Fertility specialists' views, behavior, and attitudes towards the use of endometrial scratching in Italy.

Background: Endometrial scratching (ES) or injury is intentional damage to the endometrium performed to improve reproductive outcomes for infertile women desiring pregnancy. Moreover, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials demonstrated that ES is not effective, data on the safety are limited, and it should not be recommended in clinical practice. The aim of the current study was to assess the view and behavior towards ES among fertility specialists throughout infertility centers in Italy, and the relationship between these views and the attitudes towards the use of ES as an add-on in their commercial setting.

Histopathological Examination and Endoscopic Sinusectomy: Is It Possible?

Introduction: Although carcinomatous degeneration is a rare occurrence, some authors support the need for a histopathological examination after pilonidal cyst excision. Today, minimally invasive techniques are widely spread for the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease but opposed to standard procedures, these techniques could not allow to perform a histopathological examination because of the absence of a specimen. The aim of this two-institutions study is to evaluate whether histopathological examination of the pilonidal sinus excision material can be successfully performed after an endoscopic ablation of the cyst.

Endoscopic Treatment of Pilonidal Sinus Disease: State of Art and Review of the Literature.

Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a chronic troublesome pathology of the natal cleft of the sacrococcygeal region, with an estimated incidence of 26 cases in every 100,000 inhabitants. The aim of this review is to give a snapshot of the current literature on the endoscopic approach to PSD. A search on endoscopic treatment of pilonidal disease was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, adopting the following search terms: (pilonidal OR sacrococcygeal) and (endoscopic OR VAAPS OR EPSiT OR minimally invasive OR video-assisted OR video assisted).

Effect of bariatric surgery on in vitro fertilization in infertile men with obesity.

Background: Obesity has previously been related to reduced female fertility, with prolonged waiting time to pregnancy among women with a body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m but there are few studies investigating the relationship between high BMI, bariatric surgery, and male fertility.

Objectives: The primary objective of this article was to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in a cohort of men with morbid obesity who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

Setting: University hospital, bariatric surgery unit.

Early versus delayed endoscopic treatment of acute pilonidal abscess: a propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: According to the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery guidelines, the most effective approach to the pilonidal abscess is adequate surgical drainage, concerning incision and drainage of the pilonidal cavity. Few recent studies have demonstrated that endoscopic approach could be a valid treatment option even in the case of acute pilonidal abscess. The aim of our study is to assess if video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus (VAAPS) could be an alternative to treat an acute pilonidal abscess and to evaluate if an immediate endoscopic approach to the pilonidal abscess is preferable to a delayed procedure after incision and drainage.

Endoscopic Approach to Recurrent Pilonidal Sinus: A Retrospective Analysis.

The aim of this study is to report short- and long-term results using video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus (PS) technique to treat recurrent PS. We included all consecutive patients with a recurrent PS disease operated on with endoscopic approach since 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2018. Analyzed outcomes were recurrence rate at 1, 3, and 5 years, time off work, time to sitting on toilet and to walk without pain, time to wound healing, rate of incomplete wound healing and postoperative infection, postoperative pain at 6 hours, 1 day, and 1 week, and patients' satisfaction after 1 month.

Long-term results of a randomized clinical trial comparing endoscopic versus conventional treatment of pilonidal sinus.

Background: In the new era of minimally invasive surgery, recent studies encouraged the adoption of endoscopic approaches as the most effective way to treat (pilonidal sinus disease) PSD but little is known about long-term results of minimally invasive procedures.

Materials And Methods: A total of 145 patients with chronic non recurrent pilonidal sinus were enrolled for this randomized controlled trial. The follow-up rate was 97% at 5 years for a total of 74 patients assigned to the minimally invasive treatment group and 67 patients assigned to the conventional Bascom cleft lift treatment group.

Minimally Invasive Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: A Narrative Review.

The management of chronic pilonidal disease remains controversial, but recently, new minimal invasive approaches have been proposed. Whereas in the conventional surgical treatment an elliptical wedge of skin and subcutaneous tissue is created to remove the sinus and its lateral tracks, the basis for our new treatment is to create a minimal elliptical wedge of the subcutaneous tissue, including all the inflamed tissue and debris while leaving the overlying skin intact. The mechanism of an endoscopic approach relies on use of the endoscope without cutaneous tissue damage.

Association of human leukocyte antigen-G 14 bp polymorphism with recurrent pregnancy loss in European countries: a meta-analysis of literature studies.

Objective: To study the controversial association between human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) 14 bp polymorphism and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We performed a meta-analysis of studies in the literature that enrolled only women of European countries who experienced RPL spontaneously or after undergoing IVF.

Design: Systematic meta-analysis of articles published before January 2019 pertaining the association of HLA-G genotype and RPL.

Video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus (VAAPS) versus sinusectomy for treatment of chronic pilonidal sinus disease: a comparative study.

Since its first description in 1883, different treatments for pilonidal sinus disease have been proposed, but we are still far from the identification of an ideal approach. The objective of this study is to determine if video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus (VAAPS) could be considered superior/non-inferior to standard sinusectomy for treatment of pilonidal sinus disease. After applying propensity score analysis, data from 40 patients who underwent sinusectomy and 40 patients who underwent VAAPS, from March 2011 to August 2013, were collected.

Does Bariatric Surgery Improve Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes in Obese Infertile Women?

Background: Little is known about the impact of bariatric surgery on obese infertile women seeking an assisted reproductive technology.

Methods: All obese women with a history of assisted reproductive technology (ART) failure that underwent ART treatment cycles both prior to and following bariatric surgery were included. ART outcomes were compared evaluating the duration and dose of gonadotrophins used; the measurement of day 3 FSH; the anti-mullerian hormone dosage; the number of follicles >15 mm; the number of retrieved and fertilized oocytes; the number of metaphase II, metaphase I and germinal vesicle oocytes; the number of embryos obtained; the number of top-quality oocytes and embryos; the number of transferred embryo; the pregnancy rate and the live birth rate.

Incidence of Successful Pregnancy After Weight Loss Interventions in Infertile Women: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Literature.

Little is known about the impact of weight loss interventions on pregnancy rate. A systematic review with meta-analysis of literature has been performed to evaluate the incidence of successful pregnancy after bariatric interventions in infertile women. By pooling together data from 589 infertile obese women, we have been able to provide an aggregate estimation of successful pregnancy after weight loss interventions.

Role of colonoscopy in the diagnostic work-up of bowel endometriosis.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of colonoscopy for the prediction of intestinal involvement in deep pelvic endometriosis.

Methods: This prospective observational study was performed between September 2011 and July 2014. Only women with both a clinical and imaging diagnosis of deep pelvic endometriosis were included.

A vaginal drain of a pelvic abscess due to colonic diverticulitis.

Although well recognized for tubo-ovarian abscesses, we report, in our best knowledge, the first case of a vaginal drain of a pelvic abscess due to colonic diverticulitis. A 78-year-old patient presented with abdominal and pelvic pain, fever (39.3 °C) and an elevated white blood cell count (18500/mL).

Video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus: a new minimally invasive treatment--a pilot study.

Background: We hypothesized that video-assisted ablation of pilonidal sinus could be an effective, minimally invasive treatment of pilonidal sinus. This new, minimally invasive treatment allows the identification of the sinus cavity with its lateral tracks, destruction and the removal of all infected tissue, and the removal of any hair.

Study Design: All consecutive patients with primary sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus were screened for enrolment in our study.

Diagnostic value of abdominal free air detection on a plain chest radiograph in the early postoperative period: a prospective study in 648 consecutive patients who have undergone abdominal surgery.

Background: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the predictive value of free air (on a plain radiograph) for bowel perforation in a large prospective cohort of surgical patients.

Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing abdominal surgery between January 2011 and June 2012 were screened for this study. We performed an upright chest radiograph on the second and third postoperative day.

Effect of bariatric surgery on obesity-related infertility.

Background: There is a strong association between obesity and infertility, and weight loss can increase fecundity in obese women. In an attempt to determine the effect of bariatric surgery on obesity-related infertility, we reviewed the fertility outcomes after intragastric balloon placement, adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass in childbearing women with a diagnosis of infertility at a university hospital in Italy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 110 obese infertile women.

Review of new office-based hysteroscopic procedures 2003-2009.

Office operative hysteroscopy is a recent technique that enables treatment of uterine pathologic disorders in the ambulatory setting using miniaturized hysteroscopes with mechanical or electric instruments. The available international literature from 1990 to 2002 has clearly demonstrated that such technique enables performance of hysteroscopically directed endometrial biopsy and treatment of uterine adhesions, anatomic disorders, polyps, and small myomas safely and successfully without cervical dilation and the need for anesthesia. This review provides a comprehensive survey of further advancements of office operative hysteroscopy in the treatment of other gynecologic pathologic conditions that have not been included in the schema of treatment indications for office procedures proposed in 2002.