With the help of PCR analysis, cell-free fetal RhD antigen can be detected in maternal serum, offering the promise of detecting mother/child incompatibilities long before any clinical damage can occur. Here's a brief overview of the technology and why it's still not ready for prime time in the U.S.
Pregnant patients are more likely than ever to ask about stem cells and umbilical cord blood banking. In this article, an expert provides an update on the pros and cons of cord blood banking, and the controversy over private versus public banks, to help you counsel appropriately.
Can the right graft materials improve the success rates for vaginal repair surgery? Drawing upon the latest research, experts weigh the pros and cons of synthetic and biologic surgical graft materials, citing pore size as arguably the key factor in reducing complications.
Bimanual examination for measuring labor progress has its limitations. Early experience with an ultrasound-based system suggests it may have a role in monitoring cervical changes and directing oxytotic therapy.
Risk management in obstetrics and gynecology
Women with early ovarian cancer receive better care and live longer if their initial treatment is managed by a gynecologic oncologist. So say the results of a cohort study that compared ovarian cancer care delivered by gynecologic oncologists, gynecologists, and general surgeons.
Yes, says a new cost comparison of immediate colposcopy, HPV DNA testing, and conservative management in nearly 3,500 women over a 2-year period. The data are from ALTS?atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASCUS] and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [LSIL] Triage Study.
Perhaps as controversial as urogynecology is the debate surrounding optimal monitoring for the patient in labor.
Abnormal Glucose Tolerance and Insulin Resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Amongst the Taiwanese PopulationNot Correlated with Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Gly972Arg/Ala513Pro Polymorphism
New technology is making it possible for obstetrician/gynecologists to perform more and more minimally invasive procedures in the office.
Risk management in obstetrics and gynecology
I recently had the pleasure and privilege of attending a course in advanced laparoscopic skills. As surgeons, we need to be lifelong learners. Take a little time off to learn a new technique or refine an old one.
Cardiomyopathy is rare in patients who are at or near term, but it can be deadly. Consider the possibility in any woman who is pregnant or who has recently delivered and complains of swelling and trouble breathing.
Practicing medicine in post-Katrina New Orleans is not always easy. There are no 15-minute appointments.
In light of the FDA's black box warning about potential bone loss in teenagers, how do you counsel teenagers about this highly effective birth control method? Recommendations from the World Health Organization provide a practical, evidence-based approach to weighing the risks.
If there's really been such a sea change in how and when to screen for cervical cancer, when are clinicians going to take the plunge and start applying new recommendations? An expert comes to the rescue by sifting through the new ACS and ACOG guidelines, to help you put them into practice.
The Utah Supreme Court reversed itself recently when it allowed a woman to sue for future damages when there's only a possibility that her breast cancer may reoccur. A previous ruling by the high court had held that patients wanting to seek future damages must do so in their initial lawsuit. It is anticipated that this latest ruling may open the door for lawsuits against physicians by patients whose diseases are in remission, according to Medical Liability Monitor (1/2006).
A low-fat diet probably does help reduce the risk of breast cancer, says a lead researcher for the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) dietary modification trial.
In fact, researchers from the Boston area found that almost half (43% or 86) of 201 pregnant women with a history of major depression prior to pregnancy suffered from major depression during pregnancy.
Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a safe, effective way to significantly reduce symptoms in premenopausal women with uterine leiomyomas, according to the results of a multicenter clinical trial.
In a multicenter comparative study involving 149 women undergoing uterine artery embolization (UAE) and 60 women undergoing myomectomy, researchers found that both procedures resulted in similar bleeding improvement, uterine volume reduction, uterine fibroid quality-of-life score improvement, and overall quality-of-life score improvement.
Women with uterine fibroids equal to or larger than 16 weeks in size can be safely and effectively managed with abdominal myomectomy.
Adjuvant radiation therapy improves overall and relative survival in women with stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma, according to the largest reported population analysis conducted to date.
While unopposed conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) confers no protection against myocardial infarction (MI) or coronary death in generally healthy postmenopausal women between ages 50 and 79, when researchers looked only at women between 50 and 59, the story changed.
Chambers and colleagues observed a 6.1-fold increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns whose mothers had received SSRIs after 20 weeks' gestation.
This paper summarizes the work of the author in the field of pelvic floor muscle surface electromyography in the diagnosis and treatment of lower urogenital tract pain disorders. The history, definition, and treatment of vulvodynia is reviewed.
Are these symptoms of Menopause?What about life after "the change?
A comprehensive guide to polycystic ovary syndrome, from a leading authority on the condition
It is in your best health interest to see your gynecologist or primary care physician regarding specific medical problems or concerns.
It is in your best health interest to see your gynecologist or primary care physician regarding specific medical problems or concerns.