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To interpret the literature describing the results of surgery for endometriosis, a clear understanding of the evolution and limitations of the various techniques is necessary. Up to the end of the 1970’s, minimal and mild endometriosis was destroyed endoscopically by heat application (endothermia) and by unipolar or bipolar coagulation. Treatment of more severe endometriotic disease was mostly radical by hysterectomy, often leaving some rectovaginal endometriosis which has not been fully recognised before 1989.

Endometriosis can infiltrate the surrounding tissues resulting in an important sclerotic, and inflammatory reaction which can translate clinically in nodularity, bowel stenosis and ureteral obstruction. The most severe forms such as rectovaginal endometriosis and endometriosis invading the rectum or the sigmoid have been known since the beginning of this century. These conditions, however, are relatively rare with an estimated prevalence of less than 1%.

Laparoscopy, looking inside the abdomen through a tube placed through a small incision, is a procedure commonly used by gynecologists to diagnose and treat a number of medical conditions. Since the early 1900's when rudimentary laparoscopes were used to visualize, but not treat, abdominal diseases, advancements in this technique have led to the ability to perform complex surgical procedures through a few small incisions, rather than the larger incisions used in the past.

The medical literature has reported an increase in myomectomy during caesarean section in the past decade. However, myomectomy performed during pregnancy remains a rarity. The management of uterine fibroids during pregnancy is usually expectant and surgical removal is generally delayed until after delivery. We present a case of a large, symptomatic uterine fibroid diagnosed during pregnancy which was successfully managed by antepartum myomectomy.

Objective: To evaluate the laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) in terms of indications, uterine size that can be operated upon, surgical procedures and their safety, intraoperative complications and blood loss, operative time, concomitant surgical procedures, postoperative period and complications, and average total cost.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new resectoscopic electrode design intended to vaporize large intrauterine myomate.

The use of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) results in a remarkable decrease in endometrial proliferation and a remarkable increase in apoptosis in the endometrium ; therefore it is effective for long-term management of menorrhagic women with uterine myomas because of the striking reduction in menorrhagia.

Three Questions to the Editorials Author

Welcome to this, my first column for OBGYN.net. My hope is that my monthly articles will entertain, question and stimulate you in all areas of OBGYN. I am a general obstetrician and gynecologist working in North London, United Kingdom with particular interests in endoscopic surgery and urogynaecology. I am also an award winning medical journalist. Over the coming months I hope to share my experiences and thoughts with you, challenge our beliefs and contribute to the ongoing debate that shapes improvements in clinical care. I welcome your feedback.

If we consider how the management of our patient's medical problems has changed throughout the years, it is easy to despair at the well-meaning intentions of our predecessors. Though we still cannot be complacent about many of the current treatment options for patients, a new era of evidence based practice as opposed to the intuitive based practice of former times has evolved. Evidence based practice is not a panacea, but it can provide us with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages of existing therapies, and expose their weaknesses thus encouraging further research.

Objective: To study the findings obtained by diagnostic laparoscopy in gynaecological problems in order to re-assess the role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of gynaecological problems during the study period.

60 obese infertile women (BMI >30) and 60 non-obese infertile women (BMI

Objectives: To compare the efficiency of laparoscopic treatment versus conventional abdominal surgery in the treatment of ectopic pregnancy (EP) and to review the clinical presentation, evaluate methods of diagnosis, and identifying the risk factors.

One of the important problems in the clinical management of cancer is the early detection of its occurrence. The demonstration of immunoreactive substances, which are specific or associated with cancer and measurable in serum, provides an interesting and promising approach to cancer detection

Acute on-set of Hematometra and Hematosalpinx in a non-communicating Rudimentary Horn of an Unicornuate Uterus: Laparoscopic Management

Objective: To present a case of catamenial pneumothorax and diaphragmatic endometriosis that was managed thoracoscopically. A review of the literature is also presented. A 28-year-old woman initially presented with bloody stools and chronic constipation. During a review of systems, the patient described monthly chest pain associated with her menses. The initial workup included a pre-operative chest x-ray that revealed a right pneumothorax and colonoscopy that revealed biopsy-proven endometriosis of the sigmoid colon.

A preliminary examination under anaesthesia should be performed, the results of pre-operative investigations should be checked to confirm the indications and limitations of the proposed procedure. The retroperitoneal lomboaortic lymphadenectomy achieved via a left internal iliac approach (Dargent et al, 2ooo). The left side is chosen for this approach because most of the lymphnodes are found in the left paraortic region (Michel et al,1998) and because it is also possible to dissect on the right side via this approach (Dargent et al, 2000).If the preoperative work-up reveals right side adenopathy, a similar approach on the right is entirely possible.

Following the first studies carried on by S. Gordts, the technique of Fertiloscopy has been developed, starting in 1997, by A.Watrelot at the "Centre Lyonnais de recherche et d'étude de la stérilité (CRES®)". Fertiloscopy is a new minimally invasive methods for the exploration of the posterior cul-de-sac which allows a complete work out of the mechanical factors of female infertility.

In order to evaluate uterine fibroids, we need to know what is on the inside of the uterus. Many times ultrasound (or saline enhanced ultrasound) or MRI will provide the information we need. Many women are subjected to endometrial biopsy which is good to rule out cancer, but useless in diagnosing submucous fibroids and polyps. Fortunately it is easy to look directly into the uterus using a thin telescope called a hysteroscope.

Hysterectomy is the most frequently performed surgery in women. The difference in life time risk between countries probably reflect the mainly the attitude of the surgeon and the available techniques.

Total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) has for me since 1996 completely replaced all abdominal hysterectomies, except when the uterus is bigger than 1 kilo. A series of larger uteri have been operated (my biggest was 1850 grams) but when a uterus is larger than 1 kilo it is preferable to discuss the surgery in detail with the patient beforehand.

Both types of surgery are complimentary. Each has specific advantages and indications. It is an advantage to have and to be able to use both.

Pelvic floor disorders: Cystocoele, Rectocoele - Enterocoele, Descensus Uteri, Incontinence

Endometriosis is still poorly understood despite a high and still increasing publication rate of over 500 articles a year, i.e. 455 426, 448, 504 and 534 in the last 5 years respectively. It is considered to be one of the most important causes of pelvic pain and of infertility. The exact prevalence is not known since a laparoscopy is required to make the diagnosis and since the recognition varies with the training and the interest of the laparoscopist. Moreover the pathophysiology is poorly understood, which makes it difficult to formulate and test simple hypotheses.

During pregnancy, every mother-to-be undergoes radical psychological and physiological changes (endocrinologic, immunologic, metabolic, or vascular) whose influence may trigger various skin manifestations, even during the very first weeks of gestation.

Urinary incontinence can be divided into urge incontinence, stress incontinence (urethral hypermobility) and/or intrinsic sphincter deficiency, mixed incontinence and overflow incontinence.

James E. Carter, MD, PhD, FACOG, OBGYN.net Editorial Advisor interviews Charles Miller, MD

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.