Pregnancy and Birth

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The majority of women in the perimenopausal period have completed their childbearing and resolutely do not want to conceive at this age. This gives rise to the question as to what contraceptive method they should use to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. At this stage in their lives, an unintended pregnancy would be devastating, and it is something they are usually very eager to avoid.

Progesterone is a natural hormone which is produced by the ovary during the second half of the menstrual cycle. It's biological function is to change the lining of the uterus so that the cells which line the uterus can provide nutrition to the developing embryo during the earliest phases of development after conception.

Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. This can be done through either an abdominal or a vaginal incision, and either with or without removal of the ovaries. Almost 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the U.S. This makes hysterectomy the second most common major surgical procedure performed in this country, with the first most common being cesarean section.

Adenomyosis is a benign disease of the uterus in which components normally limited to the endometrium (the thin innermost uterine layer) are found within the myometrium (the middle muscular layer of the uterus). The exact prevalence of adenomyosis is not known because the diagnosis can be made only by microscopic examination of uterine specimens obtained during surgery or, less often, during biopsy.

If you have just been told that you may need to have a hysterectomy, what are you feeling? Frightened, uncertain, vulnerable, angry, out of control -- don't panic. I don't think anyone could have had any more of a negative reaction than I did when I was told, "you should probably think about having surgery."

Entering the word ‘contraception’ into a search engine will result in over one million hits, from commercial sites to personal homepages and scientific sites. How can the physician find the information s/he is seeking in this overwhelming labyrinth? This review presents a guideline for quick access to practical professional information in the field of contraception and reproductive health care.

The source of chronic pelvic pain may be reproductive organ, urological, musculoskeletal - neurological, gastrointestinal, or myofascial. A psychological component almost always is a factor whether as an antecedent event or presenting as depression as result of the pain.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the lining of the uterine cavity (endometrium) grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity, including all the reproductive organs as well as on the bladder, small bowel, colon, rectum, appendix, and vagina. However, endometriosis cannot be considered simply as misplaced endometrium, because it differs in hormonal responses and visual appearance.

Advances in technologies have allowed conduct of many procedures by laparoscopy and hysteroscopy. These are the essence of our specialty. Most new technologies foster improved performance. In business term, they are called sustaining technologies. In fact, most technological advances in an industry are sustaining in nature.

ISGE July 2005 Volume 13

We are in the cyber-era. Many conventional “snail” mails have been replaced with emails. Electronic mails allow easy, fast and economical communication. It is ideal for short messages, and quick questions and replies. For ISGE with members from around the world, it is a convenient way to communicate; time-zone is not a factor anymore. You send your e-mail and the receiver replies at his or her convenience. It helps us stay connected.

Suppose for instance, that last year, the chair of an organizing committee invites you to lecture at a meeting. You accept. You then assist this chair in organizing the program by inviting other speakers to the meeting. Two months before the meeting, the invitation for you to speak is withdrawn.

In minimally invasive surgery (MIS), complications can occur due to faulty instruments, surgical technique, or inadequate patient election. Surgeons who routinely perform MIS rarely encounter complications. Conversely, practicing gynecologists at large often find that certain procedures or techniques are not as safe as previously reported in the literature by the "experts." One of the reasons is that complications tend to be underreported.

The tragic events of September 11 have, to put it mildly, thrown many people off balance. On a somewhat secondary scale, our Society was affected. The 5th Regional Meeting of ISGE in conjunction with the 2nd Brazilian Congress of Gynecologic Endoscopy took place on September 12-15, 2001.

We are entering a time in the development of the discipline of gynecologic endoscopy where there is an opportunity to build bridges, both ideologically and functionally. The science and practice of endoscopy have progressed to the point where core groups of advanced endoscopic surgeons have organized themselves in every corner of the world, not only to exchange knowledge, but also to set goals and plan for the future of the field.

Uterine prolapse or dropped womb is a condition in which the uterus drops downward in the pelvis below its normal position. The uterus may drop slightly and remain above the introitus (vaginal opening, grade 1). It may drop further so that the cervix or lower portion of the uterus reach the region of the introitus (grade 2). In the most severe form, the cervix or even the entire uterus bulges out of the introitus (grade 3). Uterine prolapse is the indication for hysterectomy in 16% of cases in the U.S.

The first laparoscopic hysterectomy was performed in 1989 by Henry Reich. Nowadays the laparoscopic hysterectomy for a uterus up to 300 grams, without other pathologies that could limit its mobility or without a poor vaginal access, has to be considered a basic well standardized procedure.

What are Uterine Fibroids?The walls of the uterus are made of smooth muscle called myometrium, and the inside lining, with glandular tissue, is called endometrium. “Uterine fibroid” is a slang term for leiomyoma, or often simply myoma. Fibroids are benign tumors made of smooth muscle cells.

New research sheds light on vulvodynia, showing that the disorder is under-diagnosed and inadequately treated. Since the chronic pain associated with vulvodynia can make it difficult to sit or participate in sexual activity, the disorder greatly impacts quality of life for women afflicted with it. The research is published online as part of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Hysterectomy is the most frequently performed operation in women, with a life time risk varying from country to country from less than 20% to more than 40%. Overall these differences reflect more medical practice than differences in pathology between countries.

Menopause and Hormones

Steroid hormones have a typical chemical structure. Their mechanism of action is through binding to a specific receptor which in the nucleus of the cell will induce effects at the genomic level.