Int J Technol Assess Health Care
December 2016
Objectives: This review aims to assess the state of the science around the potential impact of certain patient characteristics on the safety and effectiveness of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Methods: Following Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA statement, a comprehensive systematic review of reviews and recent primary studies examining the impact of paternal age and maternal age, smoking, and body mass index (BMI) on the safety and effectiveness of IVF was performed. Papers, published between January 2007 and June 2014, were independently reviewed and critically appraised by two researchers using published quality assessment tools for reviews and primary studies.
Over the years, IVF/ICSI protocols have continued to evolve with efforts to improve outcomes. As a result, treatment success may be related to certain procedural factors, including number of embryos transferred and stage at which they are transferred. This review aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of IVF/ICSI in comparison to spontaneous conception and less invasive ARTs and the impact of procedure-related factors on the outcomes of IVF/ICSI in order to support the development of local clinical and policy guidance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Paget's disease is a rare skin disorder occurring in the breast (mammary) or in the groin, genital, peri-anal and axillary regions (extra-mammary). Typical treatment involves surgical excision, which in the case of extra-mammary Paget's disease, can lead to significant morbidity. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) which uses a topical or intravenous photosensitizing agent that is activated by a light source to ablate abnormal tissue, offers a minimally invasive alternative.
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