Accuracy of the Standardized Early Fetal Heart Assessment in Excluding Major Congenital Heart Defects in High-Risk Population: A Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of standardized early fetal heart assessment (EFHA) that includes the 4-chamber view, outflow tract relationship (OTR), and transverse arches views (TAV) of the great arteries in excluding major congenital heart defects (CHDs) in high-risk populations. METHODS: This retrospective study included high-risk pregnancies for CHDs undergoing EFHA at 11-14 weeks of gestation. Risk factors for CHDs were diabetes mellitus, a family history of CHDs, a history of a CHD use of teratogenic medications, seizure disorder, assisted reproductive treatment-conceived pregnancy, presence of at least one of the ultrasound markers: enlarged nuchal translucency (>95th percentile), tricuspid regurgitation, and reversed a-wave in the ductus venosus, presence of an extracardiac or a suspected cardiac anomaly, a high-risk first trimester combined screen result, and multiple pregnancies. EFHA consisted of visualization of 4ChV, OTR, and TAV, with and without power Doppler ultrasound. The primary outcome was the negative predictive value of EFHA in excluding major CHDs. RESULTS: EFHA was performed on 1055 fetuses. Of these, 1024 were used for the final analysis. Of these, 94.9% (n = 923) were singleton. The most common indication for EFHA was maternal DM (n = 231, 22.6%). The sensitivity, specificity, false positive, false negative, and accuracy of EFHA were 93.2%, 99.9%, 1.4%, 0.4%, and 99.5% (P < .0001), respectively, in entire included cases. The performance of EFHA was 88%, 99.9%, 1.4%, 0.4%, and 99.5% (P < .0001) respectively when the terminated cases were excluded. CONCLUSION: Early fetal heart assessment is feasible for screening for major CHDs in high-risk populations. This approach may be expanded to the general obstetric population.

Impact of Isthmocele on Assisted Reproductive Treatment Outcomes: An Age-matched Retrospective Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the presence of an ultrasonographic visible isthmocele has an impact on the chance of pregnancy in women undergoing embryo transfer. DESIGN: Age-matched retrospective study. SETTING: Private-assisted reproductive center. PATIENTS: The study included a total of 150 patients with a history of cesarean delivery with 75 isthmocele cases and 75 controls. All patients underwent embryo transfer from January 2017 through June 2018. The diagnosis of isthmocele was based on transvaginal ultrasound assessment. Isthmocele was defined as an anechoic indentation on the previous cesarean scar at the midsagittal plane, with a depth of >1 mm. INTERVENTIONS: Embryo transfer. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The groups were similar in patient and treatment characteristics. The live birth rate was 44% in the isthmocele group and 46.7% in the control group (odds ratio [OR] 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-1.71; p = .743). The clinical pregnancy rates were 49.3% and 50.7%, respectively (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.50-1.79; p = .870). The miscarriage rate was greater in the isthmocele group (8%) than in the control group (4%); however, it did not reach statistical significance (OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 0.50-8.67; p = .302). The multiple pregnancy rate was similar between the groups (8% vs 5.3%, respectively; OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.41-5.70; p = .513). The groups were also similar in ectopic pregnancy rates (p = .560). These outcomes remained similar when adjusted for potential confounders on the regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Isthmocele does not seem to have a significant impact on the chance of pregnancy in assisted reproductive treatment settings. However, the embryo transfer procedure may be more difficult in the presence of an isthmocele.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in severe male factor infertility.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does the use of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) improve outcomes in couples with severe male factor infertility (SMFI)? DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study included SMFI cases that underwent blastocyst transfer with/without PGT-A. Inclusion criteria were SMFI (azoospermia and sperm count <1 million/ml), women aged 25-39 years, single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer, and no intracavitary pathologies. Patients were divided into PGT-A and non-PGT-A groups. The primary outcome was live birth rate (live birth of an infant after 24 weeks of gestation); secondary outcomes were implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. RESULTS: The study included 266 SMFI cases (90 and 176 in the PGT-A and non-PGT-A groups, respectively). Men and women in the PGT-A group were significantly older than those in the non-PGT-A group. The groups did not differ in terms of male factor categories, sperm collection methods or additional female factors. Live birth rates in the PGT-A and non-PGT-A groups were 55.6% and 51.1%, respectively (odds ratio [OR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-1.98, P = 0.495). The implantation rates were 65.6% and 64.2%, respectively (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.62-1.80, P = 0.827). The clinical pregnancy rates were 62.2% and 58.0%, respectively (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.71-2.01, P = 0.502). The use of PGT-A was not an independent factor for live birth (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 0.66-2.70, P = 0.421). Advanced age in women was the only independent factor associated with live birth (aOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.96, P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The use of PGT-A does not seem to be an independent factor associated with live birth per transfer in couples with SMFI.

Frozen blastocyst transfer improves the chance of live birth in women with endometrioma.

Purpose: The existing literature is scarce regarding outcomes of fresh vs frozen embryo blastocyst transfers in women with endometrioma. The goal of the study was to compare outcomes between fresh and frozen blastocyst transfers (fresh-BT vs. frozen-BT) in endometrioma-affected women. Materials and methods: This study included 315 endometrioma-affected women aged between 20 and 39 years who underwent blastocyst transfer. Primary outcome was live birth rate (an alive birth after 24 completed weeks gestation). Results: The study groups did not differ in terms of patient characteristics and treatment variables. The live birth rate was 40.7% in fresh-BT group and 56.1% in frozen-BT group (OR:1.86, 95% CI:1.18-2.92 p = .007). The approach of frozen embryo transfer was an independent factor of live birth (adjusted OR:1.83, 95% CI:1.16-2.90, p = .009). Conclusion: The approach of frozen blastocyst transfer increases the chance of live birth in endometrioma-affected patients compared with fresh blastocyst transfer. Thus, a frozen embryo transfer may be the choice of strategy in these patients.

Ovarian incision enhances folliculogenesis: A rat model.

AIM: To determine whether performing incision on the surface of the ovarian cortex in rats advances follicular development. METHODS: Five to seven separate superficial incisions were performed on the surface of right ovaries of 6-7-month-old albino Wistar rats. Daily 40 IU of gonadotropins were administered for 14 days. On the 15th day, both ovaries of the rats were removed. The right (incised) ovaries were compared with the contralateral ovaries in terms of ovary's weight, numbers of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles, their mean percentages and mean Ki-67 proliferation indices. RESULTS: A total of 22 ovaries were evaluated, with 11 right ovaries (incised) and 11 left ovaries (non-incised). The mean weight of ovaries was greater in the right ovaries than in the left ovaries; however, no statistical difference was found between them (0.77 ± 1.22 vs. 0.22 ± 0.08 gr, P = 0.159). The numbers of secondary and antral follicle were statistically higher in the right ovaries than in the left ovaries (4.4 ± 1.5 vs. 2.1 ± 1.6, P = 0.003 and 18.6 ± 8.7 vs. 11.3 ± 7.5, P = 0.046, respectively). The right ovaries also significantly differed from the left ovaries in terms of mean percentages of primordial and antral follicles (P < 0.05 for both). The mean Ki-67 proliferation index had a marginal difference between the groups (P = 0.064). CONCLUSION: Performing incisions on the surface of the ovarian cortex in rats may advance the ovarian follicular development. Future animal studies may provide more evidence regarding potential benefits of mechanical stimulation to the ovaries.

PRENATAL IDENTIFICATION OF ABERRANT RIGHT SUBCLAVIAN ARTERY IN ISOLATION: THE NEED FOR FURTHER GENETIC WORK-UP?

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) and chromosomal abnormalities. The study included 5211 women having attended our unit for fetal anatomic screening and fetal echocardiography from August 2016 until February 2019. After diagnosing ARSA, prenatal invasive testing was discussed with the patients. ARSA affected fetus was determined in 57 cases; of these, there were 38 cases of isolated ARSA and 19 cases of non-isolated ARSA but associated with soft markers and fetal anomalies. Nineteen patients underwent amniocentesis; Down syndrome was determined in two women, both of them from the non-isolated ARSA group, with fetal hydrops, atrioventricular septal defect and esophageal atresia. Fifteen of 38 patients who declined prenatal diagnostic testing, accepted karyotype analysis after delivery and none of these 15 cases had chromosomal abnormalities. Identification of ARSA should be followed by detailed ultrasound examination to ensure that there are no accompanying soft markers and/or structural defects. Isolated ARSA may not be an indication for karyotype analysis or 22q11.2 microdeletions. Non-ARSA implies a strong predictor of aneuploidy, and when additional findings are detected, invasive testing should be offered to the parents. The association between isolated ARSA and genetic disease should be evaluated in large powered prospective studies.

The impact of serum oestradiol concentration prior to progesterone administration on live birth rate in single vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer cycles.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Can serum oestradiol concentrations on the day of progesterone initiation predict live birth rates in single, autologous vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfers following artificial endometrial preparation? DESIGN: This retrospective study included the first transfers of 468 patients with unexplained or tubal factor infertility who underwent freeze-all cycles using single, top-quality blastocysts after artificial endometrial preparation from January 2015 to January 2018. Patients were stratified into four groups based on serum oestradiol concentration percentiles on the day of progesterone initiation: Group 1 (<25th percentile), Group 2 (25-50th percentile), Group 3 (51-75th percentile) and Group 4 (>75th percentile). The primary outcome was live birth rate. The secondary outcomes were implantation, clinical pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate serum oestradiol concentrations in predicting implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth. RESULTS: Similar live birth rates of 51.6%, 55.1%, 54.9% and 56.4% for Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, were found. The groups also showed similar implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. ROC analysis revealed that serum oestradiol concentrations on the day of progesterone initiation were not predictive for implantation (area under the curve [AUC] 0.490, 95% CI 0.445-0.554), clinical pregnancy (AUC 0.507, 95% CI 0.453-0.561) or live birth (AUC 0.514, 95% CI 0.461-0.566). CONCLUSIONS: Serum oestradiol concentration monitoring just prior to progesterone administration does not appear to be predictive for live birth rates in good prognosis patients undergoing single, autologous vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer after artificial endometrial preparation. Therefore, the current practice of monitoring serum oestradiol concentration is not supported by this study.

Applicability of Standardized Early Fetal Heart Examination in the Obese Population.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on early evaluation of fetal cardiac landmarks using a standardized examination method at the time of nuchal translucency scan. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of an ongoing prospective cohort at high risk for congenital heart defects. We used a standardized examination protocol using 2-dimensional sonography with power Doppler in the evaluation of fetal cardiac landmarks consisting of 4-chamber view, outflow tract relationship, and transverse arches view. The study population was stratified based on maternal body mass index into nonobese (<30 kg/m2 ) and obese (≥30 kg/m2 ). Groups were compared in terms of satisfactory evaluation of fetal cardiac landmarks, transvaginal sonography use, and scan times required for the evaluations. Subanalysis was performed by further categorizing obesity into nonmorbid obesity (30.0-39.9 kg/m2 ) and morbid obesity (≥40 kg/m2 ). RESULTS: A total of 190 patients were evaluated. Of these, 48.4% (n = 92) were obese. The most common indication for fetal cardiac assessment was maternal pregestational diabetes mellitus (42.6%). Transvaginal sonography was utilized in one nonobese woman (1.4%) and 11 obese women (12%) (P = .002). The satisfactory evaluation of 4-chamber view, outflow tract relationship, transverse arches view, and all views were not significantly different between groups (P > .05). The scan time was about 5 minutes longer in the obese group compared with nonobese group (P = .020). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity does not hamper early evaluation of fetal cardiac landmarks around the time of nuchal translucency scan. However, obese patients are more likely to require transvaginal examinations.

Comparison of daily vaginal progesterone gel plus weekly intramuscular progesterone with daily intramuscular progesterone for luteal phase support in single, autologous euploid frozen-thawed embryo transfers.

PURPOSE: To compare outcomes between daily intramuscular progesterone (IMP) and daily vaginal progesterone (VP) gel plus weekly intramuscular hydroxyprogesterone caproate (IMHPC) for luteal phase support (LPS) in single, autologous euploid frozen-thawed blastocyst transfers (FBTs) following artificial endometrial preparation (EP). METHODS: The retrospective cohort study included 767 single, autologous FBTs from 731 patients between January 2015 and March 2018. LPS was performed either with IMP (100 mg/day) or with VP gel (90 mg, twice daily) plus IMHPC (250 mg/week). Oral estrogen was prescribed in combination of both regimes. Oral estrogen was discontinued following the visualization of fetal cardiac activity on ultrasound and progesterone at 10 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was live birth rate. The secondary outcomes included implantation, clinical pregnancy, and multiple pregnancy rates. RESULTS: Patient characteristics did not differ in LPS regimes. Of 767 FBTs, 608 had IMP (100 mg/day) for LPS and 159 had VP gel (90 mg, twice daily) plus IMHPC (250 mg/week) for LPS. The live birth rate was 51.8% and 50.3%, respectively (p = 0.737, OR 0.94, 95%CI 0.66-1.33). The implantation rate was 62.7% and 64.2%, respectively (p = 0.730, OR 1.06, 95%CI 0.74-1.53). The clinical pregnancy rates were also similar in both groups (59.5% vs. 61.6%, respectively, p = 0.631, OR 1.09, 95%CI 0.76-1.56). CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe significant differences in the rates of live birth, implantation, and clinical pregnancy between daily IMP and daily VP gel plus weekly IMHPC for LPS in single, autologous euploid FBTs after artificial EP.

The importance of prenatal 3-dimensional sonography in a case of a segmental overgrowth syndrome with unclear chromosomal microarray results.

PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum, caused by mosaic mutations in the PIK3CA gene, is associated with regional or generalized asymmetric overgrowth of the body or a body part in addition to other clinical findings. Three-dimensional ultrasonography (3-D US) has the capability to display structural abnormalities in soft tissues or other organs, thereby facilitating identification of segmental overgrowth lesions. We present a case suspected of having a segmental overgrowth disorder based on 3-D US, whose chromosomal microarray result was abnormal, but apparently was not the cause of the majority of the fetus's clinical features.

Is there a relationship between endometrial polyps and obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the relationship between endometrial polyps and obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 202 patients who applied to our gynecology clinic with complaints of infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and abnormal uterine bleeding, diagnosed to have endometrial polyps by hysteroscopy, were compared with 79 patients without polyps, retrospectively. The relationships between risk factors and presence of a polyp and polyp size were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of cases with endometrial polyps was significantly greater than the controls. The mean body mass index (BMI) of the cases with polyps was also significantly greater than the controls. There was no significant difference between groups with respect to prevalence of DM or HT. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that obesity is an independent risk factor in the development of endometrial polyps. Clinicians should be aware in terms of endometrial polyps in the assessment of patients with BMI ≥30. There was no relationship between HT or DM with presence of polyps.

Does endometrial thickness affect birth weight and serum levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in frozen cycles?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether endometrial thickness (EMT) affects birth weight and maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) level in singleton pregnancies following frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer (FET). METHODS: This retrospective study included women who underwent first-trimester combined screening for aneuploidy after FET, and subsequently delivered a singleton live birth after 24 weeks of gestation at a private in-vitro fertilization centre. The subjects were stratified into three groups based on EMT percentiles: <7.7 mm (<10th percentile), 7.7-12 mm (10-90th percentile), and > 12 mm (>90th percentile). Multi-variable linear regression analysis was undertaken to identify the association between birth weight and EMT after adjusting for variables with p < 0.1 on univariate analysis. RESULTS: In total, 560 women met the inclusion criteria. Mean (±standard deviation) birth weight was 3127 ± 783 g in those with EMT < 7.7 mm, 3225 ± 644 g in those with EMT 7.7-12 mm, and 3256 ± 599 g in those with EMT > 12 mm (p = 0.577). Mean PAPP-A and PAPP-A < 0.5 rates were similar in the three groups. On multi-variate analysis, maternal serum PAPP-A was found to be a significant predictor of birth weight (p = 0.013), but EMT was not found to be predictive of birth weight on univariate or multi-variate analysis. CONCLUSION: This study provided a new angle to evaluate the association between EMT and neonatal birth weight by analysing this association along with maternal serum PAPP-A as a marker for placental function, suggesting that EMT is not an independent factor for neonatal birth weight.

The effect of concealed concomitant anal incontinence symptoms in patients with urinary incontinence on their quality of life.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We evaluated the bother of concomitant anal incontinence (AI) in women with urinary incontinence (UI) who do not primarily report their anal symptoms. METHODS: This prospective study assessed patients with complaings of primary UI without initially reporting anal symptoms. After urogynecological assessment, all patients were asked to complete the validated versions of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), Pelvic Floor and Incontinence Sexual Impact Questionnaire (PISQ-12), Wexner Incontinence Scale (WIS) score, and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Patients who scored nil in the WIS constituted the group of only UI, and patients with scores ≥1 were grouped as double incontinence (DI)., and the groups were compared. RESULTS: Among 136 women, 69.1 % (94) had only UI, whereas 30.9 % (42) had DI. There were no differences in age, parity, body mass index (BMI), and prolapse status between patients with UI and those with DI, except menopausal status. Women with DI scored worse for IIQ-7, PISQ-12, and BAI questionnaires compared with women with UI. This difference was not statistically significant for IIQ-7 only. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that concealed AI symptoms may contribute to the anxiety of the patient and even alter the perception of urinary symptoms. Actually, a significant number of women suffer from DI without reporting their anal symptoms, which results in underdiagnosing of concomitant AI. To prevent the suboptimal management of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, standardized questionnaires for AI should be included in the evaluation of all patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Efficacy of passive uterine straightening during intrauterine insemination on pregnancy rates and ease of technique.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of passive uterine straightening during intrauterine insemination (IUI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Pediatric Research and Training Hospital. Participants were 460 women with unexplained infertility. Interventions were IUI by passive straightening of the uterus by means of bladder filling, or IUI performed with an empty bladder. Main outcome measures included pregnancy rate and difficulty of IUI. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty couples were allocated: 230 couples were allocated to the full bladder group, and 230 couples were allocated to the empty bladder group (control). The pregnancy rate was higher in the full bladder group than in the empty bladder (control) group (P=0.03, 13.5% vs 7.4%; relative risk [RR] 1.95 for pregnant patients; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.048-3.637). The risk of undergoing difficult IUI was higher in the empty bladder group than the full bladder group (P<0.001; 10.0% vs 37.8%, RR 0.18 for difficulty IUI; 95% CI 0.11-0.30). The clinical pregnancy rate was also higher in the group of patients who had easy IUI than in the group of patients who had difficult IUI (P<0.05, 12.7% [42/331] vs 5.5% [6/110]); RR 2.51 for pregnancy; 95% CI 1.04-6.09). CONCLUSION: Passive straightening of the uterus makes the procedure less difficult and improves the clinical pregnancy rate.

Does mediolateral episiotomy decrease central defects of the anterior vaginal wall?

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study investigates the effects of mediolateral episiotomy on the pelvic floor. METHODS: Premenopausal women suffering from urinary incontinence/genital prolapse who delivered only by vaginal route were enrolled into the study. History of diabetes, morbid obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m(2)), vacuum/forceps extraction, perineal lacerations that warranted repair during labor and any pelvic surgery were the exclusion criteria. Evaluation of the patients included pelvic organ prolapse quantification scores, presence of stress incontinence, urethral hypermobility, and questionnaires were obtained for overactive bladder and anal incontinence symptoms. These data obtained from patients with the history of mediolateral episiotomy were compared with those of patients with no episiotomy or any other pelvic injury that warranted surgical repair. RESULTS: Groups were identical by means of demographic data, POP-Q findings, signs and symptoms of the pelvic floor. However, in the MLE group, central defects on the anterior vaginal wall were less frequent. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this retrospective study, MLE seems to prevent central defects on the anterior vaginal wall. Prospective randomized studies are needed to draw a sufficient conclusion.

The rate of undetectable genetic causes by Cell-free DNA test in congenital heart defects.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to estimate the rate of genetic causes that were undetectable by Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) test in prenatally diagnosed congenital heart defect (CHD) cases based on an assumption that cfDNA would accurately detect common aneuploidies including trisomy 21/18/13/45X, and del22q11.2. METHODS: This study included prenatally diagnosed CHD cases with diagnostic genetic results. The possibility of false-positive/negative results from cfDNA testing was discarded. Thus, cfDNA results would be positive in common aneuploidies or del22q11.2 and negative in normal diagnostic genetic testing results or other genetic conditions. The rate of genetic causes that were undetectable by cfDNA test was estimated for all cases as well as for CHD subgroups. RESULTS: Of 302 cases, 98 (34.8%) had a type of genetic abnormalities, with 67 having common aneuploidies or del22q11.2 and 31 having other genetic conditions. The rate of genetic causes that were undetectable by cfDNA test in CHD cases was 13.2% among those with assumingly negative cfDNA screen results and 10.3% among the entire study population. These rates were similar between CHD subgroups (p > .05). The rate of genetic causes that were undetectable by cfDNA test was higher in the non-isolated cases than in the isolated ones among those with assumingly negative-screen results (20.5% and 9.9%, respectively, p = .025). CONCLUSION: In prenatally diagnosed CDH cases, a significant number of chromosomal abnormalities are still identified after diagnostic testing even if cfDNA screen is negative, and thus it is important to extensively counsel patients with negative cfDNA screen carrying a CHD-affected fetus.

Validation of the Wexner scale in women with fecal incontinence in a Turkish population.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The main aim of this study was to validate the Turkish translated version of the Wexner scale. METHODS: After establishing the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Turkish version of Wexner scale on 31 patients, total and subscale scores and anal manometric measurements of 60 participants were performed. Correlation between Wexner scale scores and manometric measurement values were analyzed and those values of patients with or without anal incontinence symptoms were compared. RESULTS: Of the 60 participants, 47 (78%) showed no signs or symptoms of anal incontinence. Wexner scale showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.816). Total and each subscale score of Wexner scale showed strong correlation with resting and maximal squeeze pressures and between each other (p < 0.005). The pressure values were significantly less in asymptomatic patients compared to patients with any degree of symptoms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Turkish translated version of the Wexner scale is a reliable, consistent, and valid instrument to evaluate anal functions in women with anal incontinence for Turkish speaking women. Total and subscale scores of the Wexner scale and anal manometric measurements showed significant correlation.

Possible cause of failure after McCall culdoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively the rate of postoperative failure of McCall culdoplasty and the presence of a history of vaginal delivery of macrosomic infants as risk factors in patients with stage III or symptomatic stage II apical prolapse without any other pelvic floor defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with pelvic organ prolapse who underwent vaginal hysterectomy and McCall culdoplasty procedures were staged according to the POP-Q system before and after the operation (n = 70). POP-Q stages, age, gravidity, parity, body mass index (BMI), and the presence of diabetes mellitus in patients with or without history of vaginal delivery of macrosomic infants were analyzed. A birth weight of ≥4,000 g was accepted as macrosomia. Operative failure was defined as a postoperative POP-Q stage ≥ stage III of the apical segment. Follow-up period was 26.5 ± 6.37 months. RESULTS: Twenty-seven women had a history of macrosomic delivery and the remaining 43 did not. Postoperative failure was observed in 15 patients (44.4%) in the macrosomia group and in 3 patients (6.9%) in the control group. Postoperative failure was seen more frequently in the macrosomia group (Pearson's chi-square test, P = 0.000). No significant difference was found between the groups regarding age, gravidity, parity, BMI and the presence of diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Failure of McCall culdoplasty occurs more frequently in patients with history of vaginal delivery of macrosomic infants, possibly due to direct pelvic floor damage. This technique should not be used in patients with a possible history of direct pelvic floor damage.

Modified fetoscopic laser surgery in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome with proximate cord insertions: a report of two cases and literature review.

Proximate cord insertions (PxCIs) are a variant of umbilical cord insertions (CIs) that can be identified in monochorionic (MC) twins, making fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) technically challenging. The existing literature is controversial for successful fetoscopic laser photocoagulation in TTTS cases with PxCIs. We presented two cases with TTTS complicated by PxCIs that underwent a successful laser ablation using our proposed technique.

Neural tube defects in eastern Turkey; Is low folate status or vitamin B12 deficiency or both associated with a high rate of NTDs?

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of low folate status and vitB12 deficiency between pregnancies with a NTD-affected fetus and those with a structurally normal fetus in a low-income population residing in eastern Turkey.Study design: It was a retrospective cohort study conducted in our perinatology unit in eastern Turkey between 2016 and 2018. The inclusion criterion for the study group was pregnancies with an NTD-affected fetus. The control group was pregnancies who met the following criteria; no prior history of pregnancy with a NTD-affected fetus, spontaneous abortion or stillbirth, no fetal growth problems or structural abnormality in the present pregnancy, and matching by gestational age. Venous blood samples of these women were obtained at the time of ultrasound examination and serum folate and vitB12 levels were measured by chemiluminescence method using ECLIA immunologic test (Roche, cobas e601/602 analyzers) at our laboratory.Results: The rate of NTDs was 130 per 10 000 (151/11 552). VitB12 deficiency was found in 62.9% of the study group and 36.4% of the control group (p < .001). The rate of low folate status was also different between the groups, with 42.3 and 15.2%, respectively (p < .001). Of the NTDs cases, 12.5% had only low folate status, 33.7% had only vitB12 deficiency, and 29.8% had both together. The rate of low folate status together with vitB12 deficiency was significantly different between the groups (p < .001).Conclusion: Low folate status coupled with B12 deficiency seems to be strongly associated with NTDs. Thus, simultaneous correction of their levels may be the best reasonable approach for the prevention of NTDs in low-income regions. This strategy can reduce the rate of NTDs in low-income regions, improve overall population health and mitigate the economic burden of NTDs on health care system.