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Obesity: 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.

Reproductive 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.

Fibroids may be felt during a pelvic exam, but many times myomas that are causing symptoms can be missed if the examiner relies just on the examination. Also, other conditions such as adenomyosis or ovarian cysts may be mistaken for fibroids. For this reason, I routinely do an Ultrasound of fibroid in endometrial cavity ultrasound examination at the time of the first visit when a woman has symptoms of abnormal bleeding or cramping, or if I feel an abnormality on examination.

The 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.

Confusion 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.

This 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.

New 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.

Since World War II, evidence-based medicine has rapidly replaced custom and lore. Proliferation of imaging and laboratory studies has improved diagnostic accuracy.

Compared 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.

Many options are currently available to treat the symptoms of endometriosis. Of these options, surgery is the only one that actually removes or destroys the endometriosis itself. There seems to be a fair amount of confusion surrounding the issue of which surgical technique (excision, laser vaporization, etc.) is the best method to surgically remove endometriosis.

At 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.