Predictive factors and treatment of recurrence of endometriosis.

Endometriosis remains an enigmatic disease process. The key is early recognition of symptoms and treatment. Treatment may begin with hormonal suppression. If medical suppression fails or if fertility is desired, surgical intervention should be used. During primary surgical intervention, the goal is for optimal treatment to decrease disease burden. However, despite adequate treatment, reoperation is needed in a good proportion of woman. Factors contributing to recurrence are multifactorial and some can be predicted and some pain recurrence occurs despite obvious evidence. Recurrent surgery should also aim to decrease disease burden and conservative versus definitive treatment is based on patient's childbearing status. In addition, use of medical treatment can temper recurrence rates. There is still tremendous work that must still be completed in the field of pain recurrence and disease recurrence with endometriosis.

A proof of concept that experience-based management of endometriosis can complement evidence-based guidelines.

Background: Management of endometriosis should be based on the best available evidence. The pyramid of evidence reflects unbiased observations analysed with traditional statistics. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the clinical interpretation of these data by experts. Unfortunately, traditional statistical inference can refute but cannot confirm a hypothesis and clinical experience is considered a personal opinion. Objectives: A proof of concept to document clinical experience by considering each diagnosis and treatment as an experiment with an outcome, which is used to update subsequent management. Materials and Methods: Experience and knowledge-based questions were answered on a 0 to 10 visual analogue scale (VAS) by surgery-oriented clinicians with experience of > 50 surgeries for endometriosis. Results: The answers reflect the collective clinical experience of managing >10.000 women with endometriosis. Experience-based management was overall comparable as approved by >75% of answers rated ≥ 8/10 VAS. Knowledge-based management was more variable, reflecting debated issues and differences between experts and non-experts. Conclusions: The collective experience-based management of those with endometriosis is similar for surgery-oriented clinicians. Results do not conflict with EBM and are a Bayesian prior, to be confirmed, refuted or updated by further observations. What is new?: Collective experience-based management can be measured and is more than a personal opinion. This might extend EBM trial results to the entire population and add data difficult to obtain in RCTs, such as many aspects of surgery.

New technologies for reproductive medicine: laparoscopy, endoscopy, robotic surgery and gynecology. A review of the literature.

Computer-enhanced telesurgery, called robotic-assisted surgery, is the latest innovation in the minimal invasive surgery field. In gynecology, this machine has been applied in several applications, in the fields of benign gynecology, reproductive medicine, urogynecology, and oncology. The purpose of this paper was to review the published scientific literature regarding robotics and its application to gynecology thus far and summarize findings of this computer enhanced laparoscopic technique. Relevant sources were identified by a Pubmed/Medline search looking at databases from January 1950 to July 2009. A total of 29 papers in benign gynecology were identified, and a total of 44 articles were analyzed involving gynecologic oncology. The estimated blood loss, number of lymph nodes extracted, operating time, length of hospital stay and complications were noted among all the studies. The data shows comparable results between robotic and laparoscopic surgery in terms of estimated blood loss, operative time, length of hospital stay, and complications for gynecologic cancer. Overall, there were more wound complications in the laparotomy approach compared to laparoscopy and robotic assisted laparoscopy. There were more lymphocysts, lymphoceles, and lymphedema in the robotic assisted laparoscopic group compared to the laparoscopy and laparotomy groups in cervical cancer patients. Infectious and lung-related morbidity, postoperative ileus, and bleeding/clot formation was more commonly reported in the laparotomy group compared the other two cohorts in endometrial cancer patients. Computer enhanced technology may enable more surgeons to convert their laparotomies to laparoscopic surgery with its associated benefits. It appears that in the hands of experienced laparoscopic surgeons, final outcomes are the same when using or not using the robot. There is good evidence that robotic surgery facilitates laparoscopic surgery, with equivalent if not better operative time and comparable surgical outcomes, shorter hospital stays, and fewer major complications than those surgeries utilizing the laparotomy approach.

MicroRNA expression profiling of eutopic secretory endometrium in women with versus without endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disorder characterized by pain and infertility. In addition to estrogen dependence, progesterone resistance is an emerging feature of this disorder. Specifically, a delayed transition from the proliferative to secretory phase as evidenced by dysregulation of progesterone target genes and maintenance of a proliferative molecular fingerprint in the early secretory endometrium (ESE) has been reported. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that collectively represent a novel class of regulators of gene expression. In an effort to investigate further the observed progesterone resistance in the ESE of women with endometriosis, we conducted array-based, global miRNA profiling. We report distinct miRNA expression profiles in the ESE of women with versus without endometriosis in a subset of samples previously used in global gene expression analysis. Specifically, the miR-9 and miR-34 miRNA families evidenced dysregulation. Integration of the miRNA and gene expression profiles provides unique insights into the molecular basis of this enigmatic disorder and, possibly, the regulation of the proliferative phenotype during the early secretory phase of the menstrual cycle in affected women.

Molecular phenotyping of human endometrium distinguishes menstrual cycle phases and underlying biological processes in normo-ovulatory women.

Histological evaluation of endometrium has been the gold standard for clinical diagnosis and management of women with endometrial disorders. However, several recent studies have questioned the accuracy and utility of such evaluation, mainly because of significant intra- and interobserver variations in histological interpretation. To examine the possibility that biochemical or molecular signatures of endometrium may prove to be more useful, we have investigated whole-genome molecular phenotyping (54,600 genes and expressed sequence tags) of this tissue sampled across the cycle in 28 normo-ovulatory women, using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. Unsupervised principal component analysis of all samples revealed that samples self-cluster into four groups consistent with histological phenotypes of proliferative (PE), early-secretory (ESE), mid-secretory (MSE), and late-secretory (LSE) endometrium. Independent hierarchical clustering analysis revealed equivalent results, with two major dendrogram branches corresponding to PE/ESE and MSE/LSE and sub-branching into the four respective phases with heterogeneity among samples within each sub-branch. K-means clustering of genes revealed four major patterns of gene expression (high in PE, high in ESE, high in MSE, and high in LSE), and gene ontology analysis of these clusters demonstrated cycle-phase-specific biological processes and molecular functions. Six samples with ambiguous histology were identically assignable to a cycle phase by both principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. Additionally, pairwise comparisons of relative gene expression across the cycle revealed genes/families that clearly distinguish the transitions of PE-->ESE, ESE-->MSE, and MSE-->LSE, including receptomes and signaling pathways. Select genes were validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Overall, the results demonstrate that endometrial samples obtained by two different sampling techniques (biopsy and curetting hysterectomy specimens) from subjects who are as normal as possible in a human study and including those with unknown histology, can be classified by their molecular signatures and correspond to known phases of the menstrual cycle with identical results using two independent analytical methods. Also, the results enable global identification of biological processes and molecular mechanisms that occur dynamically in the endometrium in the changing steroid hormone milieu across the menstrual cycle in normo-ovulatory women. The results underscore the potential of gene expression profiling for developing molecular diagnostics of endometrial normalcy and abnormalities and identifying molecular targets for therapeutic purposes in endometrial disorders.

Update on the male and female climateric.

The gonadal steroids--estrogens and androgens--appear to have a mood-elevating, psychotonic effect. The improved sense of well-being and increased vigor probably is engendered by restoration of somatic efficiency and psychic equilibrium. 1. The male climacteric, as observed in a limited number of men, is associated with a low level of serum testosterone. The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are not elevated because estrogen concentration continues unaltered well into old age. Androgen replacement therapy often lessens fatigue, depression and headaches, and headaches, and improves libidinous drives. 2. In the aging female, many climatric symptoms other than those due to vasomotor instability were heretofore considered merely coincidental. Recent studies suggest that the metabolism of cerebral hormones is markedly influenced by endogenous and exogenous gonadal steroids. Thus, postmenopausal depression, headaches, and nervousness may be hormone-dependent symptoms. 3. The incidence of endometrial cancer is no greater and is probably less in estrogen-treated women than in women not treated with estrogen, if regular cyclic courses of an oral progestogen are added to the regimen.

The role of estrogens in mastopathy and mammary cancer in perimenopausal women.

Fibrocystic disease of the breast (FCD) is an exaggeration of the normal physiologic response to cyclic estrogen and progesterone stimulation. The disorder can persist, with much less severity, in the menopausal woman. Whether FCD predisposes to mammary cancer remains moot. A new steroidal agent, danazol, can eliminate nodosities in the majority of women with FCD. Thermography may identify women who are at greater risk because of increased heat production. Mammography should be employed in women with persistently abnormal thermograms, even though no suggestive breast masses are palpable. Needle biopsy or surgical biopsy should be undertaken whenever a firm indurated mass is palpated, regardless of negative findings with a thermogram or mammogram. In a series of 1548 women treated for 10,715 women-years, the incidence of breast cancer after prolonged estrogen therapy was not increased. Although estrogens and prolactin have been incriminated in the etiology of mammary cancer, no hard facts exist to confirm such allegations.

Laparoscopic repair of ureter resected during operative laparoscopy.

Ureteral injury is a recognized complication of gynecologic surgery. During operative laparoscopy performed to treat extensive endometriosis of the pelvic sidewall, a 1.5-cm portion of the right ureter was resected and was repaired successfully. Repair of a resected ureter may be effectively accomplished endoscopically by experienced operative laparoscopists.

Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy for vaginal vault prolapse.

Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy can be used to treat vaginal vault and genital prolapse. After preparation, the vaginal apex is attached to the sacrum over the third and fourth sacral vertebrae using mesh.

The incidence of adhesions after prior laparotomy: a laparoscopic appraisal.

OBJECTIVE: To relate the presence of intra-abdominal adhesions after laparotomy to the site of incision, repeat laparotomy, and the clinical indication for prior surgery. METHODS: Three hundred sixty women undergoing operative laparoscopy after a previous laparotomy were assessed for adhesions between the abdominal wall and the underlying omentum and bowel. Complications resulting directly from these adhesions were documented. RESULTS: Patients with prior midline incisions had significantly more adhesions (58 of 102) than those with Pfannenstiel incisions (70 of 258). Patients with midline incisions performed for gynecologic indications had significantly more adhesions (109 of 259) than all types of incisions performed for obstetric indications (12 of 55). The presence of adhesions in patients with previous obstetric surgery was not affected by the type of incision. Adhesions to the bowel were significantly more frequent after midline incisions above the umbilicus. Twenty-one women suffered direct injury to adherent omentum and bowel during the laparoscopic procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-abdominal adhesions between the abdominal scar and underlying viscera are a common consequence of laparotomy. Patients undergoing laparoscopy after a previous laparotomy should be considered at risk for the presence of adhesions between the old scar and the bowel and omentum.

Vaginal vault evisceration after total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal vault rupture with intestinal herniation, although rare, is a recognized postoperative complication of vaginal and abdominal hysterectomies. The incidence after laparoscopic hysterectomy is unknown. CASES: Three women, ages 40-43 years, presented to the emergency room with bleeding and pain 2-5 months after total laparoscopic hysterectomy. The small bowel was visible through the introitus or protruding into the vagina. Inspection of the bowel revealed no evidence of trauma. Two vaginal cuff repairs were completed transvaginally and one laparoscopically, all with interrupted sutures of no. 0 polydioxanone or polyglactin. In follow-up period of 12-17 months, the patients were doing well. CONCLUSION: Total laparoscopic hysterectomy may be associated with an increased risk of vaginal vault evisceration. Because laparoscopy increasingly is used to replace abdominal hysterectomy, it is important to be aware of this complication and its management.

Normal variations of abdominal and pelvic anatomy evaluated at laparoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe certain anatomic relationships in the pelvis and abdominal wall at laparoscopy and the effect of body mass index (BMI) on those parameters. METHODS: In 103 patients we determined the following: distances from the midline to each medial umbilical ligament and the respective inferior epigastric vessels; distances between each ureter and the ipsilateral uterosacral and the infundibulopelvic ligament; relative visibility of the ureters, umbilical and uterosacral ligaments, and the sacral promontory; and the presence and location of congenital bowel attachments to the pelvic walls. RESULTS: The right ureter ran significantly closer to the infundibulopelvic and uterosacral ligaments than the left ureter. The right inferior epigastric vessels and umbilical ligament coursed more laterally than did those on the left. Both sets of inferior epigastric vessels, and the left umbilical ligament and ureter were significantly more difficult to identify in overweight women. In 69% of the subjects, the uterosacral ligaments were found to be thick or moderately thick. In two thirds, the sacral promontory was more than 75% visualized. Congenital bowel attachments were observed in 74.8% of subjects on the left pelvic sidewall, and 48.5% on the right. CONCLUSION: Left and right pelvic anatomy are not necessarily mirror images laparoscopically. The course of the inferior epigastric vessels can be more difficult to identify in overweight patients. Despite marked obesity or congenital bowel attachments to the pelvic side walls, both ureters can usually be identified. The proximity of the ureter to the uterosacral and infundibulopelvic ligaments reaffirms the need to identify them before dissection.

Hospital cost comparison between abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the hospital charges for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), vaginal hysterectomy, and laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy performed with the linear stapler. METHODS: Thirty cases of each of the three types of hysterectomies, performed at the same hospital by various surgeons, were selected at random. The authors did not participate in any of the cases evaluated. Operating room, postoperative hospitalization, and pharmacy costs were compared. Independent, two-tailed Student t test analysis was performed. RESULTS: The mean cost of performing laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy with the linear stapler ($7161.66) was significantly higher (P < .05) than that of both vaginal hysterectomy ($4868.06) and TAH ($4926.80). The cost of vaginal hysterectomy was nonsignificantly lower (P > .05) than that of TAH. The mean operating room supplies and equipment charge for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy with the linear stapler ($2468.43) was, as expected, significantly higher (P < .05) than those for both abdominal ($716.65) and vaginal ($676.16) procedures. The average operating room time charge for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy ($1264.56) was also significantly higher (P < .05) than for the other two procedures (TAH $642.76, vaginal hysterectomy $955.66). The mean total pharmacy charges were similar for all groups ($1114.27 for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, $1163.16 for vaginal hysterectomy, and $1098.71 for TAH). Reflecting the longer operating time for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, the intraoperative pharmacy costs were significantly higher for this type ($417.00) than for the TAH patients ($290.62). The difference, however, was almost erased when postoperative pharmacy charges were included, reflecting the lower cost of a shorter hospital stay in the laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy group. Some savings were realized by laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy when postoperative hospitalization charges were considered. The average hospitalization time was 2.3 days for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy, 3.0 days for vaginal hysterectomy, and 3.3 for TAH. CONCLUSIONS: The cost savings expected with the advent of laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy when performed with the linear stapler have not been realized at present. In most cost categories studied, the use of laparoscopy to perform a hysterectomy was associated with much higher costs. The predicted savings associated with the shorter hospital stay in these patients failed to offset the exorbitant intraoperative costs. However, when bipolar electrocoagulation with the CO2 laser and reusable instruments replace staplers and disposables, respectively, the projected savings are appreciated.

Laparoscopic repair of a vesicovaginal fistula: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Operative laparoscopy was performed for the management of ovarian remnant syndrome involving the bladder, bowel, vagina, and ureters, and requiring extensive dissection. A vesicovaginal fistula developed postoperatively. CASE: Because of the complexity and location of the fistula, a vaginal approach was not appropriate. Using techniques of videolaparoscopy, videocystoscopy, and operative laparoscopy, the fistula was repaired. CONCLUSION: In experienced hands, endoscopic management of complex vesicovaginal fistulas may be an alternative to the traditional abdominal approach.

Laparoscopic segmental bladder resection for endometriosis: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: The proper treatment of bladder endometriosis is unknown. CASE: Two women with endometriosis involving the full thickness of the bladder wall experienced persistent hematuria during menstruation. They had not responded to previous conservative medical or surgical therapy, so we performed laparoscopic segmental resection, with satisfactory results. CONCLUSION: Hematuria during menstruation due to endometriosis of the bladder is uncommon. In the two cases presented, good results followed laparoscopic segmental resection.

The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning after prolonged laparoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether thermal energy produced by laser and bipolar electrosurgery during laparoscopic procedures significantly elevates blood carboxyhemoglobin levels. METHODS: We prospectively studied 27 healthy nonsmoking patients, mean +/- standard deviation (SD) age 39.1 +/- 8.0 years (range 22-56), scheduled for laparoscopic procedures in which smoke was generated. Prolonged operative laparoscopy involved high-flow carbon dioxide insufflation, intensive evacuation of intra-abdominal smoke, and controlled hyperventilation with 50-100% oxygen. Laser and bipolar electrosurgery were used in all cases. Blood samples were drawn before and after surgery. Carboxyhemoglobin concentrations were measured using a highly accurate gas chromatography method. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD duration of surgery was 141 +/- 72 minutes (range 45-300). The mean +/- SD carboxyhemoglobin levels were 0.70 +/- 0.15% (range 0.44-1.20%) before surgery and 0.58 +/- 0.20% (range 0.30-1.33%) after surgery. A significant decrease (P < .001) in carboxyhemoglobin concentrations occurred during surgery (mean +/- SD, 20 +/- 11%; range 3-46%). The carboxyhemoglobin level was increased at the end of surgery in only one woman. In only one patient did the levels exceed 1% (1.33%), still well below the human threshold tolerance level of 2%. The Spearman correlation coefficient between carboxyhemoglobin concentrations and duration of surgery was r = 0.308 (P = .12). CONCLUSION: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is not associated with even prolonged laparoscopic surgical procedures. This may be attributed to aggressive smoke evacuation that minimizes exposure to CO, and to active elimination of CO by ventilation with high oxygen concentrations.

Long-term outcome of laparoscopic presacral neurectomy for the treatment of central pelvic pain attributed to endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term pain reduction achieved by laparoscopic presacral neurectomy. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six women with median (range) age 30 (18-45) years underwent presacral neurectomy combined with excision and vaporization of endometriotic lesions and were observed, using structured questionnaires, for up to 72 months postoperatively. The study included a convenience sample of the first 100 questionnaires returned. Forty of the women were studied for 12-23 months, and 60 for 24-72 months. The main outcome measures were reduction of pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia after surgery. RESULTS: Pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia were reportedly reduced by more than 50% in 74, 61, and 55 patients, respectively, more than 12 months after laparoscopic presacral neurectomy. More than 50% reduction in pelvic pain was reported by 69.8%, 77.3%, 71.4%, and 84.6% of the patients, respectively, with endometriosis stages I-IV, using the revised classification of the American Fertility Society. Comparatively, more than 50% reduction in dysmenorrhea was reported by 52.8% of the patients with stage I endometriosis, 68.2% with stage II, 71.4% with stage III, and 69.2% with stage IV. Reduction of dyspareunia by more than 50% was reported by 54.7% of the patients with stage I endometriosis, 50.0% with stage II, 28.6% with stage III, and 61.5% with stage IV. CONCLUSION: Long-term outcome of laparoscopic presacral neurectomy is satisfactory in the majority of patients. The stage of endometriosis is not related directly to the degree of pain improvement achieved.

Laparoscopic removal of dermoid cysts.

Nine reproductive-age women underwent removal of unilateral or bilateral dermoid cysts via laparoscopy. Over a follow-up period of 12-42 months, there were no immediate or long-term complications. Four patients have had repeat laparoscopy for evaluation of possible pelvic adhesion formation; one had mild periovarian adhesions and the pelvis appeared normal in the other three.

Fimbrioscopy and salpingoscopy in patients with minimal to moderate pelvic endometriosis.

Fimbrioscopy and salpingoscopy were performed with a rigid salpingoscope during operative laparoscopy in 100 patients with minimal to moderate endometriosis and in 20 normal controls. Five women with endometriosis had perifimbrial adhesions, compared with none of the controls. No subject in either group had adhesion formation of the endosalpinx. These observations indicate that there is no association between endometriosis and intratubal disease.