Surgical Treatments for Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review.

Stress urinary incontinence affects a large proportion of women in their lifetime. The objective of this review was to describe and compare the latest surgical trends in urinary incontinence and focus on the literature advantages, disadvantages, complications and efficacy of surgical procedures regarding this pathology. Using network meta-analysis, we have identified the most frequently used procedures (Burch surgery, midurethral sling and pubovaginal sling), and we have described and characterized them in terms of effectiveness and safety. Midurethral procedures remain the gold standard for surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence, although the potential of serious complications following this procedure should be taken into consideration always. There is a clear need for a much more unified evaluation of possible complications and postoperative evolution. This process will help practitioners to adapt and individualize their strategy for each patient.

Laparoscopic myomectomy - The importance of surgical techniques.

Laparoscopy is a routine procedure for benign gynecological tumors. Although the laparoscopic approach for myomas is a common procedure, it can be challenging. To improve outcomes, research regarding port access, suture type, morcellation, and complication management remains ongoing. Myomectomy is the main surgical option for patients seeking uterus-sparing procedures to maintain future fertility. The laparoscopic technique is the most important in these cases, given that possible complications can impact fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Herein, we reviewed and collated the available data regarding different suture techniques, including advantages, difficulties, and possible long-term impacts.

Pathological Examination of the Late Embryonic Heart Using the Same 4-chamber and 3-vessel Planes Used in Fetal Echocardiography.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The incidence of early pregnancy loss widely varies according to age, being considerably higher in older women. Severe congenital malformations play an important role in pregnancy loss, having a high risk of recurrence. Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital abnormalities, thus the diagnosis of such malformations in aborted embryos is important for establishing both a possible cause for pregnancy loss and for correctly counseling the parents. Pathologic examination of the heart that is only a few millimeters in size, is very challenging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A pathologic examination protocol using transverse microscopic sections at the level of the 4-chamber and 3-vessel planes is proposed for heart evaluation. RESULTS: Two 9-10 gestational weeks embryos were microscopically examined using transverse slides of the thorax. The 4-chamber and 3-vessel slides were analyzed and compared to 11-13 weeks ultrasound images of the 4-chamber and 3-vessel views from 10 cases. The pathologic examination provided a detailed view of the ventricles, atria and great vessels, sometime surpassing even the ultrasound examination that was performed at a later gestational age. CONCLUSION: We consider our proposed pathologic examination protocol feasible for evaluating normal heart structures and ruling out severe congenital heart disease.

Impact of histological subtype on the response to chemoradiation in locally advanced cervical cancer and the possible role of surgery.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in developing countries, second only to breast cancer, with more than 450.000 new cases every year. Romania has the highest incidence of cervical cancer in Europe; more than four times the incidence found in Western Europe. Radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy is considered in most countries the gold standard for locally advanced cervical cancer. In Romania, if downstaging occurs after radiotherapy, adjuvant surgery is routinely performed. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the rate of residual cancer in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent surgery after concurrent chemoradiotherapy and to determine the impact of tumor histological subtype on the chemoradiotherapy response. Of a total of 461 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer that underwent chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant surgery, 254 had a partial response defined as the presence of residual tumor at pathology examination. Depending on the histological subtype of the cervical cancer, partial response was obtained in 50.6% of squamous cell carcinoma cases and in 77.6% of adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma cases. The present study demonstrated that cervical cancer patients with adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas had a significantly poorer treatment response to chemoradiotherapy than those with squamous cell carcinomas. We consider that in such cases where residual tumor is present, adjuvant surgery is mandatory for improving the survival rates.