Platelet-rich plasma: inconclusive evidence of reproductive outcomes in menopausal women.

PURPOSE: The use of platelet-rich plasma is being investigated in reproductive medicine and clinically promoted as a fertility treatment for menopause. We aimed to review the literature on the impact of PRP on fertility in menopause. METHODS: A literature search was performed using the PubMed and MEDLINE search engines. The search was limited to the English language. Articles studying PRP use in menopause were selected for the purpose of this review. RESULTS: Limited case reports and case series studied fertility outcomes of PRP in menopause. Randomized controlled trials are lacking. Furthermore, no studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of different PRP concentrations, injection techniques, or side effects on reproductive outcomes in menopausal women. CONCLUSION: There is a dearth of data to support the routine implementation of intraovarian PRP injections for fertility restoration in menopausal women. Patients considering such therapy need to be well aware of the lack of adequate data for PRP use in menopause and should be counseled accordingly.

Endometrioma and assisted reproductive technology: a review.

PURPOSE: Endometriomas are a common cause of infertility necessitating assisted reproductive technology (ART). It had been previously thought that surgical removal of the endometriomas prior to ART would improve reproductive outcomes, but recent data suggests that surgical cystectomy might affect the ovarian reserve, decreasing the chances of ART success. The aim of this article is to review the literature on the effects of endometrioma surgery on ART outcomes providing an overview of the current evidence and assessing the need for further studies. METHODS: A literature search was performed using PubMed and MEDLINE databases to identify studies that discuss endometriomas and assisted reproductive technology before versus after surgery. RESULTS: In women with an endometrioma requiring ART, growing evidence suggests that surgery might result in damage to the ovarian reserve and further decrease chances of fertility. However, pregnancy rates, implantation rates, fertilization rates, and live birth rates seemed to be consistently similar across both groups. CONCLUSION: The current evidence is inconclusive on whether endometriomas should be surgically removed prior to ART. Further large randomized controlled trials are needed for a definite answer, and until then, management should be individualized.

Adenomyosis and infertility.

PURPOSE: Adenomyosis is a poorly understood entity with no unified treatment protocol. It has been thought to only affect the quality of life of older women, but growing evidence is highlighting the increased frequency of adenomyosis in younger patients and its possible effects on fertility outcomes. This can have a great impact on how clinicians screen, diagnose, and treat this condition. The aim of this review is to explore the relationship between adenomyosis and infertility. METHODS: A literature search of the keywords "adenomyosis", "infertility", "pregnancy" and "fertility" was conducted using the PubMed and Medline search engines. The articles selected were observational, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials. The search was limited to English, abstracts were screened, and articles were selected. RESULTS: The literature reports lower clinical pregnancy rates, lower live birth rates, higher miscarriage rates, and higher odds of adverse obstetric outcomes in patients with adenomyosis. Treatment seems to be associated with higher pregnancy rates and live births rates. CONCLUSION: An association between adenomyosis and infertility seems to exist, and treatment could lead to improved fertility outcomes.

Robot-Assisted Surgery for Endometriosis Current and Future Perspectives.

Successful resection of all visible lesions may effectively treat endometriosis-related infertility and pelvic pain. Minimally invasive surgery provides significant advantages, with lower rates of surgical complications such as surgical trauma, infection, postoperative pain, and hospital stay. Robotic surgery is shown to have similar perioperative outcomes to conventional laparoscopy; however, complex stage III and IV endometriosis, especially cases requiring significant resection such as deep infiltrating endometriosis, widespread peritoneal implants, and urologic and intestinal involvement, may benefit most from a robotic approach. There are certain aspects of endometriosis surgery where utilization of robotic technology might provide an additional benefit. These include (1) heterogeneity of lesions, and thus difficulty in identification; (2) difficulty in accurately predicting surgical complexity; and (3) prolonged operative time for complex cases. The objective of this review is to describe the current and future perspectives of robotic surgery as it pertains to endometriosis.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Arab Americans.

(1) Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have a significant impact on reducing morbidity and mortality from infection. However, vaccine hesitancy remains an obstacle in combating the pandemic. The Arab American (AA) population is understudied; thus, we aimed to explore COVID-19 attitudes within this community. (2) Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. An anonymous online survey was distributed to members of different AA associations and to the community through the snowball method. (3) Results: A total of 1746 participants completed the survey. A total of 92% of respondents reported having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 73% reported willingness to receive a booster, and 72% plan to give their children the vaccine. On multivariate analysis, respondents were more likely to be vaccine-hesitant if they were hesitant about receiving any vaccine in general. They were less likely to be vaccine-hesitant if they were immigrants, over the age of 40, up to date on their general vaccination and if they believed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in preventing an infection. The belief that all vaccines are effective at preventing diseases was also associated with lower hesitancy. (4) Conclusions: This sample of AAs have higher vaccination rates and are more willing to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 when compared to the rest of the population. However, a reemergence of hesitancy might be arising towards the boosters.

Current and Prospective Treatment of Adenomyosis.

(1) Background: Adenomyosis is a poorly understood entity which makes it difficult to standardize treatment. In this paper we review and compare the currently approved medical and surgical treatments of adenomyosis and present the evidence behind them. (2) Methods: A PubMed search was conducted to identify papers related to the different treatments of adenomyosis. The search was limited to the English language. Articles were divided into medical and surgical treatments. (3) Results: Several treatment options have been studied and were found to be effective in the treatment of adenomyosis. (4) Conclusions: Further randomized controlled trials are needed to compare treatment modalities and establish a uniform treatment algorithm for adenomyosis.