Virtual Mindfulness-Based Therapy for the Management of Endometriosis Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Novel Delivery Platform to Increase Access to Care.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effectiveness of a virtual mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program to improve quality of life and pain in people with endometriosis. METHODS: This was a multiple-method, before and after study design. Fifteen patients with a clinical or surgical diagnosis of endometriosis were recruited from a Canadian outpatient gynaecology clinic. Participants completed the Endometriosis Health Profile, a validated survey tool, and a pain medication use questionnaire before and after a virtual 8-week MBSR program run by an experienced social worker. A focus group was held upon completion of the program to assess participants' experiences using mindfulness for management of endometriosis symptoms. Quantitative data was analyzed with paired-samples t tests. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 67% of people enrolled completed the MBSR course (10/15). Following the MBSR program, participants had a statistically significant decrease in 4 components of the Endometriosis Health Profile: control and powerlessness (P = 0.012), emotional well-being (P = 0.048), social support (P = 0.030), and self-image (P = 0.014). There was no change in pain scores or medication use. Participants felt the program's benefits came from a sense of community, education about their condition, and application of mindfulness tools when approaching pain. Participants felt more comfortable with the virtual format over in-person sessions. CONCLUSIONS: A virtual MBSR course can improve quality of life domains in people with endometriosis. The virtual format was effective and preferred by participants. Virtual MBSR programs may increase access to this type of care.

Surgical Outcomes between Routes of Hysterectomy in Patients with a Previous Cesarean Section.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the difference in surgical complications for patients with a previous cesarean section (CS) undergoing abdominal, vaginal, or laparoscopic hysterectomy. DESIGN: A population-based retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Province of Ontario, Canada. PATIENTS: 10 300 patients with at least 1 CS between July 1, 1991, and February 17, 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Benign, nongravid hysterectomy between Apr 1, 2002, and March 31, 2018. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was a composite of all surgical complications within 30 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes were rate of genitourinary complications, readmission to hospital, and emergency department visit occurring within 30 days of surgery. Of 10 300 patients who had at least one previous CS, who underwent subsequent hysterectomy for a benign indication, 7370 underwent an abdominal hysterectomy (71.55%), 813 (7.9%) had a vaginal hysterectomy, and 2117 (20.55%) underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy. The adjusted odds of any surgical complication from hysterectomy was significantly lower when performed by the vaginal approach than the laparoscopic approach (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.51; p <.0001). There was no difference in the odds of surgical complication between abdominal and laparoscopic approaches (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-1.37; p = .45). CONCLUSION: Our retrospective population-based study demonstrates that, after previous CS, patients selected to undergo vaginal hysterectomy experienced lower risk than either abdominal or laparoscopic approaches. This suggests that CS alone should not be a contraindication to vaginal hysterectomy.

Fertility and Pregnancy Outcomes After Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic Myomectomy in a Canadian Cohort.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Myomectomy is the gold standard treatment for patients with symptomatic fibroids who desire fertility preservation. Given the relatively recent application of robotic surgery in the field of gynecology, there is only a small amount of data describing fertility outcomes after robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM). The objective of this study was to determine the pregnancy rate in patients trying to conceive after RALM. DESIGN: A single-center, retrospective case series. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent RALM between October 2008 and September 2015 and who consented to a telephone interview were included. INTERVENTION: None. The primary outcome was pregnancy rate after RALM. Secondary outcomes included whether patients underwent fertility treatment, rate of live births after RALM, rate of spontaneous abortion mode of delivery in pregnancies following RALM, obstetric complications, and symptoms experienced postoperatively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 123 patients underwent RALM between 2008 and 2015. Of them, 101 consented to be interviewed. Average age ± standard deviation was 34.4 ± 4.4 years. Average myoma size was 8.9 ± 2.2 cm. Of all myomas, 64 (63.4%) were intramural, 35 (34.7%) were subserosal, and 2 (2%) were submucosal according to preoperative imaging. The pregnancy rate after RALM was 42/60 (70.0%). Three additional patients became pregnant who were not trying to conceive. Of the 45 patients who became pregnant, 38 (84.4%) successfully delivered or were pregnant at the time of data collection. CONCLUSION: The pregnancy rate after RALM was 70.0%, which is similar to that reported in previous studies. Future research should aim to conduct larger, prospective studies investigating fertility outcomes after RALM and should aim to identify variables that predict pregnancy.

Quality and Reliability of Publicly Accessible Information on Laser Treatments for Urinary Incontinence: What Is Available to Our Patients?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality and reliability of the top 20 internet search results for laser treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). DESIGN: Review of 20 websites. SETTING: N/A. PATIENTS: None. INTERVENTIONS: An internet search with the most popular search engine, Google, was undertaken to identify the top 20 websites for laser treatment of SUI. The DISCERN instrument, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct certification, which are standardized, validated tools for the analysis of website quality, credibility, and transparency, were used independently by 7 healthcare workers. The readability of the information was assessed by a single reviewer using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Automated Readability Index. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to document the reliability among website assessors. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 20 websites reviewed, 15 were created by private clinics, 2 by online newspaper or newsletter sites, and 3 by laser medical device manufacturers. None of the websites met all of the JAMA criteria: 1 had attained authorship, 1 had clear attribution, none had adequate disclosure, and 2 achieved currency. None of the websites took part in the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct certification program. The mean DISCERN score (to determine the quality of websites) was 40 (out of 80), with the lowest average scores within the DISCERN tool primarily associated with clarity around sources of information, website bias, posting dates, risks of treatment, and shared treatment decision-making. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated for the DISCERN tool (0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.87) and JAMA benchmarks (0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.93). The mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level was 13.2 (±3.1) and the Automated Readability Index scores ranged from 7.6 to 22.8 (mean 13.5 ± 3.5). CONCLUSION: There is a lack of good quality, reliable, and unbiased information available to patients on laser treatment of SUI on the most commonly searched websites. Information is presented at a reading level that is above that of the average reader, which may indicate that patients will have trouble comprehending the information.

Development of a Night Float Call Model for Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency: The Process and Residents' Perceptions.

The 2013 pan-Canadian consensus Report on Resident Duty Hours identified that traditional 24-hour duty periods pose risks to the well-being of residents and should be avoided. In anticipation of duty-hour restrictions, the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Residency Program at the University of Toronto developed and implemented a night float (NF) call model over a three-year span. Quarterly resident surveys have consistently shown that the NF system is preferred to traditional 24-hour call and has resulted in reduced fatigue and improved continuity of patient care. Through many iterations, the NF model achieved levels of resident morale, surgical experience, and impact on family relationships that are comparable to the 24-hour call system. We review here our process for developing an NF call model and the perceptions and experiences of residents, with the goal of providing insight for other residency programs that are considering or instituting NF call systems.