Decreased Fertility Awareness Amongst Surgeons and Surgical Trainees and Potential Role of Formal Fertility Education.

OBJECTIVE: Compared to the general population, physicians tend to have children later in life, increasing rates of infertility, obstetrical complications, and the need for assisted reproductive technology (ART). The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature to determine the level of fertility and ART knowledge amongst United States surgeons and surgical trainees, and analyze the impact of the medical career on family planning goals and outcomes. DESIGN: A systematic literature search of articles published between 2014 to 2022 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed in January 2023 according to, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The primary outcome measures included fertility and ART knowledge, childbearing decision-making factors, and current education. Secondary outcomes included evaluation of institutional support, postpartum, and infertility. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen studies with a total of 6983 partici- pants (908 men and 5162 women) were included in this systematic review. RESULTS: Sixteen studies with a total of 6983 participants (908 men and 5162 women) were included in this systematic review. Though most participants were aware of the presence of age-related fertility decline, most were lacking in fertility and ART knowledge, and most likely did not receive formal education in these topics. The vast majority elected to delay childbearing due to career aspirations, with many facing subsequent pregnancy complications, infertility challenges, and a lack of institutional support in the postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that medical students, trainees, and physicians overall are lacking in knowledge and awareness regarding age-related fertility decline and ART, indicating the necessity for a formal educational curriculum. Additionally, female physicians opt to delay childbearing longer than their male counterparts, while also experiencing increased complications and institutional challenges. This study clearly demonstrates a need for parental leave policy expansion, transparency of the policies in place, and financial and time allowance support for elective oocyte cryopreservation in the medical community.

Rapid Root Cause Analysis: Improving OBGYN Resident Exposure to Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Curricula.

Introduction Each year, millions of patients in the United States experience harm as a result of the healthcare they receive. One mechanism used by health systems to learn how and why errors occur is root cause analysis (RCA). RCA teams develop action plans to create and implement systemic changes in healthcare delivery in order to prevent future harm. The American Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recognizes the importance of analyzing adverse events, and it requires that all residents participate in real or simulated patient safety activities, such as RCAs. Often, institutional RCAs necessitate the assimilation of participants on short notice and demand considerable time investment, limiting the feasible participation of graduate medical education (GME) trainees. This presents a gap between ACGME expectations and the reality of resident involvement in patient safety activities. We present the first iteration of a quality improvement project encompassing a three-hour resident physician training course with simulated RCA-experiential learning. The purpose of this project was to produce a condensed, educational RCA experience that adequately trains all GME learners to serve as informed healthcare safety advocates while also satisfying ACGME requirements. Methods The course ("rapid RCA") was conducted during protected weekly academic training. All residents of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) residency program who had not previously participated in a real or simulated RCA were required to take the "rapid RCA." Pre- and post-course surveys were completed anonymously to assess baseline knowledge, new knowledge gained from the course, and attitudes toward the course and its importance to resident training. Results Fourteen OBGYN residents attended the "rapid RCA," indicating that 64% (14 out of 22) of the program had no previous experience or opportunity to participate in a real or simulated RCA. Participation in the course demonstrated a significant gain of new knowledge with an increase from 0/14 to 10/14 (71%) residents correctly answering all pre- and post-course questions, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with 5 indicating "expert level," residents indicated they felt more comfortable on patient safety topics after taking the course (mean pre-course score 1.85 to post-course score 3.64, p < 0.001). All participants indicated they would prefer to take the "rapid RCA" as opposed to the only available local alternative option for a simulated RCA, currently offered as a full-day intensive course. Conclusion A meaningful increase in patient safety knowledge and attitudes toward topics covered in an RCA was demonstrated through the implementation of a "rapid RCA" in OBGYN residents. We plan to incorporate this into our annual curriculum to satisfy ACMGE requirements. This format could be adapted for other specialties as applicable.

Resident Trainee Access and Barriers to Routine Health Services in the Military Health System.

OBJECTIVE: Resident physician wellness has been a highly contentious topic in graduate medical education over the past 2 decades. Physicians, including residents and attending physicians, are more likely than other professionals to work through illness and delay necessary healthcare screening appointments. Potential reasons for underutilization of health care include-unpredictable work hours, limited time, concerns about confidentiality, poor support from training programs, and apprehension about the impact on their peers. The goal of this study was to evaluate access to health care amongst resident physicians within a large military training facility. DESIGN: This is an observational study using Department of Defense approved software to distribute an anonymous ten question survey on routine health care practices of residents. The survey was distributed to a total of 240 active-duty military resident physicians at a large tertiary military medical center. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-eight residents completed the survey with a 74% response rate. Residents from 15 specialty areas responded. Compared to male counterparts', female residents were more likely to miss routine scheduled health care appointments to include, behavioral health appointments (54.2% vs 28%, p < 0.01). Female residents were more likely to report that attitudes toward missing clinical duties for health care appointments impacted their decision to start or add to their family more than male coresidents (32.3% vs 18.3%, p = 0.03). Surgical residents are also more likely to miss routine screening appointments or scheduled follow ups than residents in nonsurgical training programs; (84.0-88% compared to 52.4%-62.8%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Resident health and wellness have long been an issue, with resident physical and mental health being negatively impacted during residency. Our study notes that residents in the military system also face barriers accessing routine health care. Female surgical residents being the demographic most significantly impacted. Our survey highlights cultural attitudes in military graduate medical education regarding the prioritization of personal health, and the negative impact that can have on residents' utilization of care. Our survey also raises concerns particularly amongst female surgical residents, that these attitudes may impact career advancement, as well as influence their decision to start or add to their families.

Increased maternal morbidity and mortality among Asian American and Pacific Islander women in the military health system.

BACKGROUND: Rates of maternal morbidity and mortality experienced by women in the United States have been shown to vary significantly by race, most commonly attributed to differences in access to healthcare and socioeconomic status. Recent data showed that Asian Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of maternal morbidity despite having a higher socioeconomic status. In the military, women of all races are granted equal access to healthcare, irrespective of socioeconomic class. We hypothesized that within the military, there would be no racial disparities in maternal outcomes because of universal healthcare. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate if universal access to healthcare, as seen in the military healthcare system, leads to similar rates of maternal morbidity regardless of racial or ethnic background. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of data from the National Perinatal Information Center reports obtained from participating military treatment facilities from April 2019 to March 2020 and included 34,025 deliveries. We compared racial differences in the incidence of each of the following 3 outcomes: postpartum hemorrhage, severe maternal morbidity among women with postpartum hemorrhage including transfusion, and severe maternal morbidity among women with postpartum hemorrhage excluding transfusion. RESULTS: A total of 41 military treatment facilities (a list of participating military treatment facilities are provided in the Appendix) provided data that were included. There was an increased rate of postpartum hemorrhage (relative risk, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.07), severe maternal morbidity including transfusion (relative risk, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.61), and severe maternal morbidity excluding transfusion (relative risk, 1.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.8) among Asian Pacific Islander women when compared with Black or White women. CONCLUSION: Even with equal access to healthcare in the military, Asian Pacific Islander women experience statistically significant increased rates of postpartum hemorrhage and severe maternal morbidity excluding transfusion when compared with Black or White women. The increased rates of severe maternal morbidity including transfusion were not statistically significant.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy and acute fatty liver of pregnancy: one patient with two zebras.

OBJECTIVE: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) are rare complications of pregnancy affecting approximately 1/10,000 pregnancies each. We describe a patient who had biopsy-proven AFLP complicated by PPCM. METHODS: Chart review and literature search. RESULTS: The patient is a 22-year-old G5P1213 obese African-American female who presented at 30 weeks gestation with abdominal pain. She had normal blood pressures and mildly elevated liver enzymes. After completion of a 24 hour urine protein collection that was consistent with pre-eclampsia, an induction of labor with uncomplicated vaginal delivery was accomplished. Following delivery, a computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed significant cardiomegaly. An echocardiogram revealed global dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 10%. Liver biopsy showed AFLP. Attempts to establish a unifying etiology were unrevealing. The PPCM was treated with diuretics and intravenous immunoglobulin. The patient's clinical status deteriorated, eventually requiring continuous dialysis, intubation, pharmacologic and mechanical inotropic support, and a feeding tube. The patient was discharged to a long-term care facility where she subsequently passed away from multiorgan failure. CONCLUSION: AFLP and PPCM are rare complications of pregnancy. We present a patient who had both. Both diseases carry a high mortality rate, and together, are likely fatal.

Surgically managed stage I endometrial cancer in a low-volume center: outcomes and complications in a military residency program.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare operative outcomes and complications for patients with endometrial cancer who underwent staging by laparoscopy vs laparotomy in a low-volume facility. STUDY DESIGN: Research was conducted with a retrospective cohort of surgical patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer from 2004-2009. RESULTS: Eighty-six demographically similar patients (50 laparotomy and 36 laparoscopy) were identified. Laparoscopy had less estimated blood loss (339 vs 558 mL; P = .013) and lower rates of transfusion (5.6% vs 24%; P = .02). Laparoscopy was longer (281 vs 202 minutes; P < .0005) but required a shorter hospital stay (2.2 vs 5.5 days; P < .0005). Laparoscopy patients had fewer overall complications (16.7% vs 32%; P = .11). No differences in final surgical stage or lymph node yields between the groups were present. CONCLUSION: Although a longer procedure, laparoscopy had fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. Prolonged operative time, compared with published experience, is potentially the result of unique factors in our center.

Ectopic pregnancy until proven otherwise even with a negative serum hCG test: A case report.

Ectopic pregnancy is commonly considered in the differential diagnosis for first-trimester vaginal bleeding and acute abdominal pain in women of reproductive age. Negative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) tests have been considered the gold standard to rule out this life-threatening diagnosis and appropriately rising hCG levels are thought to exclude it as well. In the unique case reported here, pathology confirmed ectopic pregnancy is identified in the setting of a negative serum hCG test. The patient was a 23-year-old woman (with one living child and one earlier miscarriage) who presented to the emergency department (ED) with sudden onset of abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding and syncope. She was tachycardic but normotensive and had both a negative serum hCG test and a negative urine hCG test. Imaging demonstrated a hemoperitoneum and right adnexal mass. She was taken for emergency exploratory surgery. The right fallopian tube had a tubal mass consistent with an ectopic pregnancy as well as 500 mL of blood. Pathology confirmed the ectopic pregnancy. A literature review revealed only two prior documented cases of pathology-confirmed ectopic pregnancy in the setting of a negative serum hCG test. The patient had experienced an abortion two months earlier without a documented intrauterine pregnancy. Her hCG levels were followed to <5 mIU/mL and she had not yet had return of menses at the time of her presentation. Perhaps a chronic ectopic could explain this unusual case. This case highlights that an ectopic pregnancy should never be excluded from the differential diagnosis in a woman of reproductive age.

Extending Peer Support Across the Military Health System to Decrease Clinician Burnout.

INTRODUCTION: Clinician burnout is widespread throughout medicine, affecting professionalism, communication, and increases the risk of medical errors, thus impacting safe quality patient care. Previous studies have shown Peer Support Programs (PSPs) promote workforce wellness by supporting clinicians during times of heightened stress and vulnerability. Although these programs have been implemented in large institutions, they have not been used in military hospitals, which have high staff turnover and added stressors of deployments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In December 2018, 50 physicians received 5 hours of PSP training at a military hospital from a nationally recognized PSP expert, following the programmatic structure described by Shapiro and Galowitz (2016). Utilization of the program was tracked from December 2018 to December 2019, recording only classification of provider type, triggering event, and provider specialty to maintain confidentiality. Qualitative comments from recipients and supporters were saved anonymously for quality improvement purposes. RESULTS: In the first year of our PSP, 254 clinicians (102 [40.2%] residents/fellows, 91 [35.8%] staff physicians, 4 [1.6%] medical students, 35 [13.8%] nurses, 22 [8.7%] allied health) received 1:1 peer support. Primary specialties utilizing peer support included 135 (52.9%) medical, 59 (23.2%) surgical, 43 (16.9%) obstetric, and 18 (7.1%) pediatric. Patient death (25%), risk management notification (22%), medical error/complication (15%), and poor patient outcome (13%) were the most common events triggering peer support. Peer support was provided at 8 locations across the continental United States with universally positive comments from recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a PSP at our institution led to rapid utilization across multiple hospitals in the military health system, a model that could easily expand to deployed settings and remote locations. Access to peer support across the military health system could both mitigate the increased risks of military clinician burnout, and improve patient safety, healthcare worker resilience, and service member readiness.

Mandatory HPV Vaccination; Opportunity to Save Lives, Improve Readiness and Cut Costs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S. military and accounts for more healthcare visits than the next two most common STIs combined. Human papillomavirus is preventable with a safe, effective, prophylactic vaccine that has been available since 2006, yet vaccination rates remain low. The vaccine is approved for females and males aged 9-45 years for prevention of HPV-related dysplasia and cancers. Although it is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), it is not part of the U.S. military's mandatory vaccine list. Human papillomavirus does not just affect female service members-male service members have a higher reported seropositive rate than their civilian counterparts and can develop oropharyngeal, anal, or penile cancers as sequelae of HPV. Oropharyngeal cancer, more common in males, is the fastest growing and most prevalent HPV-related cancer in the USA. Several countries, such as Australia and Sweden, have successfully implemented mandatory vaccine programs and have seen rates of HPV-related diseases, including cancer, decline significantly. Some models project that cervical cancer, which is the fifth-most common cancer in active duty women, will be eliminated in the next 20 years as a result of mandatory vaccination programs. Between higher seropositive rates and lack of widespread vaccination, HPV dysplasia and cancer result in lost work time, decreased force readiness, negative monetary implications, and even separation from service. With more than half of the 1.3 million service members in the catch-up vaccination age range of less than 26 years of age, we are poised to have a profound impact through mandatory active duty service member vaccination. Although multiple strategies for improving vaccination rates have been proposed, mandatory vaccination would be in line with current joint service policy that requires all ACIP-recommended vaccines. It is time to update the joint service guidelines and add HPV vaccine to the list of mandatory vaccines.

Hospice enrollment for terminally ill patients with gynecologic malignancies: impact on outcomes and interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To determine survival and interventions for patients with non-curative gynecologic malignancies based on supportive care enrollment. METHODS: An IRB approved retrospective review identified patients with recurrent/persistent gynecologic cancers from 2002 to 2008. Demographics, therapy, clinicopathologic data, hospice utilization, surgical/invasive procedures and survival were collected. Patients were considered hospice enrollees if they enrolled following recommendation from their provider (HOSPICE); however, patients that declined hospice when recommended were considered (NO HOSPICE), regardless if they ultimately received supportive care. Standard statistical tests including: t-test and Kaplan-Meier with Log Rank were used. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were identified: 29 patients (36%) NO HOSPICE and 52 (64%) HOSPICE. Mean age was 61. Most patients had ovarian cancer (54.3%), were white (61.7%) and had disease recurrence (72%). Patients utilized a median of 3 anti-neoplastic therapies (range 0-10) for recurrent or progressive/persistent disease. Median time receiving hospice care was 1week for NO HOSPICE patients versus 8weeks HOSPICE patients (p<0.0005). In a subset of patients with recurrent disease, median overall survival for NO HOSPICE patients was 9months (95% CI 5.9-12.1months) versus 17months (95% CI 11.1-22.9months) for HOSPICE patients (p=0.002). NO HOSPICE patients were more likely to have a procedure performed (55% vs. 31%) within 4weeks of their death, including the administration of chemotherapy OR 2.4 (95% CI 1.1-7.1, p=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: While retrospective reviews evaluating hospice are challenging, our data suggest no detrimental impact on survival for hospice patients. Continued evaluation for patients at the end-of-life is necessary in order to optimize resource utilization.

Maternity Leave Length Impact on Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression.

INTRODUCTION: In January 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense increased the duration of paid maternity leave for active duty service members from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. Our study aims to determine the impact of maternity leave length on breastfeeding duration and postpartum depression rates in active duty service members. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An institutional review board-approved survey of 9 questions was given to patients at the Brooke Army Medical Center Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic. Patients were offered voluntary participation if they had delivered a baby while on active duty in the preceding 20 years. The survey included questions about length of maternity leave, duration of breastfeeding, age at delivery, route of delivery, and whether the patient suffered from postpartum depression. RESULTS: A total of 214 surveys were collected. Fisher exact test was used to compare rates of breastfeeding and postpartum depression between the 2 groups. A total of 87% of service members initiated breastfeeding. Among women who had 6 weeks versus 12 weeks of maternity leave, 51.64% versus 56.96% breastfed up to 6 months, p = 0.45.The overall rate of postpartum depression was 13.5%. Among women who had 6 weeks versus 12 weeks of maternity leave, 16.1% versus 9.5% reported postpartum depression, p = 0.11. CONCLUSION: The ideal maternity leave duration is unknown. With recent changes to the Department of Defense maternity leave policy, we aimed to evaluate the effect this had on breastfeeding and postpartum depression rates. No statistically significant difference was seen when we compared rates of breastfeeding in women who had 6 weeks versus 12 weeks of maternity leave. Further research is required to determine the ideal maternity leave duration and best practices to promote breastfeeding.When looking at postpartum depression, our study shows that postpartum depression was noted in 16% of patients who took 6 weeks versus 9% of those who took 12 weeks of maternity leave. No statistically significant difference was seen; however, this was likely because of the small sample size. Only 29 out of 214 women suffered from depression regardless of length of maternity leave. More research is needed to determine if maternity leave length does indeed impact postpartum depression rates.

The Dying Art of Vaginal Hysterectomy: A Novel Simulation.

The rate of vaginal hysterectomy has decreased despite the procedure being the preferred hysterectomy method according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Physicians have reported that some of the main barriers to performing minimally invasive hysterectomy are the size and shape of the uterus, difficulty of accessibility to the uterus, and surgeons' lack of training and experience. A simulation model for vaginal uterine morcellation was created in an effort to increase surgeons' confidence and to encourage them to select vaginal hysterectomy for their patients. The Conner model, where polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping is used to simulate the pelvis and vaginal canal, was used as the basis for the pelvis. A medium-density fiberboard (MDF) was used as a base, while a PVC piping structure was used to stimulate the pelvis. The uterus was created from a peanut (car-wash) sponge that was carved into a triangle shape. The reusable MDF/PVC model was built in approximately one hour and cost under USD 30. The sponge uterus was built in approximately 10 minutes and cost under USD 2. Senior residents and faculty who have previously performed uterine morcellation participated in our simulation. Resident physicians reported that they felt more confident in their skills after the simulation. Both resident and staff physicians reported that the model had created a realistic experience. We created a novel model for vaginal uterine morcellation that was reported to be realistic in the initial investigation and increased confidence in the procedure for physicians. The model is easy to create, affordable, and partially reusable.

The Eyes Do not Lie: A Case of Bilateral Subconjunctival Hemorrhages and Orbital Hematoma Postpartum.

Subconjunctival hemorrhages are common in trauma and with increased intra-abdominal pressure. Despite the sustained pressure endured while pushing, they are rarely observed postpartum and can be an indicator of underlying ophthalmic disease. We present a case of a postpartum patient who developed bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhages with a retro-orbital hematoma. The patient is a 29-year-old gravida-1-para-0 at 41 weeks gestation who underwent an uncomplicated induction and delivery. She developed diplopia and orbital pain postpartum. Imaging revealed an orbital hematoma with an ophthalmologic workup revealing suspected glaucoma. She was followed outpatient with symptomatic treatment and had resolution of symptoms after 4 weeks. This case demonstrates a rare postpartum scenario and the subsequent workup. Subconjunctival hemorrhages are rare in the postpartum period despite prolonged pushing efforts. Incorporating a multidisciplinary approach for diagnosis of a pregnant patient with ophthalmologic disease is required to optimize management in the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods.

Extraovarian sex cord tumor with annular tubules discovered arising from a leiomyoma.

BACKGROUND: Sex cord tumors with annular tubules (SCTAT) are a rare (2%) subtype of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor. SCTATs are usually cured at time of diagnosis by surgical resection with an oophorectomy. SCTATs have a 100%(disease related) five-year survival. One third of SCTAT tumors are associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Literature review discovered only two published cases of extra-ovarian SCTAT. Due to the rarity there is no standard treatment for extraovarian SCTATs. CASE: A 39-year-old para-1 female with a symptomatic fibroid uterus, heavy menstrual bleeding, and a history of a uterine myomectomy, underwent an elective total abdominal hysterectomy. Intraoperative findings showed a 7.5 cm retroperitoneal mass adhered between the uterus and the right pelvic sidewall that on frozen section was found to be a degenerating leiomyoma. Final pathology demonstrated a 2 mm focus of incidental SCTAT adjacent to the serosal surface of the leiomyoma. The SCTAT was not associated with ectopic ovarian tissue or endometriosis. The patient's ovaries were normal on direct intraoperative examination, preoperative ultrasound and MRI. Six month postoperative surveillance ultrasound also demonstrated normal premenopausal ovaries. CONCLUSION: This is the first extraovarian SCTAT in the published literature arising from a leiomyoma. Our patient had no family history and displayed no syndromic features for Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome. Ultimately, she declined genetic testing. The lack of evidence of ovarian involvement on both imaging and on intraoperative examination made localization to either ovary impossible. The patient is currently being managed with surveillance since the morbidity associated with bilateral oophorectomy in the 4th decade of life exceeds the theoretical risk of SCTAT.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy affecting pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or in the first postpartum year. Because PABC is a relatively rare event surrounded by multiple variables, few studies address the best management and treatment options. We present a case of PABC to illustrate and highlight some of the recommendations for treatment, obstetric care, delivery management, and cancer surveillance.