Attitudes toward uterus transplantation. An option for motherhood?

Introduction: Uterus transplantation is a novel surgical procedure that allows women with absolute uterine factor infertility to carry a pregnancy and give birth. While previous studies have explored the attitudes of women with absolute uterine factor infertility toward uterus transplantation, none have surveyed and compare their views with other groups of interest (Morris syndrome women, relatives of Morris syndrome and Rokitansky syndrome women, infertile women and women of childbearing age) in the same sociocultural setting. The objective of this study was to evaluate attitudes and insights regarding uterus transplantation among women with Rokitansky syndrome and other groups of interest.

Comparative analysis of endometrial, vaginal, and gut microbiota in patients with and without adenomyosis.

Introduction: Alterations in microbiota composition have been implicated in a variety of human diseases. Patients with adenomyosis present immune dysregulation leading to a persistent chronic inflammatory response. In this context, the hypothesis that alterations in the microbiota may be involved in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis, by affecting the epigenetic, immunologic, and biochemical functions of the host, has recently been postulated.

First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection.

Research Question: Can an automated sperm injection robot perform Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSIA) for use in human IVF?

Design: The ICSIA robot automated the sperm injection procedure, including injection pipette advancement, zona pellucida and oolemma penetration with piezo pulses, and pipette removal after sperm release. The robot was first tested in mouse, hamster and rabbit oocytes, and subsequently using discarded human oocytes injected with microbeads. A small clinical pilot trial was conducted with donor oocytes to study the feasibility of the robot in a clinical setting.

Evaluation of menstrual symptoms after Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination in women with endometriosis.

Background: Vaccination can have an impact on menstruation, and this impact may be more notable in women with inflammatory gynecological pathologies such as endometriosis.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the impact of mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on menstrual cycle-related symptoms in women with endometriosis and assess the effect of hormonal therapy on potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-induced menstrual changes.

Design: A total of 848 women who received at least two doses of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines were prospectively recruited: 407 with endometriosis (endometriosis group) and 441 healthy controls (non-endometriosis group).

Assessing vaginal wall thickness by transvaginal ultrasound in breast cancer survivors: A pilot study.

Aim: There is need for a straightforward objective measure to evaluate vaginal wall changes related to hypoestrogenism. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate a transvaginal ultrasound procedure for the quantification of vaginal wall thickness in order to differentiate between healthy premenopausal women and postmenopausal women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause using ultra-low-level estrogen status as a model.

Methods: We performed a prospective, two-arm, cross-sectional pilot study comparing vaginal wall thickness measured by transvaginal ultrasound in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors using aromatase inhibitors with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM group) and healthy premenopausal women (control or C group) from October 2020 to March 2022.

Clinical and sonographic impact of oral contraception in patients with deep endometriosis and adenomyosis at 2 years of follow-up.

Nowadays, combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are successfully employed for the treatment of endometriosis (END) and adenomyosis (AD) in a large proportion of patients. However, literature focusing on the clinical and sonographic response to treatment in the long-term follow-up of patients with deep endometriosis (DE) and AD is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the symptoms and the sonographic exams at 12 and 24 months of follow-up in patients who had received a flexible extended COC regimen containing 2 mg of dienogest/30 μg ethinyl estradiol.

Preoperative Ultrasound Scoring of Endometriosis by AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification Is Concordant with Laparoscopic Surgical Findings and Distinguishes Early from Advanced Stages.

Study Objective: To compare the accuracy of preoperative ultrasound (US) in predicting the laparoscopically defined 2021 American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) Endometriosis Staging.

Design: Retrospective multicenter study of patients treated at 3 specialized endometriosis centers.

Setting: Three specialized endometriosis surgical centers in São Paulo (Brazil), Barcelona (Spain), and Avellino (Italy) participated.

Adenomyosis is an independent risk factor for complications in deep endometriosis laparoscopic surgery.

Deep endometriosis (DE) occurs in 15-30% of patients with endometriosis and is associated with concomitant adenomyosis in around 25-49% of cases. There are no data about the effect of the presence of adenomyosis in terms of surgical outcomes and complications. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of adenomyosis on surgical complications in women with deep endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

Impact of SARS-COV2 Pandemic on Patients with Endometriosis and Their Health Care.

Endometriosis is a debilitating chronic inflammatory disease. The current SARS-COV2 pandemic has had an impact on the management of these patients. Tele-health care has been a relevant tool.

Donor robotic-assisted laparoscopy for uterus transplantation.

Objective: Uterine transplantation has proven to be a viable solution in cases of absolute uterine factor infertility. Performing uterine explant surgery is one of the most difficult gynecologic surgical challenges owing to the complexity of the uterine vascular system. The goal of this video is to demonstrate uterine explant surgery and highlight the critical anatomy involved in this procedure.

Assessment of Quality of Life, Sexual Quality of Life, and Pain Symptoms in Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis Patients With or Without Associated Adenomyosis and the Influence of a Flexible Extended Combined Oral Contraceptive Regimen: Results of a Prospective, Observational Study.

Background: The quality of life of women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is impaired and may improve with combined oral contraceptives (COCs).

Aim: To compare the overall and sexual quality of life of patients diagnosed with DIE with or without associated adenomyosis (AD) with that of healthy controls and determine the influence of a COC containing 2 mg dienogest/30 μg ethinyl estradiol on these aspects.

Methods: We enrolled 42 women diagnosed with DIE; 31 diagnosed with DIE + AD by transvaginal ultrasound, and 39 non-AD/DIE controls.

Assessment of Sexual Quality of Life and Satisfaction in Couple Relationships Among Women With Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis and Adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis and endometriosis are similar gynecological diseases that decrease sexual quality of life and, in the case of endometriosis, satisfaction in couple relationships. This study aimed to assess sexual quality of life and couple satisfaction in women diagnosed with adenomyosis (AD) or deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). The study population included three groups of couples: one composed of 58 couples in which the woman was diagnosed with AD by transvaginal ultrasound (AD group), a second group comprising 55 couples in which the woman was diagnosed with isolated DIE by transvaginal ultrasound (DIE group), and a third group composed of 60 couples in which the women did not have AD or endometriosis (non-AD/DIE group).

HE4 might be a more useful tumor biomarker to detect malignancy in patients with ovarian endometrioma when malignancy is suspected.

Objective: To analyze the utility of carbohydrate antigen (CA)125 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) to detect malignancy in women with ovarian endometriosis, when ovarian cancer is suspected and ultrasonography results are inconclusive.

Methods: Women who underwent surgery between 2015 and 2019 for ovarian endometriosis or for adnexal masses, with a final diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma (clear cell and endometrioid) were included in this retrospective study. The women were divided into three groups: ovarian endometriosis (OE), ovarian carcinoma without endometriosis (OC), and ovarian carcinoma with endometriosis (OC + E).

AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification: An Anatomy-based Surgical Complexity Score.

Study Objective: To develop a new endometriosis classification system for scoring intraoperative surgical complexity and to examine its correlation with patient-reported pain and infertility.

Design: Multicenter study of patients treated at 3 recognized endometriosis centers.

Setting: Three specialized endometriosis surgical centers in São Paulo, Brazil and Barcelona, Spain.

Management of symptomatic uterine fibroids after ulipristal acetate suspension and identification of high risk patients for surgery at 6-months of follow-up.

Objective: The use of ulipristal acetate (UPA) was indicated for the treatment of uterine fibroids. Following UPA suspension in March 2020, some patients presented worsening and required surgery. We aimed to identify patients at high-risk for undergoing surgery after UPA suspension.

Assessment of quality of sexual life in women with adenomyosis.

This study aimed to assess the impact of adenomyosis (AD) on different domains of sexual life. The study population included three groups: one composed of 68 women diagnosed with AD by transvaginal ultrasound, a second group comprised by 65 women diagnosed with isolated deep infiltrating endometriosis by transvaginal ultrasound and a third group including 70 women without AD or/and endometriosis. All participants completed the Brief Profile of Female Sexual Function (B-PFSF), the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS), and the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) questionnaire.

Long-term Follow-up of Sexual Quality of Life after Laparoscopic Surgery in Patients with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis.

Study Objective: We performed a long-term follow-up to quantify the impairment of sexual quality of life (SQL) and health-related QL (HRQL) in sexually active women after laparoscopic excision of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Setting: Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

Impact of Adenomyosis on Women's Psychological Health and Work Productivity: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Quality of life in adenomyosis (AD) patients has been poorly investigated. Previous data suggest that AD has negative impact on the quality of life in these women. From September 2018 to December 2019, all consecutive female premenopausal patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with AD by transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) were invited to participate in a comparative cross-sectional study.