The Quality and Utility of Referral Letters for Gender-Affirming Surgery.

Purpose: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) recommends referral by a mental health professional for gender-affirming chest and genital surgeries. However, several transgender health guidelines propose an informed consent model of care to respect patient autonomy. This research aimed to understand, characterize, and asses the quality of information gathered through referral letters for patients consulting for gender-affirming surgeries.

Gynae-Oncology Surgeons' Preparedness to Undertake Colorectal Procedures during Cytoreductive Surgery for Ovarian Cancer: A Cross Sectional Survey.

Cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer commonly involves bowel resection. Although UK gynaecological oncologists are trained in bowel surgery, the degree to which they perform bowel surgery independently varies nationally. A recent joint policy statement from the British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) emphasises the need for formalised colorectal support.

Feasibility of an External Erectile Prosthesis for Transgender Men Who have Undergone Phalloplasty.

Introduction: Transgender men interested in achieving penetration after phalloplasty are currently limited to internal devices and makeshift supports. More options are needed to support sexual penetration after phalloplasty.

Aim: This study was designed to assess the feasibility of an external erectile prosthesis (the Elator) for transgender men who have undergone phalloplasty and wish to use their neophallus for sexual penetration, assess how the device affected the sexual experiences of men and their partners, and identify any side effects and concerns.

COVID-19 infection, and reinfection, and vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection among health care workers in the setting of omicron variant transmission in New Delhi, India.

Background: Surge of SARS CoV-2 infections ascribed to omicron variant began in December 2021 in New Delhi. We determined the infection and reinfection density in a cohort of health care workers (HCWs) along with vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection within omicron transmission period (considered from December 01, 2021 to February 25, 2022.

Methods: This is an observational study from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Concerns About Internal Erectile Prostheses Among Transgender Men Who Have Undergone Phalloplasty.

Background: Transgender men who undergo gender-affirming phalloplasty have limited options for attaining sufficient rigidity for sexual penetration.

Aim: The goal of this study was to understand interest in and concerns about internal erectile prostheses among transgender men who had undergone phalloplasty.

Methods: As part of a pilot study of an external erectile device, transgender men (n = 15) were surveyed about their interest in, and concerns about, getting an internal prosthesis.

Closed-Incision Negative Pressure Wound management Following Midline Laparotomy in Gynecological Oncology Operations: A Feasibility Pilot Study.

Introduction Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a cause of considerable morbidity and mortality in healthcare. Increasingly, closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT) is being studied as a potential method of reducing incidence of SSI with conflicting results in the literature. Few studies however have looked at its use in the field of gynecological oncology.

Survival outcomes in elderly Taiwanese women according to breast cancer subtype and lymph node status: A single-center retrospective study.

This study aimed to determine the rates of overall survival and recurrence-free survival among elderly Taiwanese women (>65 years old) according to breast cancer subtype and lymph node status. We identified 554 eligible patients who were >65 years old and had been treated based on international recommendations at our center between June 2005 and June 2015. Patients with the luminal A subtype had the highest rates of overall survival (90.

Use of the Subfascial Plane for Gender-affirming Breast Augmentation: A Case Series.

Unlabelled: Transgender women seeking gender-affirming breast augmentation often present with differences in preoperative chest measurements and contours in comparison with cisgender women. These include a more robust pectoralis muscle and limited glandular tissue, raising important considerations in determining the optimal anatomical plane for implantation. Abundant literature has described advantages and drawbacks of the available planes for breast augmentation in cisgender women.

Surgery of Benign Ovarian Masses by a Gynecological Cancer Surgeon: A Cohort Study in a Tertiary Cancer Centre.

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate diagnostic performance in characterising ovarian masses by our gynaecological oncology multidisciplinary team meeting (MDM). Surgical outcome and overall impact on patients and healthcare service were also assessed. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of all women with adnexal masses presenting to the gynaecological oncology MDM at a central London tertiary cancer centre between February 2017 and February 2018.

Use of electrochemotherapy in women with vulvar cancer to improve quality-of-life in the palliative setting: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Electrochemotherapy involves the use of transient tumor permeabilization via electric pulses in combination with low-dose chemotherapeutic agents. It has recently emerged as an alternative treatment modality in vulvar cancer. The aim of this meta-analysis was to ascertain the effectiveness of electrochemotherapy in the context of palliative care.

Spontaneous Heterotopic Pregnancy Associated with Massive Intraperitoneal Haemorrhage and a Normal Heart Rate, Illustrating the Concept of Relative Bradycardia.

A 28-year-old, 9 and a half weeks pregnant (spontaneous conception) multigravida presented with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. On examination, her abdomen was diffusely tender, particularly in the right iliac fossa, though guarding was absent. Transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasonography demonstrated a viable intrauterine pregnancy and large-volume intraperitoneal haemoperitoneum; the right ovary could not be identified.

Prognostic implications of histological tumor regression (Böhm's score) in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high grade serous tubal & ovarian carcinoma.

Objective: Primary objective of this study was to determine prognostic significance of Bohm's histopathological regression score in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for treatment of high grade serous (HGS) tubal & ovarian carcinoma.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who received NACT between 2010 and 2015. The 3 point histopathological regression score of Böhm was used to classify chemotherapy response.

Interleukin-10 and prostaglandin E2 have complementary but distinct suppressive effects on Toll-like receptor-mediated dendritic cell activation in ovarian carcinoma.

Dendritic cells (DC) have the potential to instigate a tumour-specific immune response, but their ability to prime naïve lymphocytes depends on their activation status. Thus, for tumour immunotherapy to be effective, the provision of appropriate DC activation stimuli such as Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists is crucial in order to overcome immunosuppression associated with the tumour microenvironment. To address this, we investigated how ovarian carcinoma (OC)-associated ascites impedes activation of DC by TLR agonists.

Behavioral characteristics of manual palpation to localize hard nodules in soft tissues.

Improving the effectiveness of artificial tactile sensors for soft-tissue examination and tumor localization is a pressing need in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Despite the availability of tactile probes, guidelines for optimal palpation behavior that best exploit soft-tissue properties are not available as yet. Simulations on soft-tissue palpation show that particular stress-velocity patterns during tissue probing lead to constructive dynamic interactions between the probe and the tissue, enhancing the detection and localization of hard nodules.

Endocervical crypt involvement by high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia after large loop excision of transformation zone: do we need a different follow-up strategy?

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of endocervical crypt involvement in specimens with clear margins on recurrence following large loop excision of transformation zone (LLETZ).

Material And Methods: This was an observational cohort study. In the colposcopy unit in a university teaching hospital we prospectively collected data for women who underwent LLETZ treatment for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) between 2003 and 2004.

A prospective single-center study of sentinel lymph node detection in cervical carcinoma: is there a place in clinical practice?

Objective: To establish the accuracy of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in early cervical cancer.

Materials And Methods: Sentinel lymph node detection was performed prospectively over a 6-year period in 86 women undergoing surgery for cervical carcinoma by the combined method (Tc-99m and methylene blue dye). Further ultrastaging was performed on a subgroup of 26 patients who had benign SLNs on initial routine histological examination.

Fertility-sparing surgery for early cervical cancer-approach to less radical surgery.

Objective: To evaluate whether certain patients with early-stage cervical cancer are candidates for less radical surgery when considering fertility-sparing surgery.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Two gynecologic cancer centers (St Thomas' Hospital, London; and West Kent Gynaecological Cancer Centre, Maidstone).

Does hydrothermal ablation avoid hysterectomy? Long-term follow-up.

Objective: We sought to assess the long-term success rate of the HydroThermAblator system (HTA).

Study Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 376 patients who underwent HTA at our hospital during an 8-year period, following case note review and distribution of a validated menorrhagia questionnaire.

Results: The mean age of patients was 43 years.

Laparoscopic assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy for cervical carcinoma: morbidity and long-term follow-up.

Objectives: To study the feasibility, morbidity and outcome of cervical cancer patients treated with laparoscopic assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy (LARVH).

Methods: The study group included 53 women with cervical cancer (stage-Ib). They included women undergoing LARVH at the joint cancer-centres between 1994 and 2002.