Exploring the feasibility of indocyanine green fluorescence for intraoperative ureteral visualisation in robotic transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopy surgery during endometriosis resection.

BACKGROUND: To assess the feasibility of use of indocyanine green (ICG) in identifying and minimising urinary tract injury during surgical resection of endometriosis through robotic transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopy surgery (RvNOTES). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case series in two academic tertiary care hospitals. We examined 53 patients who underwent RvNOTES hysterectomy with planned endometriosis resection. RESULTS: The study involved 53 patients undergoing RvNOTES with ICG fluorescence for endometriosis resection. Mean patient age was 37.98 ± 6.65 years. Operative time averaged 181.32 ± 53.94 min, with estimated blood loss at 45.57 ± 33.62 mL. Postoperative stay averaged 0.23 ± 0.47 days. No ICG-related complications occurred. CONCLUSION: No complications occurred with ICG fluorescence in RvNOTES. It appears to be a safe option for ureteral localisation and preservation. ICG fluorescence is widely used in diverse medical specialities for identifying ureters during complex surgeries. Larger studies are needed to firmly establish its advantages in intraoperative ureteral visualisation during RvNOTES for deep infiltrative endometriosis.

[Retrospective study of 60 cases of uterine rupture at the Maternity Center of Monastir, Tunisia]. / Etude rétrospective sur 60 cas de rupture utérine du centre de maternité de Monastir, Tunisie.

Uterine rupture is a life-threatening obstetric complication. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiological features, maternal and foetal prognosis and different treatment options for uterine rupture in healthy and scarred uteri. We conducted a retrospective monocentric descriptive and analytical study of 60 cases of uterine rupture collected in the Department of Gynaecology-Obstetrics of the Center of Maternity and Neonatology, Monastir, from 2017 to 2021. Patients were classified according to the presence or absence of a uterine scar. Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. The majority of cases of rupture occurred in patients with scarred uterus (n=55). The most common clinical sign was abnormal foetal heart rate. No maternal deaths were recorded and perinatal mortality rate was 11%. Mean BMI, fetal macrosomia rate and mean parity were significantly higher in the healthy uterus group than in the scarred uterus group (p=0.033, 0.018, and 0.013, respectively). The maternal complications studied (post-partum haemorrhage, hysterectomy, blood transfusion, prolonged hospitalisation) were significantly more frequent in patients with unscarred uterine rupture (p=0.039; p=0.032; p=0.009; p=0.025 respectively). Uterine rupture is a life-threatening obstetrical event for the foetus and the mother. Fetal heart rate abnormality is the most common sign associated with uterine rupture. Management is based on conservative treatment in most cases. Patients with scarred uterus have a better prognosis.

'Just Get A Hysterectomy'.

An African American woman with uterine fibroids is advised to get a hysterectomy, despite the availability of less life-altering options.

Tailoring postoperative management through sentinel lymph node biopsy in low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer - the SENTRY clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: While total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy without lymph node staging are standard for low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer, certain histopathologic factors revealed after surgery can necessitate additional interventions. Our study assessed the influence of sentinel lymph node biopsy on postoperative decision-making. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the SENTRY trial (July 2021 - February 2023), we enrolled patients with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA-IB low-grade endometrioid endometrial cancer. Laparoscopic sentinel lymph node mapping using indocyanine green was performed alongside total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Subsequent management changes based on sentinel lymph node biopsy results were evaluated. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04972682). RESULTS: Of the 100 enrolled participants, a bilateral detection rate of 91% was observed with a median detection time of 10 min (interquartile range 8-13 min). Sentinel lymph node metastases were found in 8% (N = 8) of participants. Postoperative FIGO staging increased in 15% (N = 15) and decreased in 5% (N = 5) of patients. Sentinel lymph node biopsy results altered the adjuvant treatment plan for 20% (N = 20): external beam radiotherapy was omitted in 12% (N = 12) while 6% (N = 6) had external beam radiotherapy +/- systemic chemotherapy added due to sentinel lymph node metastases. In 2% (N = 2), the external beam radiotherapy field was expanded with the paraaortic region. No intraoperative complications were reported and no 30-day major morbidity and mortality occurred. Throughout a median follow-up of 14 (95% CI 12-15 months, neither patient-reported lymphedema nor pelvic recurrence surfaced in the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy using indocyanine green is a safe procedure and allows tailoring adjuvant therapy in presumed low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. It assists in avoiding external beam radiotherapy overtreatment and introducing additional modalities when necessary.

Effectiveness of sentinel lymph node biopsy and bilateral pelvic nodal dissection using methylene blue dye in early-stage operable cervical cancer-A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of methylene blue dye in detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in women with early-stage operable (defined as FIGO I-IIA) cervical cancer. It also aims to evaluate procedural challenges and accuracy. METHOD: This prospective study, which focused on 20 women with early-stage cervical cancer, was carried out between June 2016 and December 2017. These patients had SLN mapping with methylene blue dye injections and thorough examinations, including imaging. All patients underwent radical hysterectomy and complete bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. No additional investigation was done on the lymph node in cases where a metastasis was found in the first H&E-stained segment of the sentinel node. RESULT: 20 patients were included in the analysis. The median age of the subjects was 53, and 95 % of them had squamous cell carcinoma. 90 % of the time, the identification of SLNs was effective, and 55 SLNs were found, of which 52.7 % were on the right side of the pelvis and 47.3 % on the left. The obturator group had the most nodes, followed by the external and internal iliac groups in descending order of occurrence. Metastasis was detected in 3 patients, resulting in a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity of 93.75 % for SLN biopsy. Notably, no false-negative SLNs were found. Complications related to methylene blue usage included urine discoloration in 30 % of patients. CONCLUSION: This trial highlights the promising efficacy and safety of methylene blue dye alone for SLN identification in early-stage operable cervical cancer, with a notably higher success rate. Despite limitations like a small sample size, healthcare professionals and researchers can build upon the insights from this study to enhance cervical cancer management.

Total hysterectomy versus radical hysterectomy in neuroendocrine cervical cancer: a SEER-database analysis.

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of total hysterectomy versus radical hysterectomy in the treatment of neuroendocrine cervical cancer (NECC). METHODS: Eligible NECC patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Demographic characteristics, clinical treatment and survival of the patients were collected. The overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 286 patients were included, with 104 patients undergoing total hysterectomy and 182 patients undergoing radical hysterectomy. The 5-year OS were 50.8% in the total hysterectomy group and 47.5% in the radical hysterectomy group (p = 0.450); and the corresponding 5-year CSS were 51.6% and 49.1% (p = 0.494), respectively. Along with surgery, radiotherapy was given to 49.0% of patients in the total hysterectomy group and 50.5% in the radical hysterectomy group; and chemotherapy was administered to 77.9% of patients in the total hysterectomy group and 85.7% in the radical hysterectomy group. Unexpectedly, in patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, the OS was superior in the total hysterectomy group compared with the radical hysterectomy group (p = 0.034). While in patients who received chemotherapy alone and those who received neither radiotherapy nor chemotherapy, the OS still remained comparable between the total hysterectomy and radical hysterectomy group. CONCLUSION: Compared with radical hysterectomy, total hysterectomy was not associated with compromised survival prognosis in patients with NECC. Total hysterectomy has the potential to be a surgical alternative in the multimodal management of NECC.

Clinical analysis of 314 patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion who underwent total hysterectomy directly: a multi-center, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors of cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL) complicated with occult cervical cancer and standardize the management of initial treatment for HSIL. METHOD: The clinical data of patients who underwent total hysterectomy directly due to HSIL in the obstetrics and gynecology department of two tertiary hospitals and three secondary hospitals from 2018 to 2023 were collected. Their general characteristics, pathological parameters and survival status were analyzed. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between clinical parameters and postoperative pathological upgrading. RESULT: 1. Among the 314 patients with HSIL who underwent total hysterectomy directly, 73.2% were from primary hospitals. 2. 25 patients (7.9%) were pathologically upgraded to cervical cancer, all of which were early invasive cancer. 3. Up to now, there was no recurrence or death in the 25 patients with early-stage invasive cancer, and the median follow-up period was 21 months(range 2-59 months). 4. Glandular involvement(OR 3.968; 95%CI 1.244-12.662) and lesion range ≥ 3 quadrants (OR 6.527; 95% CI 1.78-23.931), HPV 16/18 infection (OR 5.382; 95%CI 1.947-14.872), TCT ≥ ASC-H (OR 4.719; 95%CI 1.892-11.766) were independent risk factors that affected the upgrading of postoperative pathology. 5. The area under the curve (AUC) calculated by the Logistic regression model was 0.840, indicating that the predictive value was good. CONCLUSION: There is a risk of occult cervical cancer in patients with HSIL. Glandular involvement, Lesion range ≥ 3 quadrants, HPV 16/18 infection and TCT ≥ ASC-H are independent risk factors for HSIL combined with occult cervical cancer. The prognosis of biopsy-proved HSIL patients who underwent extrafascial hysterectomy and unexpected early invasive cancer was later identified on specimen may be good.

Uterovaginal prolapse complicated by urogenital myiasis.

Urogenital myiasis is a rare entity that is usually manifested in women belonging to lower socioeconomic status residing in tropical or subtropical nations with poor hygiene or intellectual disability. It is caused by fly larvae capable of penetrating body orifices and healthy or necrotic tissue. The larvae penetrate the skin, forming painful, inflammatory nodules that can form fistula to the internal organs or the skin's surface. Serous and haemorrhagic exudation, along with crawling larvae, are encountered. Some complications, such as secondary infection and tetanus, have been documented. The prognosis is generally good, and treatment consists of removing the parasitic larvae and thoroughly cleansing the affected area.We present a case of a postmenopausal woman with parity 3 and live issue 1 in her early 50s from lower socioeconomic status diagnosed with uterovaginal prolapse complicated by myiasis. The patient was managed successfully with systemic antibiotics, manual removal of myiasis and hysterectomy.

Trends in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Management in the US: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial was published in 2018 and demonstrated that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) yields inferior survival outcomes in early-stage cervical cancer compared to open surgery. This study investigates how the results of the LACC trial have impacted the selection of the primary treatment modality and adjuvant radiation utilization in early-stage cervical cancer. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we compared patients with stage IA2-IB1 cervical cancer before (1/2016-12/2017) and after (1/2019-12/2020) the LACC trial. A total of 7930 patients were included: 4609 before and 3321 after the LACC trial. There was a decline in MIS usage from 67% pre-LACC to 35% thereafter (p < 0.001). In both the pre- and post-LACC periods, patients undergoing radical MIS more frequently had small volume disease (pre-LACC tumors ≤ 2 cm, 48% MIS vs. 41% open, p = 0.023; post-LACC stage IA2, 22% vs. 15%, p = 0.002). Pre-LACC, MIS radical hysterectomy was associated with White race (82% vs. 77%, p = 0.001) and private insurance (63% vs. 54%, p = 0.004), while there was no difference in socioeconomic factors in the post-LACC period. Although the proportion of patients treated with primary chemoradiation remained stable, the post-LACC cohort had a younger median age (52.47 vs. 56.37, p = 0.005) and more microscopic disease cases (13% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.002). There was no difference in the rate of radiation after radical hysterectomy before and after the trial (26% vs. 24%, p = 0.3). Conclusions: Post-LACC, patients were less likely to undergo MIS but received adjuvant radiation at similar rates, and primary chemoradiation patients were younger and more likely to have microscopic disease.

Distinguishing the Uterine Artery, the Ureter, and Nerves in Laparoscopic Surgical Images Using Ensembles of Binary Semantic Segmentation Networks.

Performing a minimally invasive surgery comes with a significant advantage regarding rehabilitating the patient after the operation. But it also causes difficulties, mainly for the surgeon or expert who performs the surgical intervention, since only visual information is available and they cannot use their tactile senses during keyhole surgeries. This is the case with laparoscopic hysterectomy since some organs are also difficult to distinguish based on visual information, making laparoscope-based hysterectomy challenging. In this paper, we propose a solution based on semantic segmentation, which can create pixel-accurate predictions of surgical images and differentiate the uterine arteries, ureters, and nerves. We trained three binary semantic segmentation models based on the U-Net architecture with the EfficientNet-b3 encoder; then, we developed two ensemble techniques that enhanced the segmentation performance. Our pixel-wise ensemble examines the segmentation map of the binary networks on the lowest level of pixels. The other algorithm developed is a region-based ensemble technique that takes this examination to a higher level and makes the ensemble based on every connected component detected by the binary segmentation networks. We also introduced and trained a classic multi-class semantic segmentation model as a reference and compared it to the ensemble-based approaches. We used 586 manually annotated images from 38 surgical videos for this research and published this dataset.

Intraoperative bladder visualization by indocyanine green filling and subsequent washout in endoscopic hysterectomy: ICG-Washout method.

INTRODUCTION: Despite a potential risk of bladder injury in laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and robot-assisted LH (RaLH), an intraoperative method for delineating the entire bladder with indocyanine green (ICG) has not been established. METHODS: We conducted a preliminary experiment using porcine bladders to verify the appropriate amount of ICG for intraoperative bladder visualization. Afterward, intraoperative bladder visualization was tried in LH and RaLH in two patients suspected of having adhesions around the bladder after previous abdominal surgery. RESULTS: Although near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence was well observed through the wall of the porcine bladder filled with ICG solution at a concentration of 0.024 mg/mL, the subsequent replacement of the ICG solution with saline made the NIR fluorescence brighter. In both patients, the bladder was successfully delineated by NIR fluorescence after filling the bladder with ICG solution and the subsequent washout with saline. CONCLUSION: The ICG-Washout method for locating the bladder by NIR fluorescence could be useful in LH and RaLH.

Recognizing uterine torsion as a differential diagnosis in pregnant cats with severe anemia to provide appropriate and timely care in the absence of a definitive presurgical diagnosis.

A pregnant female domestic longhair cat ~8 mo of age was referred to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) for a diagnostic evaluation of severe anemia (PCV: 10.8%) after a 2-day period of lethargy. A CBC, serum biochemistry profile, FeLV/FIV testing, and abdominal radiographs were completed and did not determine a cause for the anemia. Abdominal ultrasonography identified 1 viable and 6 nonviable and fetuses, anechoic fluid in the uterus, and a mild volume of peritoneal effusion. A whole-blood transfusion and C-section with ovariohysterectomy were performed even though a definitive presurgical diagnosis for the anemia had not yet been established. Exploratory surgery revealed a left uterine horn torsion with a necrotic base, severe congestion, and 7 nonviable fetuses. Following surgery, the queen made a full clinical recovery. Key clinical message: Uterine torsion can be easily overlooked as a cause of severe anemia due to the relative infrequency of this condition in cats and the low sensitivity of ultrasonography to provide a definitive presurgical diagnosis. Client communication must emphasize the need for a prompt surgical intervention to establish the diagnosis and to save the cat, despite poor rates of neonatal survival. Once the animal is stabilized after surgery, further diagnostic tests and procedures are indicated if the cause of anemia has not yet been identified.

Reconnaître la torsion utérine comme un diagnostic différentiel chez les chattes gestantes souffrant d'anémie sévère afin de fournir des soins appropriés et opportuns en l'absence d'un diagnostic pré-chirurgical définitif. Une chatte domestique à poils longs, âgée d'environ 8 mois, a été référée au Western College of Veterinary Medicine (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) pour une évaluation diagnostique d'anémie sévère (hématocrite : 10,8 %) après une période de léthargie de 2 jours. Une formule sanguine complète, un profil biochimique sérique, des tests FeLV/FIV et des radiographies abdominales ont été réalisés et n'ont pas permis de déterminer la cause de l'anémie. L'échographie abdominale a identifié 1 foetus viable et 6 non viables, du liquide anéchoïque dans l'utérus et un léger volume d'épanchement péritonéal. Une transfusion de sang total et une césarienne avec ovariohystérectomie ont été réalisées même si le diagnostic pré-chirurgical définitif de l'anémie n'avait pas encore été établi. La chirurgie exploratoire a révélé une torsion de la corne utérine gauche avec une base nécrotique, une congestion sévère et 7 foetus non viables. Après l'opération, la chatte s'est complètement rétablie cliniquement.Message clinique clé:La torsion utérine peut facilement être négligée comme cause d'anémie sévère en raison de la rareté relative de cette affection chez le chat et de la faible sensibilité de l'échographie pour fournir un diagnostic pré-chirurgical définitif. La communication avec le client doit souligner la nécessité d'une intervention chirurgicale rapide pour établir le diagnostic et sauver le chat, malgré de faibles taux de survie néonatale. Une fois l'animal stabilisé après la chirurgie, d'autres tests et procédures de diagnostic sont indiqués si la cause de l'anémie n'a pas encore été identifiée.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Efficacy and safety of chemotherapy as monotherapy in patients with recurrent intermediate/high-risk factors following radical hysterectomy for stage IB-IIA cervical cancer: a single-center retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy (CT) as a monotherapy in patients with recurrent intermediate/high-risk factors following radical hysterectomy for stage IB-IIA cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of patients diagnosed with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy at the People's Hospital of Suzhou High-tech District between 2010 and 2020. A total of 66 patients with intermediate or high-risk factors for recurrence were treated exclusively with CT. This cohort included 42 patients in the intermediate-risk group and 24 in the high-risk group. Treatment protocols consisted of 4-6 cycles of paclitaxel and cisplatin drugs for the intermediate-risk group, and 6 cycles for the high-risk group. The relapse-free survival (RFS), recurrence rates, and common CT-related adverse reactions, including bone marrow suppression, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea, were assessed for both groups. RESULTS: (1) The cumulative 3-year RFS rates for the intermediate-risk and high-risk groups were 97.3% (36/37) and 82.4% (14/17), respectively, with cumulative 5-year RFS rates of 97.1% (34/35) and 82.4% (14/17), respectively. The Log rank test revealed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05), (χ² = 2.718, P = 0.099). The 5-year recurrence rates in the intermediate-risk and high-risk groups were 2.38% (1/42) and 12.50% (3/24), respectively. (2) The incidence of grade III bone marrow suppression in the intermediate-risk and high-risk groups was 21.19% (11/42) and 25.00% (6/24), respectively, while the incidence of grade IV bone marrow suppression was 11.90% (5/42) and 8.33% (2/24), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in bone marrow suppression grades between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: CT with paclitaxel and cisplatin, administered as monotherapy post-radical hysterectomy for stage IB-IIA cervical cancer, demonstrates satisfactory survival benefits with an acceptable safety profile. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in prognosis or adverse reactions between the different risk groups treated solely with CT.

Case Report on the Effect of AlpaWash® on the Healing of a Post-surgical Wound in a Female Canine Initially Diagnosed with Pyometra.

Pyometra is a common disease in intact female canines characterized by an infection of the uterus. If it is not treated immediately, it could result in various complications such as fistulous tract development, sepsis, hemorrhage, uveitis, conjunctivitis, pyelonephritis, urinary tract infection, and myocarditis. In this case report, we highlight the benefits of the application of a topical ointment on wound healing after ovariohysterectomy in canine Pyometra. Following surgical intervention, the dog developed necrosis in her nipples and lost a portion of her mammary tissues. A large cyst formed and later ruptured, leaving the animal with a large wound. The vet applied a topical ointment, AlpaWash, to the affected area and prescribed antibiotic, analgesic, and antiinflammatory drugs to help manage the condition. The vet reported complete healing of the wounds within one month from the commencement of the treatment regimen.

Uterine Fibroids.

This JAMA Insights in the Women's Health series discusses the incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of uterine fibroids.