A Novel Device for Peritoneal Access in Laparoscopic Surgery
July 7th 2011Laparoscopy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States today. It is the modality of choice for many physicians for removal of ectopic pregnancy, bilateral tubal sterilization, treatment of endometriosis, lysis of adhesions, cholecystectomy, appendectomy, splenectomy, prostatectomy, etc. It is becoming increasingly popular for more complex procedures, including laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy.
Obesity: To Treat, or Not to Treat?
July 7th 2011Obesity: to treat, or not to treat: that is the question? Recently I read a column in the Florida Sun Sentinel in which some ob/gyns in South Florida reported that they turned away obese patients-15 practices of the 105 polled stated that they had established a weight “cut-off” starting at 200 pounds. In the interest of transparency I must admit that I would have problems finding a doctor under these circumstances as I am 5′ 10.5″ and over these physicians’ set weight limit.
Ovulation Induction in In-Vitro Fertilization
July 6th 2011Reproductive endocrinology, a relatively new subspecialty of obstetrics and Gynecology, came of age during the 1980s. The discipline has benefited greatly from substantial recent advances in reproductive biology and allied fields and technologic improvements in computers, ultrasonography, and surgical instrumentation. All of these developments have been applied to clinical practice at an unprecedented rate.
Air Force Tests Wearable Ultrasound Technology
July 6th 2011The Air Force has a program, the Education and Training Technology Application Program (ETTAP), specifically geared to introduce new technology into the training environment. This program funds initiatives to incorporate the latest advances in technology into the training setting.
Sonography, What is it? Words are Golden
July 5th 2011Confusion about whether to use "ultrasound" or "sonogram," "sonographer" or "ultrasound tech", has done the profession a disservice. The following is the unedited version of the manuscript submitted, including references. The version referenced above was edited.
Clarifying the Role of Three-dimensional Transvaginal Sonography in Reproductive Medicine
July 5th 2011This overview describes and illustrates the clinical applications of three-dimensional transvaginal sonography in reproductive medicine. Its main applications include assessment of uterine anomalies, intrauterine pathology, tubal patency, polycystic ovaries, ovarian follicular monitoring and endometrial receptivity. It is also useful for detailed evaluation of failed and/or ectopic pregnancy. Three-dimensional color Doppler sonography provides enhanced depiction of uterine, endometrial, and ovarian vascularity.
Non-rigid Registration of a 3D Ultrasound and a MR Image Data Set of the Female Pelvic Floor
July 5th 2011The visual combination of different modalities is essential for many medical imaging applications in the field of Computer-Assisted medical Diagnosis (CAD) to enhance the clinical information content. Clinically, incontinence is a diagnosis with high clinical prevalence and morbidity rate.
Urge Urinary Incontinence Plagues Women After Surgery for Stress Incontinence
July 4th 2011Urge urinary incontinence (UUI) can be a troublesome symptom following surgery for stress incontinence and may be most likely to occur in women with a history of preoperative UUI. Meanwhile, the number of these procedures has grown, mostly due to the availability of the less invasive midurethral sling procedure
Clinicians Not Fully Identifying Postmenopausal Women at Risk for Invasive Breast Cancer
July 2nd 2011Breast cancer causes more than 40,000 deaths annually and is only second to lung cancer in cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States. Since early identification is key to prompt treatment and the best prognosis, it is crucial to identify women at risk.
Industrialization of medicine: Coming soon to a practice like yours!
July 1st 2011Arguing that a relentlessly rising volume of care driven by our discounted fee-for-service payment system is exacerbating both cost inflation and suboptimal care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided to adopt value-based purchasing.
Raising the cutoff level for a Hybrid capture 2 result
July 1st 2011New findings indicate that the cutoff level for Hybrid capture 2 test for primary screening for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia can be increased to reduce the burden on women while still meeting international sensitivity recommendations.
Is mesh better than colporrhaphy for pelvic organ prolapse?
July 1st 2011Compared with anterior colporrhaphy, a trocar-guided transvaginal polypropylene mesh repair kit for prolapse of the anterior vaginal wall results in higher short-term success rates, but also higher rates of surgical complications and postoperative events, according to study findings.
Laparoscopic Sterilization Techniques
July 1st 2011At a resident's education conference, Dr. Richard M. Soderstrom, M.D. presented the following handout on today's evidence based evaluation of laparoscopic sterilization methods. Dr. Soderstrom is the author covering this subject in the USA'a first textbook on Laparoscopy, Ed. JM Phillips, Williams & Wilkins, 1977. Since then he has published widely on the subject and continues to act as a consultant to the FDA when new devices for sterilization are entertained.