective and reproducible procedure. It is an alternative method for those women who need hysterotomy.

The impact of endometrioma and laparoscopic cystectomy on ovarian reserve and the exploration of related factors assessed by serum anti-Mullerian hormone: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of the presence of endometrioma and laparoscopic cystectomy on ovarian reserve as assessed by serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level. In addition, factors related to the decline in ovarian reserve were analyzed. METHODS: From June 2013 to January 2014, we prospectively included 40 women with endometriomas as the study group (group A), 36 women with tubal factor infertilities as control group 1 (group B) and 22 women with the other benign ovarian cysts as control group 2 (group C). The women with ovarian cysts underwent laparoscopic cystectomy. Serum AMH levels were determined preoperatively and at 1 month after surgery. RESULTS: The endometrioma group had lower AMH levels (1.53 ± 1.37 ng/ml) compared with the other benign ovarian cyst group (2.20 ± 1.23 ng/ml) and the tubal factor infertility group (2.82 ± 1.74 ng/ml). The rate of serum AMH decline 1 month after surgery in the endometrioma group (0.62 ± 0.35) was larger than the decline in the other benign ovarian cyst group (0.32 ± 0.30). The preoperative AMH level showed a significant correlation with patient age (group A, r = -0.32; group B, r = -0.54; group C, r = -0.71); there was a statistically significant correlation between the rate of serum AMH decline and endometrioma diameter as well as with the preoperative serum AMH level. In addition, the rate of serum AMH decline was larger for bilateral endometriomas than for unilateral endometriomas, but there was no similar correlation in the other benign ovarian cyst group. The rate of AMH decline after surgery in the subgroup of >7 cm was significantly higher than in the subgroup of ≤7 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian endometriomas per se may damage ovarian reserve, and cystectomy of endometriomas may cause greater damage to ovarian reserve compared with other benign ovarian cysts. The operation-related damage to the ovarian reserve was positively related to whether the endometriomas were bilateral, as well as cyst size (especially for cysts >7 cm), but was negatively related to the preoperative serum AMH level. Age was a negative factor that affected the ovarian reserve.

Antiangiogenesis therapy of endometriosis using PAMAM as a gene vector in a noninvasive animal model.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics and antiangiogenic effects of endostatin-loaded PAMAM on endometriosis in a noninvasive animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A noninvasive animal model was established by injecting adenovirus-GFP transfected endometrial stromal and glandular epithelial cells subcutaneously into nude mice. Endostatin-loaded PAMAM was prepared and identified by transmission electron microscopy. For in vitro studies, the DNA protection and cytotoxicity of PAMAM were investigated and compared with Lipofectamine 2000. For in vivo study, endostatin-loaded PAMAM was injected into the noninvasive model and evaluated by continuously observing the fluorescent lesion, lesion weight, microvessel density and VEGF immunostaining. RESULTS: Compared with Lipofectamine 2000, PAMAM and HC PAMAM-ES group, MC PAMAM-ES group and LC PAMAM-ES group demonstrated a better stromal cells protective such that MC PAMAM-ES group of CCK8 was 0.617 ± 0.122 at 24 hr and 0.668 ± 0.143 at 48 hr and LC PAMAM-ES group of CCK8 was 0.499 ± 0.103 at 24 hr and 0.610 ± 0.080 at 48 hr in stromal cells (P < 0.05) but similar cytotoxicity in glandular epithelial cells in vitro. After 16 hrs of digestion, DNA decreased slightly under the protection of PAMAM. Endostatin-loaded PAMAM of HD PAMAM-ES group and LD PAMAM-ES group inhibited the growth of the endometriotic lesion in vivo at days 15, 20, 25 and 30 detected by noninvasive observation after injecting one dose endostatin of various medicines into the endometrial lesion in each mouse on day 10 (P < 0.05) and confirmed by lesion weight at day 30 with HD PAMAM-ES group being 0.0104 ± 0.0077 g and LD PAMAM-ES group being 0.0140 ± 0.0097 g (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that endostatin-loaded PAMAM reduced the microvessel density 3.8 ± 2.4 especially in HD PAMAM-ES group in the lesion (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Endostatin-loaded PAMAM inhibits the development of endometriosis through an antiangiogenic mechanism and can be observed through the noninvasive endometriosis model.