Take it or leave it: oophorectomy at the time of benign hysterectomy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Previous modeling data suggest ovarian conservation up to age 65 for women without adnexal disease and at average risk of ovarian cancer because of an increase in mortality associated with ovarian removal. Recent modeling data challenges this practice. This review of recent literature will update providers regarding consideration for oophorectomy at time of benign hysterectomy. RECENT FINDINGS: Oophorectomy at time of hysterectomy for women less than 50 years with estrogen supplementation and greater than 50 years without estrogen supplementation is not associated with increased mortality. SUMMARY: Although not associated with increased mortality, the decision to remove the ovaries at time of hysterectomy in women older than 50 years is nuanced and requires careful shared decision-making, considering unique patient factors.

Incidence of Intrauterine Adhesions After Hysteroscopic Myomectomy in Patients Seeking Fertility.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) after hysteroscopic myomectomy. Previous studies report a range of incidence for IUAs after hysteroscopic myomectomy. DESIGN: A retrospective review study. SETTING: An academic community hospital in the Boston metropolitan area. PATIENTS: Patients undergoing hysteroscopic myomectomy at our institution from January 2019 to February 2022. Patients were excluded if they did not have plans for future fertility or had a new diagnosis of cancer. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy using bipolar resectoscope without postoperative medical or barrier treatment. All procedures were performed by 1 of 4 fellowship-trained high-volume gynecologic surgeons with resident and fellow assistance. Incidence of postoperative IUAs was assessed and treated using second-look office hysteroscopy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 44 patients without preoperative IUAs underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy during our study period, and 4 patients (9.1%) developed new IUAs. Among 9 patients who were found to have preoperative IUAs and underwent concurrent hysteroscopic myomectomy and lysis of adhesions, we found a recurrence of IUAs in 5 patients (55.6%). We found the number, size, and deepest type of myoma removed were not correlated to an increased risk of new IUA formation. In addition, removing myomas on opposing walls during the same operation did not increase the incidence of new IUAs. CONCLUSION: Formation of IUAs after hysteroscopic myomectomy is a well-documented consequence. Our reported incidence of 9.1% of new IUAs that are not affected by the number, size, deepest type of myoma resected, and resection of myomas on opposing uterine walls contributes to the current literature. In addition, our finding of 55.6% of recurrent IUAs in patients undergoing both hysteroscopic myomectomy and lysis of adhesions highlights a high-risk population requiring additional study.

Twitter Gynecologic Surgery Journal Club: Impact on Citation Scores and Social Media Attention.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of a Twitter-based gynecologic surgery journal club of articles published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (JMIG) on their social media attention and citation scores. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: N/A. PATIENTS: N/A. INTERVENTIONS: Comparison of citation and social media attention scores was conducted for all articles presented in the JMIG Twitter Journal Club (#JMIGjc), a monthly scientific discussion on Twitter of JMIG selected articles, between March 2018 and September 2021 (group A), with 2 matched control groups of other JMIG articles: group B, articles mentioned on social media but not promoted in any JMIG social media account, and group C, articles with no social media mentions and not presented in #JMIGjc. Matching was performed for publication year, design, and topic in a 1:1:1 ratio. Citation metrics included number of citations per year (CPY) and relative citation ratio (RCR). Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) was used to measure social media attention. This score tracks research articles' online activity from different sources such as social media platforms, blogs, and websites. We further compared group A with all JMIG articles published during the same period (group D). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-nine articles were presented in the #JMIGjc (group A) and were matched to 39 articles in groups B and C. Median AAS was higher in group A than groups B and C (10.00 vs 3.00 vs 0, respectively, p <.001). CPY and RCR were similar among groups. Median AAS was higher in group A than group D (10.00 vs 1.00, p <.001), as were median CPY and RCR (3.00 vs 1.67, p = .001; 1.37 vs 0.89, p = .001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Although citation metrics were similar among groups, #JMIGjc articles had higher social media attention metrics than matched controls. Compared with all publications within the same journal, #JMIGjc articles resulted in higher citation metrics.

Incidence and Clinical Implications of Placenta Accreta Spectrum after Treatment for Asherman Syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence, predictors, and clinical implications of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in pregnancies after hysteroscopic treatment for Asherman syndrome (AS). DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study, conducted through a telephone survey and chart review. SETTING: Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery center in an academic community hospital. PATIENTS: Database of 355 patients hysteroscopically treated for AS over 4 years. We identified patients who achieved pregnancy past the first trimester and evaluated the incidence and predictors for PAS as well as associated clinical implications. INTERVENTIONS: Telephone survey. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified 97 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Among these patients, 23 (23.7%) patients had PAS. History of cesarean delivery was the only variable statistically significantly associated with having PAS (adjusted odds ratio 4.03, 95% confidence interval 1.31-12.39). PAS was diagnosed antenatally in 3 patients (14.3%), with patients having placenta previa more likely to be diagnosed (p <.01). Nine patients (39.13%) with PAS required cesarean hysterectomy, which is 9.3% of those with a pregnancy that progressed past the first trimester. Factors associated with cesarean hysterectomy were the etiology of AS (dilation and evacuation after the second trimester pregnancy or postpartum instrumentation, p <.01), invasive placenta (increta or percreta, p <.05), and history of morbidly adherent placenta in previous pregnancies (p <.05). Two patients with PAS (9.5%) had uterine rupture, and another 2 (9.5%) experienced uterine inversion. CONCLUSION: There is a high incidence of PAS and associated morbidity in pregnancies after hysteroscopic treatment for AS. There is a low rate of antenatal diagnosis as well as a lack of reliable clinical predictors, which both stress the importance of clinical awareness, careful counseling, and delivery planning.

Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Perioperative Outcomes During Hysterectomy for Endometriosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess whether complications incurred during hysterectomy for the treatment of endometriosis differ among racial-ethnic groups. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2014 to 2019. This database is a robust, comprehensive, multi-institutional database with nearly 700 participating hospitals. PATIENTS: Patients with a diagnosis of endometriosis or with an endometriosis-associated symptom as the primary indication for surgery and surgical intraoperative documentation of endometriosis. INTERVENTIONS: Compare perioperative complications based on patient race and ethnicity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 5639 patients underwent hysterectomy for endometriosis; of these, 4368 were White patients (77.5%), 528 Black patients (9.4%), 491 Hispanic patients (8.7%), 252 Asian patients (4.5%). There was no association between location of endometriosis and patient race and ethnicity. However, White patients had highest rate, and Asian patients had the lowest rate of laparoscopic hysterectomy, 85.3% vs 69.8%, respectively (p <.01). In addition, there were differences in concomitant procedures performed at time of hysterectomy based on race and ethnicity, with White patients having the highest rates of adnexal/peritoneal surgery at 12.5% (p <.01) compared with patients of the other racial and ethnic groups. Asian patients had the highest rate of ureteral surgery at 6.8% (p <.01) and highest rate of intestinal surgery at 16.3% (p <.01) compared with patients of other racial and ethnic groups. There was no association of rates of concomitant bladder surgery, appendectomy, or rectal surgery with patient race and ethnicity. Black patients had the highest rate of minor complications at 13.5% (p <.01) and the highest rate of major complications at 6.6% (p <.01) compared with patients of other racial and ethnic groups. After multivariable analysis, Black patients still had increased odds of having a major complication compared with patients of other racial and ethnic groups even after controlling for patient characteristics and perioperative factors such as endometriosis lesion location, surgical approach, and concomitant procedures (odds ratio 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.45). CONCLUSION: Endometriosis lesion location did not differ with patient race and ethnicity. However, patient race and ethnicity did have an impact on the surgical approach and the concomitant surgical procedures performed at time of hysterectomy. Black patients had the highest odds of major complications.

Adenomyosis and fertility: does adenomyosis impact fertility and does treatment improve outcomes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Adenomyosis has recently been associated with infertility. Relief of bleeding and pain has been demonstrated with medical and surgical therapy. Less is known about reproductive outcomes after treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Imaging findings during infertility evaluation can be suggestive of adenomyosis without pathologic evaluation. Among women with infertility undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART), adenomyosis is associated with lower live birth rates and clinical pregnancy rates. Treatment with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) modulators prior to frozen embryo transfer may increase the live birth rate and clinical pregnancy rate among women with adenomyosis. Pregnancy has been documented following image-guided adenomyosis ablation; however, the reproductive impact is not well established. Pregnancy following excisional procedures appears to be well tolerated, although may carry a higher risk of uterine rupture compared with pregnancy following myomectomy. It is not clear if ablative therapy or resection increases pregnancy rates. SUMMARY: Adenomyosis is associated with lower embryo implantation rates and ongoing pregnancy rates. Adenomyotic changes in the uterus can be seen by ultrasound and MRI. GnRH modulators may be useful for women with adenomyosis undergoing ART. Additional prospective data is warranted to determine the optimal medical or surgical therapy for women with adenomyosis desiring conception.Video abstract Supplementary digital content, http://links.lww.com/COOG/A78.

Perioperative Myomectomy Outcomes Based on the Current Coding Rules: Comparing Leiomyoma Burden and Surgical Approach.

OBJECTIVE: To assess postoperative outcomes based on surgical approach for myomectomies with increasing leiomyoma burden. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2014 to 2019 of benign myomectomy procedures. These cases were categorized into "smaller" and "larger" procedures based on leiomyoma burden. Smaller myomectomies included leiomyomas weighing less than 250 g or with one-four leiomyomas (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] codes 58545 and 58140); larger myomectomies included leiomyomas weighing 250 g or more or with five or more leiomyomas (CPT codes 58546 and 58146). Postoperative complications estimated using the Clavien-Dindo classification system were compared based on surgical approach. RESULTS: Of 8,363 total myomectomy procedures, 3,117 (37.3%) were performed using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and 5,246 (62.7%) were performed using laparotomy. Among MIS cases, 2,080 (66.7%) were categorized as smaller myomectomies and 1,037 (33.3%) cases as larger myomectomies. Among laparotomy cases, 2,587 (49.3%) were smaller myomectomies, and 2,659 (50.7%) were larger myomectomies. Regardless of myomectomy size, MIS was associated with a lower perioperative blood transfusion rate than laparotomy (1.63% vs 8.93%, respectively, P<.01). Laparotomy was associated with an increased rate of minor complications (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.86 (95% CI 2.24-3.67) for smaller leiomyoma burden (11.91% vs 4.28%) and for larger leiomyoma burden (21.59% vs 6.75%, aOR 3.43, 95% CI 2.64-4.47) cases. Laparotomy demonstrated an increased cumulative major complication rate (3.31% vs 1.25%) (aOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.35-4.45) for larger myomectomies. CONCLUSION: A minimally invasive surgical approach for both smaller and larger myomectomies was associated with fewer minor complications compared with laparotomy. Minimally invasive surgery for larger myomectomies was associated with fewer cumulative major complications compared with laparotomy.

Patient-reported menstrual and obstetric outcomes following hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for Asherman syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Review the menstrual and obstetric outcomes among Asherman syndrome patients when stratified by disease severity. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 355 Asherman syndrome patients stratified by March classification who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. INTERVENTIONS: Telephone survey, analyzed with multivariable analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Return of menstruation. Pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rate. RESULTS: A total of 355 patients underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Of these, 150 (42.3%) patients completed the telephone survey with a mean follow-up of 2.21 years. Additionally, 40.7% had mild, 52.7% had moderate, and 6.6% had severe disease. Furthermore, 25.3% of patients reported amenorrhea at presentation, with mild disease patients having the highest rate of returning menstruation (93.8%) following treatment. The cumulative pregnancy rate was 81.9%, and the cumulative live birth rate was 51.2%, with no statistical differences identified by the classification group. CONCLUSION: Asherman syndrome disease severity predicted returning menstruation but not pregnancy or live birth rate.

Effects of Asherman Syndrome on Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity with Evaluation by Conception Method.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Create a comprehensive summary of maternal and neonatal morbidities from patients previously treated for Asherman syndrome and evaluate for differences in perinatal outcomes based on conception method. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center. PATIENTS: Total of 43 singleton births identified from 40 patients previously treated at our institution for Asherman syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: Review of fertility and obstetric data to summarize the maternal and neonatal outcomes in singleton births from patients with Asherman syndrome who had been treated with hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Primary outcomes of maternal morbidity (i.e., hypertensive disease, gestational diabetes, ruptured membranes, postpartum hemorrhage, morbidly adherent placenta [MAP]) and secondary outcomes of neonatal morbidity (i.e., gestational age at birth, method of delivery, weight, length, 1- and 5-minute Apgar score oxygen requirement, anatomic malformations, length of neonatal admission) were evaluated. We identified 40 patients who completed successful treatment of Asherman syndrome and went on to carry a singleton gestation within our institution: 20 (50%) with mild disease, 18 (45%) with moderate disease, and 2 (5%) with severe disease under the March classification system. In total, 43 singleton births were examined, with 27 of 43 (62.8%) conceived without in vitro fertilization (IVF) (group A: non-IVF conception) and 16 of 43 (37.2%) conceived through IVF (group B: IVF conception). The overall rate of preterm birth in Asherman pregnancies was 11.6%, with no difference between the 2 conception groups. We documented 9.3% cases with intrauterine growth restriction, with no difference based on conception groups. The rate of MAP in patients with Asherman syndrome was 14.0%, and the rate of postpartum hemorrhage was 32.6%, with no differences between the conception groups. Newborn anatomic malformations of any cause were documented in 18.6% of all singleton births, with no difference between the conception groups. CONCLUSION: Our series indicates a higher incidence of intrauterine growth restriction, MAP, postpartum hemorrhage, and newborn anatomic malformations in Asherman syndrome pregnancies than that reported in pregnancies within the general population. However, we found no significant differences in the maternal and neonatal outcomes of patients with Asherman syndrome who conceived with or without IVF after being treated with hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.

Concomitant Adenomyosis among Patients with Asherman Syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To characterize obstetric outcomes for concomitant Asherman syndrome and adenomyosis. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 227 patients with Asherman syndrome with available hysteroscopy and pelvic ultrasound reports. INTERVENTIONS: Telephone survey to assess and compare the obstetric outcomes of patients with Asherman syndrome with concomitant adenomyosis (Group A) vs patients with Asherman syndrome without concomitant adenomyosis (Group B). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A telephone survey and confirmatory chart review were conducted to obtain information on patients' demographics, gynecologic and obstetric history, past medical and surgical history, and Asherman syndrome management. Adenomyosis was a common sonographic finding, detected in 39 patients with Asherman syndrome (17.2%). In this cohort, 77 patients attempted pregnancy and produced 87 pregnancies. Age (odds ratio [OR] 0.67; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.52-0.86) was negatively associated with a pregnancy outcome. Age (OR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73-0.95) and severe Asherman disease (OR 0.06; 95% CI, <0.01-0.99) were negatively associated with a live birth outcome. Adenomyosis was not an independent predictor of pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, or live birth rate among patients with Asherman syndrome. CONCLUSION: Adenomyosis is relatively common in patients with Asherman syndrome. Adenomyosis does not seem to add any distinct detriment to fertility among patients with Asherman syndrome.

Endometrial thickness measurements among Asherman syndrome patients prior to embryo transfer.

STUDY QUESTION: Is there an association between endometrial thickness (EMT) measurement and clinical pregnancy rate among Asherman syndrome (AS) patients utilizing IVF and embryo transfer (ET)? SUMMARY ANSWER: EMT measurements may not be associated with successful clinical pregnancy among AS patients undergoing IVF. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Clinical pregnancy rate after IVF is significantly lower in patients with a thin endometrium, defined as a maximum EMT of <7 mm. However, AS patients often have a thin EMT measurement due to intrauterine scarring, with a paucity of data and no guidance on what EMT cutoff is appropriate when planning an ET among these patients. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This is a retrospective cohort study of 45 AS patients treated at a specialized advanced hysteroscopic clinic from 1 January 2015, to 1 March 2019. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Review of EMT measurements prior to a total of 90 ETs, among 45 AS patients. The impact of the maximum EMT measurement prior to ET on clinical pregnancy rate was analyzed. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A total of 25/45 (55.6%) AS patients ultimately went on to have ≥1 clinical pregnancy following a mean ± SD of 2.00 ± 1.26 ET attempts. There was a total of 90 ETs among the 45 AS patients, with 29/90 (32.2%) ETs resulting in a clinical pregnancy. Younger patient age (P = 0.05) and oocyte donation (P = 0.01) were the only variables identified to be significant predictors for a positive clinical pregnancy outcome on bivariate analysis. The mean EMT measurement prior to all ETs among AS patients was 7.5 ± 1.6 mm. EMT measurement prior to ET did not predict a positive clinical pregnancy on either bivariate (P = 0.84) or multivariable analysis (odds ratio 0.91, P = 0.60). 31.8% of EMT measurements measured <7.0 mm. In this small cohort, no difference in the clinical pregnancy rate was detected when comparing ETs with EMT measurements of <7.0 mm versus ≥7.0 mm (P = 0.83). The mean EMT measurement decreased with increasing AS disease severity; 8.0 ± 1.6 mm for mild disease, 7.0 ± 1.4 mm for moderate disease and 5.4 ± 0.1 mm for severe disease. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Our small sample size limits our ability to draw any definitive conclusions. In addition, patients utilized various infertility clinics. This limits our ability to evaluate the consistency of EMT measurements and the IVF care that was received. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: EMT measurement cutoff values should be used with caution if canceling a scheduled ET in AS patients. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was not funded. K.I. reports personal fees from Karl Stroz and personal fees from Medtronics outside the submitted work. The other authors have no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Diagnosing endometriosis before laparoscopy: radiologic tools to evaluate the disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The current gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis is laparoscopy with tissue biopsy. This review presents new evidence regarding advanced imaging for more optimal clinical assessment and preoperative evaluation for endometriosis. RECENT FINDINGS: A systematic approach to the imaging evaluation of endometriosis using transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging has been proposed by expert groups and societies. Evidence suggests that new imaging techniques improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis and facilitate improved preoperative mapping of endometriotic lesions. SUMMARY: The clinical diagnosis of endometriosis, including new structured imaging protocols and techniques, is paramount in an initial evaluation. If surgery is indicated, clinical examination and imaging should provide sufficient information to anticipate the extent of surgery, properly counsel the patient, and when appropriate, refer to a minimally invasive gynecologic surgery specialist or assemble a multidisciplinary team.

Postoperative Opioid Use Using Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Guidelines for Benign Gynecologic Procedures.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate opioid use after benign gynecologic surgery after implementation of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) opioid prescribing recommendations. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: An academic tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: All patients undergoing elective benign gynecologic surgery at a large academic institution between August 2017 and December 2017, 1 year after ERAS postoperative opioid prescribing recommendations were implemented for the benign gynecologic surgery department. INTERVENTIONS: A chart review determining opioid prescription quantity and a patient telephone survey 7 days after surgery were both performed. Total opioid use was calculated. Physician adherence to the institution's ERAS postoperative opioid prescribing recommendations after benign gynecologic surgery was then determined. Patients were classified as either in the physician adherent to ERAS group or the physician nonadherent to ERAS group. After this stratification, patients' total opioid use within each group was then compared. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 241 consecutive benign gynecologic surgical procedures were reviewed. Opioids were prescribed for outpatient postoperative pain management in 186 (77.2%) of these procedures. Physician adherence to the ERAS postoperative opioid prescribing recommendations occurred in 150 (62.2%) of all surgical cases. The telephone survey was completed by 144 (59.8%) patients 7 days after their surgery. Among survey participants, a total of 13 783.5 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) or 64.7% of all opioids prescribed were unused 7 days after surgery. This is equivalent to 1838 oxycodone 5-mg tablets unused by the end of the study period. For all surgical procedure types, the ERAS-nonadherent group was prescribed statistically significantly more opioids per patient than the ERAS-adherent group (246.2 ± 22.8 MME vs 81.1 ± 6.2 MME, p < .005), resulting in more opioids unused among the ERAS-nonadherent group. Consequently, the ERAS-nonadherent group contributed 63.5% (8747.5 MMEs) of the total unused opioids by the end of the study period despite only making up 39.6% of the completed patient surveys. CONCLUSION: Patients require significantly less opioids after benign gynecologic surgery than they are being prescribed. Physician adherence to the ERAS postoperative opioid recommendations is suboptimal and contributes significantly to the quantity of unused opioids after surgery for benign gynecologic indications. Almost two thirds of all opioids prescribed are not used by 1 week after benign gynecologic surgery.

Predictors of Prolonged Operative Time for Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Myomectomy: Development of a Preoperative Calculator for Total Operative Time.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a preoperative calculator to predict the total operative time (TOT) for robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENTS: Women who underwent RALM performed by 3 high-volume surgeons at a single institution between January 2014 and December 2017. INTERVENTIONS: Demographic characteristics, indication for surgery, surgical history, myoma burden on imaging, and TOT were collected. RALM operative time was classified as <3 hours, 3 to 5 hours, and >5 hours. We identified preoperative characteristics predictive of increased operative time and developed a preoperative calculator to estimate TOT. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 126 women underwent RALM during the study period, with a mean TOT of 213 minutes ± 66 minutes. The mean total weight of myomas removed was 264 g ± 236 g, and mean largest myoma diameter was 8.5 cm ± 2.6 cm. Overall, mean number of myomas removed was 2.5 ± 2.4, and estimated blood loss (EBL) was 215 ± 212 mL. Five patients (4.0%) received a blood transfusion, and 4 patients (3.2%) underwent conversion to laparotomy. Preoperative factors significantly associated with TOT included patient age, personal history of diabetes mellitus, uterine volume, number of myomas, number of myomas >3 cm, diameter of the dominant myoma, and surgeon experience. The mean uterine volume was 282 cm3 for procedures with a TOT <3 hours, 461 cm3 for procedures with a TOT of 3 to 5 hours, and 532 cm3 for procedures with a TOT >5 hours (p = .004). Body mass index, personal history of hypertension, previous abdominal/pelvic surgery, surgical indication, location of dominant myoma (anterior, posterior, or fundal) and classification of dominant myoma (submucosal, intramural, subserosal, or other) were not associated with TOT. Our preoperative calculator correctly predicted TOT category in 88% of the patients and estimated TOT within a 1-hour margin in 80% of patients. CONCLUSION: RALM is becoming a more popular surgical approach for the management of uterine myomas. Preoperative radiographic evaluation and a thorough patient history may enhance patient counseling and surgical planning. Uterine volume and myoma number and size appear to be more predictive of TOT compared with myoma location.

A Systematic Review of Tissue Sampling Techniques for the Diagnosis of Adenomyosis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the accuracy of tissue sampling techniques for the diagnosis of adenomyosis. DATA SOURCES: Systematic Review via MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library searches. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Review performed utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, utilizing MeSH terms and keywords including "Adenomyosis/diagnosis" or "Adenomyosis/pathology" or "Myometrium/pathology" and "Biopsy" or "Hysteroscopy" or "Laparoscopy." Articles initially screened by title and abstract to include relevant studies with reference lists cross-referenced to find additional studies. Articles related to the diagnosis of uterine malignancy or studies in which tissue sampling was obtained through excisional surgical procedures were excluded from the review. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Fourteen studies were identified describing tissue sampling techniques to diagnose adenomyosis, with a total of 1909 patients, from 12 different countries, involving 6 different continents. Tissue sampling techniques were categorized based on (1) biopsy approach as either intrauterine and extrauterine and (2) techniques that were validated or not validated with a confirmatory hysterectomy pathology. Overall, there was significant heterogeneity in the tissue sampling techniques including intrauterine sampling obtained through hysteroscopic biopsy or resection and extrauterine tissue sampling obtained with needle biopsy by a percutaneous, transvaginal, laparoscopic, or ex-vivo approach. Sensitivity of these techniques varied significantly based on technique, tissue sampling location and the number of biopsies obtained, and was as low as 22.2% for an ultrasound-guided transvaginal biopsy of suspicious uterine lesions (4 biopsies per patient) and was as high as 97.8% for a laparoscopic guided myometrial biopsy of suspicious uterine lesions (10 biopsies per patient). Specificity for the identified tissue sampling techniques was more homogeneous ranging from 78.5% to 100% for all methods identified. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value ranges were 75.9% to 100% and 46.4% to 80% respectively among all tissue sampling techniques identified with confirmatory hysterectomy pathology. CONCLUSION: Because of the heterogeneity of the tissue sampling techniques, diverse patient populations, and significant conflicting recommendations, no conclusive recommendation on the optimal tissue sampling technique can be made. However, it would be reasonable to limit uterine tissue sampling for confirmatory diagnosis of adenomyosis in patients with a suspicion of adenomyosis based on both symptom profile and pelvic ultrasound, where a planned diagnostic laparoscopy for either infertility or pelvic pain has already been contemplated and scheduled, and where the confirmatory results may be of clinical benefit in discussing the prognosis of recurrent postoperative symptoms and guide any future treatment recommendations.

Prepared for the Unexpected: Accessory Ovaries with Abernethy Malformation.

Supernumerary and accessory ovaries are collectively coined ectopic ovaries. These are rarely encountered by the benign gynecologist and are often discovered incidentally during evaluation for other gynecologic, gastrointestinal, or urologic pathologies. We report the presentation of a patient with multiple accessory ovaries in addition to a rare congenital anomaly of the splanchnic vasculature called an Abernethy malformation. Incidental identification of ectopic ovaries necessitates a search for additional malformations outside of the genitourinary tract that can have larger implications for long-term health.

Common factors associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head in young patients requiring total hip arthroplasty.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a pathologic condition that commonly affects young patients and requires treatment with total hip arthroplasty (THA). The most common factors associated with osteonecrosis in young patients have not been previously described in the literature. A retrospective study was conducted to describe the most common factors associated with osteonecrosis in patients aged 35 or younger requiring a primary THA. This study included 235 patients and found that the most common factor associated with osteonecrosis was corticosteroid use (61%), followed by idiopathic causes (11%), trauma (9%), other causes (8%), haemoglobinopathies (7%), and alcoholism (3%). There was no significant difference in age between risk groups (p-value = 0.35), however there were significant differences in sex (p-value = 0.02) and unilateral versus bilateral surgery (p-value<0.01). Several factors are associated with the development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in young patients, and these factors should be given consideration in determining disease aetiology and counselling patients.