Fertility-Sparing Surgery for Stage I Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To describe population-level utilization of fertility-sparing surgery and outcome of reproductive-aged patients with early epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery in the United States. METHODS: This retrospective study queried the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Program. The study included 3,027 patients younger than age 50 years with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer receiving primary surgical therapy from 2007 to 2020. Fertility-sparing surgery was defined as preservation of one ovary and the uterus for unilateral lesion and preservation of the uterus for bilateral lesions. Temporal trend of fertility-sparing surgery was assessed with linear segmented regression with log-transformation. Overall survival associated with fertility-sparing surgery was assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: A total of 534 patients (17.6%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery. At the cohort level, the utilization of fertility-sparing surgery was 13.4% in 2007 and 21.8% in 2020 ( P for trend=.009). Non-Hispanic White individuals (2.8-fold), those with high-grade serous histology (2.2-fold), and individuals with stage IC disease (2.3-fold) had a more than twofold increase in fertility-sparing surgery utilization during the study period (all P for trend<.05). After controlling for the measured clinicopathologic characteristics, patients who received fertility-sparing surgery had overall survival comparable with that of patients who had nonsparing surgery (5-year rates 93.6% vs 92.1%, adjusted hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI, 0.57-1.35). This survival association was consistent in high-grade serous (5-year rates 92.9% vs 92.4%), low-grade serous (100% vs 92.2%), clear cell (97.5% vs 86.1%), mucinous (92.1% vs 86.6%), low-grade endometrioid (95.7% vs 97.7%), and mixed (93.3% vs 83.7%) histology (all P >.05). In high-grade endometrioid tumor, fertility-sparing surgery was associated with decreased overall survival (5-year rates 71.9% vs 93.8%, adjusted hazard ratio 2.90, 95% CI, 1.09-7.67). Among bilateral ovarian lesions, fertility-sparing surgery was not associated with overall survival (5-year rates 95.8% vs 92.5%, P =.364). Among 41,914 patients who had epithelial ovarian cancer with any age and stage, those younger than age 50 years with stage I disease increased from 8.6% to 10.9% during the study period ( P for trend=.002). CONCLUSION: Nearly one in five reproductive-aged patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer underwent fertility-sparing surgery in recent years in the United States. More than 90% of reproductive-aged patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery were alive at the 5-year timepoint, except for those with high-grade endometrioid tumors.

Pregnancy with endometriosis: Assessment of national-level trends, characteristics, and maternal morbidity at delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To examine pregnancy characteristics and maternal morbidity at delivery among pregnant patients with a diagnosis of endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample. Study population was 17,796,365 hospital deliveries from 2016 to 2020, excluded adenomyosis and uterine myoma. The exposure was endometriosis diagnosis. Main outcome measures were clinical and pregnancy characteristics and severe maternal morbidity at delivery related to endometriosis, assessed with multivariable regression model. RESULTS: Endometriosis was diagnosed in 17,590 patients. The prevalence of endometriosis increased by 24 % from one in 1,191 patients in 2016 to one in 853 patients in 2020 (adjusted-odds ratio [aOR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.30). Clinical and pregnancy characteristics that had greater than two-fold association to endometriosis included polycystic ovary syndrome, placenta previa, cesarean delivery, maternal age of ≥30 years, prior pregnancy loss, and anxiety disorder. Pregnant patients with endometriosis were more likely to have the diagnosis of measured severe maternal morbidity during the index hospitalization for delivery (47.8 vs 17.3 per 1,000 deliveries, aOR 1.91, 95%CI 1.78-2.06); these associations were more prominent following vaginal (aOR 2.82, 95%CI 2.41-3.30) compared to cesarean (aOR 1.85, 95%CI 1.71-2.00) deliveries. Among the individual morbidity indicators, endometriosis was most strongly associated with thromboembolism (aOR 5.05, 95%CI 3.70-6.91), followed by sepsis (aOR 2.39, 95%CI 1.85-3.09) and hysterectomy (aOR 2.18, 95%CI 1.85-2.56). When stratified for endometriosis anatomical site, odds of thromboembolism was increased in endometriosis at distant site (aOR 9.10, 95%CI 3.76-22.02) and adnexa (aOR 7.37, 95%CI 4.43-12.28); odds of sepsis was most increased in endometriosis at multi-classifier locations (aOR 7.33, 95%CI 2.93-18.31) followed by pelvic peritoneum (aOR 5.54, 95%CI 2.95-10.40); and odds of hysterectomy exceeded three-fold in endometriosis at adnexa (aOR 3.00, 95%CI 2.30-3.90), distant site (aOR 5.36, 95%CI 3.48-8.24), and multi-classifier location (aOR 4.46, 95%CI 2.11-9.41). CONCLUSION: The results of this nationwide analysis suggest that pregnancy with endometriosis is uncommon but gradually increasing over time in the United States. The data also suggest that endometriosis during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of severe maternal morbidity at delivery, especially for thromboembolism, sepsis, and hysterectomy. These morbidity risks differed by the anatomical location of endometriosis.

Nationwide assessment of practice variability in the utilization of hysteropexy at laparoscopic apical suspension for uterine prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Although hysteropexy has been used to preserve the uterus during uterine prolapse surgery for a long time, there is a scarcity of data that describe the nationwide patterns of use of this surgical procedure. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the national-level use and characteristics of hysteropexy at the time of laparoscopic apical suspension surgery for uterine prolapse in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample. The study population included 55,608 patients with a diagnosis of uterine prolapse who underwent laparoscopic apical suspension surgery from 2016 to 2019. Patients who had a hysterectomy were assigned to the hysterectomy group, and those who did not have a hysterectomy were assigned to the hysteropexy group. The main outcome was clinical characteristics associated with hysteropexy, assessed using a multivariable binary logistic regression model. A classification tree was further constructed to assess the use pattern of hysteropexy during laparoscopic apical suspension procedures. The secondary outcome was surgical morbidity, including urinary tract injury, intestinal injury, vascular injury, and hemorrhage. RESULTS: A hysteropexy was performed in 6500 (11.7%) patients. In a multivariable analysis, characteristics associated with increased use of a hysteropexy included (1) patient factors, such as older age, Medicare coverage, private insurance, self-pay, and medical comorbidity; (2) pelvic floor dysfunction factor of complete uterine prolapse; and (3) hospital factors, including medium bed capacity center and location in the Southern United States (all P<.05). Conversely, (1) the patient factor of higher household income; (2) gynecologic factors such as uterine myoma, adenomyosis, and benign ovarian pathology; (3) pelvic floor dysfunction factor with stress urinary incontinence; and (4) hospital factors including Midwest and West United States regions and rural setting center were associated with decreased use of a hysteropexy (all P<.05). A classification tree identified a total of 14 use patterns for hysteropexies during laparoscopic apical suspension procedures. The strongest factor that dictated the use of a hysteropexy was the presence or absence of uterine myomas; the rate of hysteropexy use was decreased to 5.6% if myomas were present in comparison with 15% if there were no myomas (P<.001). Second layer factors were adenomyosis and hospital region. Patients who did not have uterine myomas or adenomyosis and who underwent surgery in the Southern United States had the highest rate of undergoing a hysteropexy (22.6%). Across the 14 use patterns, the percentage rate difference between the highest and lowest uptake patterns was 22.0%. Patients who underwent a hysteropexy were less likely to undergo anteroposterior colporrhaphy, posterior colporrhaphy, and sling procedures (all P<.05). Hysteropexy was associated with a decreased risk for measured surgical morbidity (3.0 vs 5.4 per 1000 procedures; adjusted odds ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.90). CONCLUSION: The results of these current, real-world practice data suggest that hysteropexies are being performed at the time of ambulatory laparoscopic apical suspension surgery for uterine prolapse. There is substantial variability in the application of hysteropexy based on patient, gynecologic, pelvic floor dysfunction, and hospital factors. Developing clinical practice guidelines to address this emerging surgical practice may be of use.

Increasing utilization of intrauterine device insertion at hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation for patients with endometrial hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: To examine the utilization and characteristics related to the use of hysteroscopy at the time of endometrial evaluation for endometrial hyperplasia in the outpatient surgery setting. METHODS: This cross-sectional study queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample. The study population was 3218 patients with endometrial hyperplasia who underwent endometrial evaluation from January 2016 to December 2019. Performance and clinical characteristics of hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation were assessed with multivariable binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 2654 (82.5%) patients had hysteroscopic endometrial tissue evaluation. Patients with postmenopausal bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, and polycystic ovary syndrome were more likely to undergo hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation in multivariable analysis (all, adjusted-P < 0.001). Uterine injury occurred in 4.9 per 1000 hysteroscopic endometrial evaluations; none had uterine injury in the non-hysteroscopy cohort. Among the 2654 patients who had hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation, 106 (4.0%) patients had intrauterine device insertion at surgery, and the utilization increased from 2.9 to 5.8% during the study period (P-trend < 0.001). Younger age, more recent year surgery, and obesity were independently associated with increased utilization of intrauterine device insertion at hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation (all, adjusted-P < 0.05). Among 2023 reproductive-age patients with endometrial hyperplasia, 1666 (82.4%) patients underwent hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation. On multivariable analysis, patients with heavy menstrual bleeding were more likely to have hysteroscopic endometrial evaluation (adjusted-P < 0.05). Intrauterine device insertion increased from 3.7% in 2016 to 8.0% in 2019 (P-trend = 0.007). CONCLUSION: This nationwide analysis suggests that the insertion of intrauterine devices at the time of hysteroscopic endometrial tissue evaluation for endometrial hyperplasia is increasing among reproductive-age population.

Pregnant patients undergoing cholecystectomy: nationwide assessment of clinical characteristics and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Gallstone disease in pregnancy is one of the most common indications for nonobstetrical surgery during pregnancy. National-level data on contemporary surgical practice and outcomes are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing cholecystectomy during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study examined the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's 2 nationwide databases in the United States: the National Inpatient Sample and the Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample. The study population included 18,630 patients who had cholecystectomy during pregnancy from January 2016 to December 2020. The exposure was gestational age, grouped sequentially into the following 5 groups: first trimester (<14 weeks), early second trimester (14-20 weeks), late second trimester (21-27 weeks), early third trimester (28-36 weeks), and late third trimester (≥37 weeks). The main outcomes were clinical demographics, medical comorbidities, surgical information, and pregnancy characteristics and outcomes, assessed by gestational age. RESULTS: Cholecystectomy was most common in the early second trimester (32.1%), followed by the first trimester (25.2%), late second trimester (23.1%), early third trimester (12.4%), and late third trimester (7.2%). Patients in the first-trimester group were more likely to be aged ≥35 years, to smoke, and to have acute cholecystitis, severe hyperemesis gravidarum including metabolic disturbance, pregestational diabetes, multifetal gestation, and sepsis/shock (P<.001). Patients in the early-third-trimester group were more likely to be obese and have gestational diabetes, Charlson Comorbidity Index of ≥1, premature rupture of membranes, and intrauterine growth restriction, whereas those in the late-third-trimester group were more likely to have gallstone pancreatitis, biliary colic, chorioamnionitis, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and severe maternal morbidity including sepsis (P<.001). At the cohort level, a laparoscopic approach was used in most cholecystectomy procedures (97.5%), and bile duct injury was uncommon (<0.1%). Delivery during the admission occurred in 0.3%, 0%, 0.6%, 17.8%, and 60.6% in the 5 gestational age groups, respectively (P<.001). Among the cases that had delivery in the early- and late-third-trimester groups, the delivery event preceded cholecystectomy in 61.4% and 86.2%, respectively, whereas both delivery and cholecystectomy occurred on the same day in 34.3% and 13.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This nationwide analysis suggests that clinical and pregnancy characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing cholecystectomy differ by pregnancy stage with a bimodal distribution. Although patients in the first and third trimesters have distinct medical conditions, more clinically significant pregnancy and maternal outcomes were found in both groups compared with patients in the second trimester.

Contraception and sterilization selection at delivery among pregnant patients with malignancy.

INTRODUCTION: Since malignancy during pregnancy is uncommon, information regarding contraception selection or sterilization at delivery is limited. The objective of this study was to examine the type of long-acting reversible contraception or surgical sterilization procedure chosen by pregnant patients with malignancy at delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample in the USA. The study population was vaginal and cesarean deliveries in a hospital setting from January 2017 to December 2020. Pregnant patients with breast cancer (n = 1605), leukemia (n = 1190), lymphoma (n = 1120), thyroid cancer (n = 715), cervical cancer (n = 425) and melanoma (n = 400) were compared with 14 265 319 pregnant patients without malignancy. The main outcome measures were utilization of long-acting reversible contraception (subdermal implant or intrauterine device) and performance of permanent surgical sterilization (bilateral tubal ligation or bilateral salpingectomy) during the index hospital admission for delivery, assessed with a multinomial regression model controlling for clinical, pregnancy and delivery characteristics. RESULTS: When compared with pregnant patients without malignancy, pregnant patients with breast cancer were more likely to proceed with bilateral salpingectomy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.30) or intrauterine device (aOR 1.91); none received the subdermal implant. Pregnant patients with leukemia were more likely to choose a subdermal implant (aOR 2.22), whereas those with lymphoma were more likely to proceed with bilateral salpingectomy (aOR 1.93) and bilateral tubal ligation (aOR 1.76). Pregnant patients with thyroid cancer were more likely to proceed with bilateral tubal ligation (aOR 2.21) and none received the subdermal implant. No patients in the cervical cancer group selected long-acting reversible contraception, and they were more likely to proceed with bilateral salpingectomy (aOR 2.08). None in the melanoma group chose long-acting reversible contraception. Among pregnant patients aged <30, the odds of proceeding with bilateral salpingectomy were increased in patients with breast cancer (aOR 3.01), cervical cancer (aOR 2.26) or lymphoma (aOR 2.08). The odds of proceeding with bilateral tubal ligation in pregnant patients aged <30 with melanoma (aOR 5.36) was also increased. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this nationwide assessment in the United States suggest that among pregnant patients with malignancy, the preferred contraceptive option or method of sterilization at time of hospital delivery differs by malignancy type.

Concurrent Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Procedures at the Time of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

In this cross-sectional study including 1,722,479 women who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 2016 and December 2019 identified in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample, the prevalence rate of gynecologic diagnoses was 11.3 per 1,000. Among presumed elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the highest performance rate of concurrent gynecologic procedure per gynecologic diagnosis was laparoscopic adnexectomy among patients with benign ovarian tumor (652/1,000 diagnoses), followed by laparoscopic adnexectomy for endometrioma (386/1,000 diagnoses) and cervical conization for cervical carcinoma in situ (304/1,000 diagnoses). The measured surgical morbidity rates for patients who had concurrent gynecologic surgery and those who did not were 2.8 per 1,000 and 1.9 per 1,000, respectively (adjusted odds ratio 1.39, 95% CI 0.75-2.59). These results suggest that minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries are being performed at the time of outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the United States.

Reconstructive Surgery at Hysterectomy for Patients With Uterine Prolapse and Gynecologic Malignancy.

In this cross-sectional study examining 211,708 patients with a diagnosis of uterine prolapse who underwent hysterectomy between 2016 and 2019 identified in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample, co-diagnosis of gynecologic malignancy was reported in 2,398 (1.1%) patients, and they were less likely to receive reconstructive surgery at hysterectomy (odds ratio [OR] 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.96). This absence of reconstructive surgery was most pronounced among patients with complete uterine prolapse and gynecologic malignancy (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57-0.81). The association was also consistent in coexisting gynecologic premalignancy (n=3,357 [1.6%]). In conclusion, this national-level assessment suggests that patients with uterine prolapse and coexisting gynecologic malignancy or premalignancy may be less likely to receive reconstructive surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction at hysterectomy.

Assessment of placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery.

BACKGROUND: Previous cesarean delivery is a risk factor for developing placenta accreta spectrum in a subsequent pregnancy and patients with antenatally suspected placenta accreta spectrum frequently undergo planned cesarean hysterectomy. There is a paucity of data regarding unsuspected placenta accreta spectrum among patients undergoing trial of labor after cesarean delivery for attempted vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the incidence, characteristics, and delivery outcomes of patients with placenta accreta spectrum diagnosed at the time of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample was retrospectively queried to examine 184,415 patients with a history of low transverse cesarean delivery who had vaginal delivery in the current index hospital admission between 2017 and 2020. Those with placenta previa, previous vertical cesarean delivery, other uterine scars, and uterine rupture were excluded. This study identified placenta accreta spectrum cases using the World Health Organization International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision, codes of O43.2. Coprimary outcomes were (1) the incidence rate of placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery; (2) clinical and pregnancy characteristics related to placenta accreta spectrum, assessed with multivariable binary logistic regression model; and (3) delivery outcomes associated with placenta accreta spectrum by fitting propensity score adjustment. The secondary outcome was to conduct a systematic literature review using 3 public search engines (PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus). Data on incidence rate and maternal morbidity related to placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence rate of placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery was 8.1 per 10,000 deliveries. Most placenta accreta spectrum cases were placenta accreta (83.3%). In a multivariable analysis, older maternal age, tobacco use, preeclampsia, multifetal pregnancy, fetal anomaly, preterm premature rupture of membrane, chorioamnionitis, low-lying placenta, and preterm delivery were associated with an increased risk of placenta accreta spectrum (all, P<.05). Of these factors, low-lying placenta had the largest odds for placenta accreta spectrum (526.3 vs 7.3 per 10,000 deliveries; adjusted odds ratio, 35.02; 95% confidence interval, 18.19-67.42). Patients in the placenta accreta spectrum group were more likely to have postpartum hemorrhage (80.0% vs 5.5%), blood product transfusion (23.3% vs 1.0%), shock or coagulopathy (20.0% vs 0.2%), and hysterectomy (43.3% vs <0.1%) than those without placenta accreta spectrum (all, P<.001). In a systematic literature review, a total of 212 studies were screened, and none of these studies examined the incidence and morbidity of placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. CONCLUSION: This nationwide assessment suggests that although placenta accreta spectrum with vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is uncommon (1 of 1229 cases), the diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum at vaginal birth after cesarean delivery is associated with significant maternal morbidity. In addition, the data suggest that low-lying placenta in the setting of previous low transverse cesarean delivery warrants careful evaluation for possible placenta accreta spectrum before a trial of labor.

Temporal trends of failure-to-rescue following perioperative complications in vulvar cancer surgery in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Failure-to-rescue, defined as mortality following a perioperative complication, is a perioperative quality indicator studied in various surgeries, but not in vulvar cancer surgery. The objective of this study was to assess failure-to-rescue in patients undergoing surgical therapy for vulvar cancer. METHODS: This cross-section study queried the National Inpatient Sample. The study population was 31,077 patients who had surgical therapy for vulvar cancer from 1/2001-9/2015. The main outcomes were (i) perioperative morbidity (29 indicators) and (ii) mortality following a perioperative complication during the index admission for vulvar surgery (failure-to-rescue), assessed with a multivariable binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: The cohort-level median age was 69 years, and 14,337 (46.1%) had medical comorbidity. Perioperative complications were reported in 4736 (15.2%) patients during the hospital admission for vulvar surgery. In multivariable analysis, patient factors including older age, medical comorbidity, and morbid obesity, and treatment factors with prior radiotherapy and radical vulvectomy were associated with perioperative complications (P < 0.05). The number of patients with morbid obesity, higher comorbidity index, and prior radiotherapy increased over time (P-trends < 0.001). Among 4736 patients who developed perioperative complications, 55 patients died during the hospital admission for vulvar surgery (failure-to-rescue rate, 1.2%). In multivariable analysis, cardiac arrest (adjusted-odds ratio [aOR] 27.25), sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (aOR 11.54), pneumonia (aOR 6.03), shock (aOR 4.37), and respiratory failure (aOR 3.10) were associated with failure-to-rescue (high-risk morbidities). There was an increasing trend of high-risk morbidities from 2.0% to 3.7% over time, but the failure-to-rescue from high-risk morbidities decreased from 9.1% to 2.8% (P-trend < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vulvar cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment had increased comorbidity over time with an increase in high-risk complications. However, failure-to-rescue rate has decreased significantly.

Trends, Characteristics, and Maternal Morbidity Associated With Unhoused Status in Pregnancy.

Importance: Unhoused status is a substantial problem in the US. Pregnancy characteristics and maternal outcomes of individuals experiencing homelessness are currently under active investigation to optimize health outcomes for this population. Objective: To assess the trends, characteristics, and maternal outcomes associated with unhoused status in pregnancy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. The study population included hospitalizations for vaginal and cesarean deliveries from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. Unhoused status of these patients was identified from use of International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification code Z59.0. Statistical analysis was conducted from December 2022 to June 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were (1) temporal trends; (2) patient and pregnancy characteristics associated with unhoused status, which were assessed with a multivariable logistic regression model; (3) delivery outcomes, including severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and mortality at delivery, which used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition for SMM indicators and were assessed with a propensity score-adjusted model; and (4) choice of long-acting reversible contraception method and surgical sterilization at delivery. Results: A total of 18 076 440 hospital deliveries were included, of which 18 970 involved pregnant patients who were experiencing homelessness at the time of delivery, for a prevalence rate of 104.9 per 100 000 hospital deliveries. These patients had a median (IQR) age of 29 (25-33) years. The prevalence of unhoused patients increased by 72.1% over a 5-year period from 76.1 in 2016 to 131.0 in 2020 per 100 000 deliveries (P for trend < .001). This association remained independent in multivariable analysis. In addition, (1) substance use disorder (tobacco, illicit drugs, and alcohol use disorder), (2) mental health conditions (schizophrenia, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders, including suicidal ideation and past suicide attempt), (3) infectious diseases (hepatitis, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and COVID-19), (4) patient characteristics (Black and Native American race and ethnicity, younger and older age, low or unknown household income, obesity, pregestational hypertension, pregestational diabetes, and asthma), and (5) pregnancy characteristics (prior uterine scar, excess weight gain during pregnancy, and preeclampsia) were associated with unhoused status in pregnancy. Unhoused status was associated with extreme preterm delivery (<28-week gestation: 34.3 vs 10.8 per 1000 deliveries; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.76 [95% CI, 2.55-2.99]); SMM at in-hospital delivery (any morbidity: 53.8 vs 17.7 per 1000 deliveries; AOR, 2.30 [95% CI, 2.15-2.45]); and in-hospital mortality (0.8 vs <0.1 per 1000 deliveries; AOR, 10.17 [95% CI, 6.10-16.94]), including case fatality risk after SMM (1.5% vs 0.3%; AOR, 4.46 [95% CI, 2.67-7.45]). Individual morbidity indicators associated with unhoused status included cardiac arrest (AOR, 12.43; 95% CI, 8.66-17.85), cardiac rhythm conversion (AOR, 6.62; 95% CI, 3.98-11.01), ventilation (AOR, 6.24; 95% CI, 5.03-7.74), and sepsis (AOR, 5.37; 95% CI, 4.53-6.36). Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this national cross-sectional study suggest that unhoused status in pregnancy gradually increased in the US during the 5-year study period and that pregnant patients with unhoused status were a high-risk pregnancy group.

Incidence, characteristics, and maternal outcomes of pregnancy with uterine prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Gravid uterine prolapse refers to abnormal descent of the uterus during pregnancy. It is a rare pregnancy complication and its clinical characteristics and obstetrical outcomes are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the national-level incidence, characteristics, and maternal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by gravid uterine prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample. The study population was 14,647,670 deliveries from January 2016 to December 2019. The exposure assignment was the diagnosis of uterine prolapse. The coprimary outcome measures were incidence rate, clinical and pregnancy characteristics, and delivery outcomes of patients with gravid uterine prolapse. The inverse probability of treatment weighting cohort was created to mitigate the difference in prepregnancy confounding factors, followed by adjusting for pregnancy and delivery factors. RESULTS: The incidence of gravid uterine prolapse was 1 in 4209 deliveries (23.8 per 100,000). In a multivariable analysis, older age (≥40 years; adjusted odds ratio, 3.21; 95% confidence interval, 2.70-3.81); age from 35 to 39 years (adjusted odds ratio, 2.66; 95% confidence interval, 2.37-2.99); Black (adjusted odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-1.63), Asian (adjusted odds ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-1.64), and Native American (adjusted odds ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.63-2.88) race/ethnicity; tobacco use (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.37); grand multiparity (adjusted odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-2.55); and history of pregnancy losses (adjusted odds ratio, 2.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-3.26) were the patient characteristics associated with increased risk of gravid uterine prolapse. Current pregnancy characteristics associated with gravid uterine prolapse included cervical insufficiency (adjusted odds ratio, 3.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.94-5.45), preterm labor (adjusted odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.97), preterm premature rupture of membranes (adjusted odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.94), and chorioamnionitis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-2.28). Delivery characteristics associated with gravid uterine prolapse included early-preterm delivery at <34 weeks' gestation (69.1 vs 32.0 per 1000; adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.59) and precipitate labor (35.2 vs 20.1; adjusted odds ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.44). Moreover, risks of postpartum hemorrhage (112.1 vs 44.4 per 1000; adjusted odds ratio, 2.70; 95% confidence interval, 2.20-3.32), uterine atony (32.0 vs 15.7; adjusted odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-3.03), uterine inversion (9.6 vs 0.3; adjusted odds ratio, 31.97; 95% confidence interval, 16.60-61.58), shock (3.2 vs 0.7; adjusted odds ratio, 4.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-12.40), blood product transfusion (22.4 vs 11.1; adjusted odds ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-3.18), and hysterectomy (7.5 vs 2.3; adjusted odds ratio, 3.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-6.51) were increased in the gravid uterine prolapse group compared with the nonprolapse group. Conversely, patients with gravid uterine prolapse were less likely to deliver via cesarean delivery compared with those without gravid uterine prolapse (200.6 vs 322.8 per 1000; adjusted odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-0.61). CONCLUSION: This nationwide analysis suggests that pregnancy with gravid uterine prolapse is uncommon but associated with several high-risk pregnancy characteristics and adverse delivery outcomes.

Lymph node evaluation for endometrial hyperplasia: a nationwide analysis of minimally invasive hysterectomy in the ambulatory setting.

BACKGROUND: Given the possibility of occult endometrial cancer where nodal status confers important prognostic and therapeutic data, role of lymph node evaluation at hysterectomy for endometrial hyperplasia is currently under active investigation. The objective of the current study was to examine the characteristics related to lymph node evaluation at the time of minimally invasive hysterectomy when performed for endometrial hyperplasia in an ambulatory surgery setting. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample was retrospectively queried to examine 49,698 patients with endometrial hyperplasia who underwent minimally invasive hysterectomy from 1/2016 to 12/2019. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was fitted to assess the characteristics related to lymph node evaluation at hysterectomy and a classification tree model with recursive partitioning analysis was constructed to examine the utilization pattern of lymph node evaluation. RESULTS: Lymph node evaluation was performed in 2847 (5.7%) patients. In a multivariable analysis, (i) patient factors with older age, obesity, high census-level household income, and large fringe metropolitan, (ii) surgical factors with total laparoscopic hysterectomy and recent year surgery, (iii) hospital parameters with large bed capacity, urban setting, and Western U.S. region, and (iv) histology factor with presence of atypia were independently associated with increased utilization of lymph node evaluation at hysterectomy (all, P < 0.05). Among those independent factors, presence of atypia exhibited the largest association for lymph node evaluation (adjusted odds ratio 3.75, 95% confidence interval 3.39-4.16). There were 20 unique patterns of lymph node evaluation based on histology, hysterectomy type, patient age, year of surgery, and hospital bed capacity, ranging from 0 to 20.3% (absolute rate difference, 20.3%). CONCLUSION: Lymph node evaluation at the time of minimally invasive hysterectomy for endometrial hyperplasia in the ambulatory surgery setting appears to be evolving with large variability based on histology type, hysterectomy modality, patient factors, and hospital parameters, warranting a consideration of developing clinical practice guidelines.

Endometrial safety of low-dose vaginal estrogens.

ABSTRACT: It is estimated that up to 50% to 90% of postmenopausal women may experience genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which may have a detrimental impact on quality of life. One of the most effective modes of treatment of GSM is low-dose vaginal estrogens. Numerous studies have addressed the safety of these estrogens using endometrial biopsy and/or endometrial thickness on ultrasound. Based on these studies, the consensus is that low-dose vaginal estrogens do not substantially increase the risk of endometrial hyperplasia or cancer; however, the data are severely limited by short duration of follow-up. Although long-term trials are warranted, they are difficult to carry out, costly, and will not yield data for years. More immediate information regarding endometrial safety may be obtained from studies measuring endometrial tissue and serum concentrations of estradiol, estrone, and relevant equine estrogens after administration of different estrogen formulations and doses. This would allow us to understand better the metabolism of estrogens by the vagina and endometrium, and how much estrogen is reaching the endometrium. Here, we discuss metabolism, receptor binding, and signaling of estrogens in vaginal and endometrial tissue, and summarize the existing studies on the endometrial impact of low-dose vaginal estrogen treatment in postmenopausal women.

Assessment of Gender-Specific COVID-19 Case Fatality Risk per Malignant Neoplasm Type.

Importance: While the characteristics of COVID-19 infection and mortality among patients with a malignant neoplasm have previously been examined, little data are available for gender-specific COVID-19 mortality. Objective: To examine the gender-specific COVID-19 case fatality risks among patients with a malignant neoplasm. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample, patients admitted to the hospital from April to December 2020 with a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection were identified by the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision code U07.1. Data analysis was performed from November 2022 to January 2023. Exposure: Diagnosis of malignant neoplasm, identified and classified according to the National Cancer Institute's definition. Main Outcome and Measure: COVID-19 in-hospital case fatality rate, defined as the number of deaths that occurred during index hospital admissions. Results: There were 1 622 755 patients who were admitted to the hospital from April 1 to December 31, 2020, with a diagnosis of COVID-19. The cohort-level COVID-19 in-hospital case fatality rate was 12.9% with a median time to death of 5 days (IQR, 2-11 days). Frequently reported morbidities among the patients with COVID-19 included pneumonia (74.3%), respiratory failure (52.9%), cardiac arrythmia or cardiac arrest (29.3%), acute kidney injury (28.0%), sepsis (24.6%), shock (8.6%), cerebrovascular accident (5.2%), and venous thromboembolism or pulmonary embolism (5.0%). In a multivariable analysis, gender (male vs female, 14.5% vs 11.2%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.27-1.30) and malignant neoplasm (17.9% vs 12.7%; aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.27-1.32) were both associated with increased COVID-19 in-hospital case fatality risk at the cohort level. Among the group of female patients, there were 5 malignant neoplasms in which the COVID-19 in-hospital case fatality risk was greater than 2-fold higher. These included anal cancer (23.8%; aOR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.84-4.69), Hodgkin lymphoma (19.5%; aOR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.90-4.08), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (22.4%; aOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.02-2.47), lung cancer (24.3%; aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 2.03-2.39), and ovarian cancer (19.4%; aOR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.79-2.59). Among the group of male patients, Kaposi sarcoma (33.3%; aOR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.18-3.66) and malignant neoplasm in the small intestine (28.6%; aOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.18-3.53) had a greater than 2-fold increased COVID-19 in-hospital case mortality risk. Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this cohort study confirmed the substantial case fatality rate among patients with COVID-19 in the early pandemic experience in 2020 in the US. While COVID-19 in-hospital case fatality risks were lower among women compared with men, the associations of a concurrent malignant neoplasm with the COVID-19 case fatality were overall more substantial for women than for men.

The association between uterine adenomyosis and adverse obstetric outcomes: A propensity score-matched analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined obstetric outcomes in patients diagnosed with uterine adenomyosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This historical cohort study queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's National Inpatient Sample. The study population was all hospital deliveries in women aged 15-54 years between January 2016 and December 2019. The exposure was a diagnosis of uterine adenomyosis. The main outcome measures were obstetric characteristics, including placenta previa, placenta accreta spectrum, and placental abruption. Secondary outcomes were delivery complications including severe maternal morbidity. Analytic steps to assess these outcomes included (i) a 1-to-N propensity score matching to mitigate and balance prepregnancy confounders to assess obstetric characteristics, followed by (ii) an adjusting model with preselected pregnancy and delivery factors to assess maternal morbidity. Sensitivity analyses were also performed with restricted cohorts to account for prior uterine scar, uterine myoma, and extra-uterine endometriosis. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 5430 patients with adenomyosis were compared to 21 720 patients without adenomyosis. Adenomyosis was associated with an increased odds of placenta accreta spectrum (adjusted-odds ratio [aOR] 3.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.01-4.70), placenta abruption (aOR 3.21, 95% CI: 2.60-3.98), and placenta previa (aOR 5.08, 95% CI: 4.25-6.06). Delivery at <32 weeks of gestation (aOR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.24-1.77) and cesarean delivery (aOR 7.72, 95% CI: 7.04-8.47) were both increased in women with adenomyosis. Patients in the adenomyosis group were more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity at delivery compared to those in the nonadenomyosis group (aOR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.59-2.16). Results remained robust in the aforementioned several sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This national-level analysis suggests that a diagnosis of uterine adenomyosis is associated with an increased risk of placental pathology (placenta accreta spectrum, placenta abruption, and placental previa) and adverse maternal outcomes at delivery.

Seasonal fluctuation of in vitro fertilization encounters in the United States.

PURPOSE: To examine patient and hospital characteristics related to seasonal fluctuation in in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined 33,077 oocyte retrievals identified in the National Ambulatory Surgery Sample. Exposure assignment was monthly IVF encounters: low-volume months (<25%ile), mid-volume months (≥25/<75%ile), and high-volume months (>75%ile). Main outcomes were patient and hospital characteristics related to the exposure groups, assessed with a multinomial regression model. RESULTS: The median IVF encounters were 977 per month, ranging from 657 to 1074 (absolute-difference 417). January, July, and December were the lowest-quartile volume months, ranging from 657 to 710 encounters per month (low-volume months). May, August, and November were the top-quartile volume months, ranging from 1049 to 1074 encounters per month (high-volume months). In a multivariable analysis, patients undergoing IVF in the low-volume months were younger and less likely to have infertility or comorbidities. Patients undergoing IVF in the high-volume months were more likely to have lower household income and receive IVF at urban teaching facilities. Northeastern residents were less likely to have IVF in the low-volume months but more likely to have IVF in the high-volume months. Sensitivity analyses showed that the lowest-to-highest variability in monthly IVF encounters was higher in Northeast region compared to other regions (320 vs 50-128); infertility patients compared to those without (317 vs 190); privately insured patients compared to self-pay (227 vs 156); and older patients compared to younger (234 vs 192). CONCLUSION: This study suggests substantial seasonal fluctuation in IVF oocyte retrieval in the USA based on patient and hospital factors.

The potential role of GLP-1 receptor agonist targeting in fertility-sparing treatment in obese patients with endometrial malignant pathology: a call for research.

INTRODUCTION: Most patients diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer are obese. Obesity, along with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), may act synergistically to increase risk of malignant endometrial pathology. Incidence of malignant endometrial pathology is increasing, particularly in reproductive aged women. In patients who desire future fertility, the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) is often utilized. If the first-line progestin therapy fails, there is not an effective second-line adjunct option. Moreover, pregnancy rates following fertility-sparing treatment are lower-than-expected in these patients. AREAS COVERED: This clinical opinion provides a summary of recent studies exploring risk factors for the development of malignant endometrial pathology including obesity, PCOS, and T2DM. Studies assessing efficacy of fertility-sparing treatment of malignant endometrial pathology are reviewed, and a potential new adjunct treatment approach to LNG-IUD is explored. EXPERT OPINION: There is an unmet-need for a personalized treatment approach in cases of first-line progestin treatment failure. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists are a class of anti-diabetic agents, but may have a role in fertility-sparing treatment of obese patients with malignant endometrial pathology by reducing weight, decreasing inflammation, and decreasing insulin resistance; these changes may also improve chances of subsequent pregnancy. This hypothesis warrants further exploration.

Quantitation of 5α-androstanedione in normal women and women with PCOS.

In vitro studies show that 5α-androstane-3,17-dione (5α-A) is an important intermediate in the formation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from androstenedione (A) in women and men. Many studies involving hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have measured A, testosterone (T), and DHT, but not 5α-A due to lack of a readily available assay to quantify this androgen. We have developed a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay to measure 5α-A levels, together with A, T, and DHT, in both serum and genital skin. The present study involves 2 cohorts. Cohort 1 included 23 mostly postmenopausal women who provided both serum and genital skin to measure those androgens. In cohort 2, serum androgen levels were compared between women with PCOS and non-PCOS controls. Tissue-to-serum ratios were significantly higher for 5α-A and DHT as compared to A and T. None of the androgens showed a significant correlation between serum and genital tissue. In serum, 5α-A was significantly correlated with A, T, and DHT. In cohort 2, A, T, and DHT were significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to the control group. In contrast, 5α-A levels were similar between the 2 groups. Our findings support the view that 5α-A is an important intermediate in DHT formation in genital skin. Also, the relatively low levels of 5α-A in PCOS women suggest that it may play a more important intermediate role in the conversion of A to androsterone glucuronide.