Perioperative complications in abdominal sacrocolpopexy, sacrospinous ligament fixation and prolift procedures.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic organ prolapse is an important problem for women. To overcome this issue, different operational technics are in use, such as abdominal sacrocolpopexy, sacrospinous fixation, and the total Prolift procedure. AIMS: This study assessed perioperative complications in abdominal sacrocolpopexy, sacrospinous fixation, and the total Prolift procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. METHODS: Perioperative complications were defined as any complication occurring during surgery or the first 6 weeks postoperatively. Forty-five patients underwent abdominal procedures, 60 patients underwent sacrospinous fixation, and 43 patients underwent the total Prolift procedure. RESULTS: In the abdominal group, one bladder injury, four hemorrhages, and three wound dehiscences occurred. In the sacrospinous group, one rectal injury and one postoperative vault infection occurred. In the Prolift group, one bladder injury and one hemorrhage occurred. Minor complications were more frequent in the abdominal group than the others. The operating time and hospital stay of the abdominal group were significantly longer than the others. The Pro-lift procedure had less operating time and hospital stay than other procedures. CONCLUSION: The total Prolift may be a novel alternative for apical prolapse with low perioperative morbidities and complications.

The effect of different preparations of hormone therapy on tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in women with surgical menopause.

The aim of the present prospective controlled study was to examine the influence of 17beta-estradiol and tibolone on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in healthy women with surgical menopause. Forty-five surgically menopausal women were included in the study. Thirty women were randomized to receive tibolone 2.5 mg or 17beta-estradiol 2 mg daily for 16 weeks. Fifteen surgically menopausal women who refused hormone therapy served as controls. Serum was collected from the subjects at baseline and at the end of the study for TNF-alpha assay. Neither tibolone nor 17beta-estradiol showed a significant influence on TNF-alpha level at the end of 16 weeks in comparison with baseline. Although tibolone induced a trend toward decreased level of TNF-alpha (3.30 +/- 0.42 vs. 2.56 +/- 1.94 microg/dl), this was non-significant. The slight increase observed in TNF-alpha level in the control group was also insignificant (3.60 +/- 1.20 vs. 4.10 +/- 0.70 microg/dl). Overall, these results demonstrate no significant effects of either tibolone or 17beta-estradiol on circulating TNF-alpha level in surgically menopausal women. However, the significant difference achieved between the tibolone and control group after treatment is promising and needs to be investigated in trials with longer treatment periods.

The effect of ethinyl estradiol-cyproterone acetate treatment on homocysteine levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular risk marker homocysteine (Hcy) is elevated in women with PCOS. This prospective study investigated the effect of oral contraceptives containing ethinyl estradiol-cyproterone acetate (EE-CA) on serum Hcy levels in women with PCOS. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 30 women with PCOS were enrolled in this prospective study. The diagnosis of PCOS was made according to the criteria of the Rotterdam PCOS consensus workshop group. All women took oral contraceptives containing EE/CA (35 microg/2 mg) for 3 months. Serum samples for Hcy, lipid profile and hormones were obtained during the early follicular phase (days 3-5) of the spontaneous or progestin-induced bleeding at baseline, and after the third treatment cycle. RESULTS: Three months of EE-CA therapy significantly decreased the Hcy levels from 55.97 +/- 16.04 to 54.03 +/- 16.15 (P = 0.01). A significant correlation was observed between the Hcy and total and free testosterone levels (r = 0.44, P = 0.015 and r = 0.46, P = 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although the decrease in Hcy levels with EE-CA therapy was statistically significant, further studies are necessary to determine the clinical benefit of this treatment.

Does postoperative misoprostol use induce intestinal motility? A prospective randomised double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Misoprostol has been shown to increase colonic activity and decrease colonic transit time in chronic constipation patients. AIMS: The aim of this prospective, randomised, double-blind study was to examine the effectiveness of rectally administered misoprostol on inducing intestinal motility after gynaecological surgery. METHODS: Eighty women who underwent hysterectomy were divided randomly into three groups. Group A received misoprostol 200 microg rectally while group B received 400 microg rectal misoprostol after surgery before leaving the operating room. Patients in group C received no drugs. Bowel sounds in four quadrants were checked every hour and possible side-effects of misoprostol like nausea, vomiting, and distension were evaluated. The time interval between surgery and flatus pass and the need of analgesics were noted. Statistical analyses were done with Mann-Whitney U-test and chi2 tests where available. RESULTS: The time between surgery and presence of bowel sounds in four quadrants were similar in all groups (2.7 +/- 1.6, 2.9 +/- 1.2, 2.8 +/- 1.3 h, for groups A, B, and C, respectively). No difference was observed in flatus pass time. The incidence of nausea was significantly increased in group B compared to controls (P < 0.01). Additional analgesic need was significantly higher in groups A and B when compared to controls (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, for groups A and B, respectively). CONCLUSION: Rectally administered misoprostol does not improve intestinal motility in the early postoperative period and thus, it is not effective in providing early oral food intake. On the contrary, it causes distention that requires additional analgesics and vomiting that naturally limits oral diet intake.

Vaginal removal of prolapsed pedunculated submucosal myoma during pregnancy.

Pedunculated submucosal myomas are generally associated with infertility and are most often encountered during the preconception period. This report describes a 38-y-old pregnant woman in whom a pedunculated submucosal myoma resulted in preterm labor and was successfully removed vaginally at 26 wk gestation. The procedure described here is simple and quick and can be performed during pregnancy, if necessary.

B-Lynch suture after the failure of hypogastric artery ligation to control post-partum hemorrhage due to placenta increta in a patient with the factor V Leiden mutation.

Post-partum hemorrhage may be a life-threatening condition. A case of a patient receiving antithrombotic therapy for the factor V Leiden mutation, in whom post-partum hemorrhage had occurred due to placenta increta, is described. In this case, the post-partum hemorrhage did not respond to bilateral hypogastric artery ligation, while the B-Lynch surgical technique was successful in obtaining hemostasis.

Müllerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth of the cervix: unusual large polypoid mass.

Müllerian adenosarcoma (MS) is a rare neoplasm of uterine cervix composed of benign epithelial and malignant stromal components. An aggressive variant of adenosarcoma, müllerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (MASO) is extremely rare. The difference between MS and MASO is the pure high grade sarcoma features in MASO. In this report we present a MASO case, derived from uterine cervix of a 60 year-old-female patient presenting as a cervical polypoid mass, to our knowledge the second case of the English literature. In spite of sarcomatous overgrowth, high mitotic activity and huge tumor size of 12,5 cms, it displayed no myometrial invasion, vascular invasion and heterologous elements. The patient has been clinically free of disease for 14 months of follow up after total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateralsalpingo-oopherectomy. The difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of this entity will be evaluated in this report.

Anti-Müllerian hormone levels during hormonal contraception in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The use of oral contraceptive (OC) pills alters the characteristic features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) complicating the diagnosis of this disease. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are high in PCOS patients and are stable throughout the menstrual cycle in healthy subjects. This study examined the influence of hormonal suppression with OC therapy on the serum AMH levels in women with PCOS and with normal menstrual cycles. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty women with PCOS and 15 women with normal menstrual cycles were enrolled in this prospective study. Serum was collected from the subjects during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle and after the sixth cycle of oral contraceptive therapy, and stored frozen until assayed. The effect of OC therapy on the serum AMH, estradiol (E(2)), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), free testosterone, total testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels was studied. In addition, ovarian volume and follicle count were assessed. RESULTS: The serum AMH levels in PCOS patients were significantly higher than in healthy women at baseline (+/-S.D.; 5.49+/-2.26 and 1.93+/-0.51 ng/ml, respectively; p=0.001). After six cycles of OC therapy, no significant changes in the AMH levels were observed in either the PCOS patients or normally cycling women. Ultrasound showed significant reductions in ovarian volume and follicle number and size at 6 months in both groups. CONCLUSION: Although significant reductions were observed in ovarian volume and follicle number, 6 months of contraceptive therapy did not change the serum AMH concentration in either group. AMH may be considered a new marker in PCOS patients who are already on contraceptive treatment.

Effect of different hormonal therapies on thyroid function in surgical menopause: short-term results.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of different hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimens on thyroid function in surgical menopause. STUDY DESIGN: In a randomized, controlled study, 59 euthyroid women with surgical menopause were randomized to an estrogen-only (n=20), tibolone (n=20) or calcium-only (n=19) group. On the 5th postoperative day and 4th and 12th weeks, serum E2, TSH, free T3 and free T4 levels were determined. RESULTS: Although the initial and week 4 serum E2, TSH, free T3 and free T4 levels were comparable, the week 12 serum E2 and TSH levels were different between the subjects on estrogen therapy and those receiving tibolone or calcium only (p=0.008 and 0.000, respectively). Serum E2 levels were higher and TSH levels lower in subjects receiving estrogen. Moreover, serum TSH levels correlated negatively with serum E2 levels in the 12th week of estrogen use (r=-0.354, p=0.006). TSH increased in the tibolone group as compared to the estrogen group but was still lower than in the calcium-only group; however, the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Irrespective of different regimens, HRT does not have an important short-term effect on thyroid function in women with surgical menopause.

Perioperative complications in abdominal sacrocolpopexy and vaginal sacrospinous ligament fixation procedures.

This study assessed perioperative complications in abdominal sacrocolpopexy and vaginal sacrospinous ligament fixation procedures. Perioperative complications were defined as any complication occurring during surgery or the first 6 weeks postoperatively. Forty-five patients underwent abdominal procedures (20 sacrohysteropexy and 25 sacrocolpopexy) and 60 patients underwent vaginal sacrospinous fixation. Of the 105 patients, 13 had vaginal vault prolapse. In the abdominal group, one bladder injury, four hemorrhages, and three wound dehiscences occurred. In the vaginal group, one rectal injury and one postoperative vaginal vault infection occurred. Major and minor complications were more frequent in the abdominal group than in the vaginal group. Blood loss was not significantly different. The operating time and hospital stay in the abdominal group were significantly longer than in the vaginal group. In conclusion, abdominal sacrocolpopexy had a higher rate of perioperative complications and longer hospital stay and operating time.

Abdominal sacrohysteropexy in young women with uterovaginal prolapse: results of 20 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To report the results of abdominal sacrohysteropexy with polypropylene mesh in young women who wish to retain their uteri following uterovaginal prolapse. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty young women underwent abdominal sacrohysteropexy and concomitant reconstructive surgery. The preoperative and postoperative protocols included a urogynecologic history, physical examination, voiding diary, 1-hour pad test, cough stress test, multichannel urodynamic studies and administration of a validated, prolapse-specific symptom inventory and quality of life instrument. RESULTS: Of the 20 patients with marked uterovaginal prolapse, 13 had urodynamic stress incontinence. Anterior and posterior vaginal wall prolapse and urodynamic stress incontinence recurred in 1 of 20 patients (5%) at a mean follow-up of 25 months. Nineteen patients stated that their sex life had improved, although 3 of them had dyspareunia. One patient was dissatisfied owing to persistent dyspareunia. The postoperative values on the symptom inventory and quality of life scores were significantly lower than the preoperative values. The low scores suggest satisfaction and no symptoms of prolapse. CONCLUSION: Abdominal sacrohysteropexy is effective and safe in the treatment of uterovaginal prolapse in women who wish to retain their uteri. It maintains a durable anatomic restoration, normal vaginal axis and sexual function. The success rate is excellent for correcting prolapse, and the complications are minimal.

Emergency peripartum hysterectomy: a 9-year review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, indications, risk factors, and complications of emergency peripartum hysterectomy. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of the patients requiring an emergency peripartum hysterectomy of a 9-year period was conducted. Emergency peripartum hysterectomy was defined as one performed for hemorrhage unresponsive to other treatment less than 24 h after delivery. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained from the maternal records. RESULTS: There were 34 emergency peripartum hysterectomies out of 117,095 deliveries for a rate of 0.29 per 1,000. Of the 16 cases that were delivered by cesarean section, seven had a previous cesarean section and 18 cases were delivered vaginally, including two using vacuum extraction. Total hysterectomy was performed in 24 patients, and subtotal hysterectomy in ten patients. The indications for hysterectomy were uterine rupture (n=12), placenta accreta (n=10), uterine atony (n=7), and hemorrhage (n=5). There were two maternal deaths, six stillbirths, and two early neonatal deaths. CONCLUSION: This study identified surgical deliveries, uterine rupture, placenta accreta, and uterine atony as risk factors for emergency peripartum hysterectomy. The most common reason for abnormal placental adherence was a previous cesarean section. Multiparity and oxytocin use for uterine stimulation were among the risk factors for uterine atony that necessitated emergency peripartum hysterectomy.

Effect of hypertension therapy with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor lisinopril on hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, lisinopril, on serum androgen and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in hypertensive women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Infertility Clinic of the Sani Konukoglu Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey. PATIENT(S): Ten hypertensive women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): Lisinopril, 10 mg/day, for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)): Serum levels of gonadotropins, DHEAS, total T, free T, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), androstenedione, E2, SHBG, TSH, and PRL were determined. RESULT(S): Hypertension treatment with lisinopril (10 mg/day for 4 weeks) resulted in a statistically significant decrease in serum free T levels. However, there was no difference in the SHBG levels. CONCLUSION(S): Use of lisinopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, results in decreased free T levels independently of SHBG. It may affect the free T levels by affecting the ovarian renin-angiotensin system.