Comparison between learning curves of robot-assisted and laparoscopic surgery in gynaecology: a systematic review.

Background: The advantages and disadvantages of Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery (RLS) compared to other minimally invasive surgical approaches are debated in the literature.

Objective: To evaluate the learning curves (LC) and their assessment methods for Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery (RLS) and Laparoscopic Surgery (LPS) in gynaecologic procedures.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed including the English language observational or interventional studies reporting the absolute number of procedures needed to achieve competency in RLS and LPS gynaecologic procedures, along with an objective and reproducible LC assessment method.

Prediction of vesicouterine adhesions by transvaginal sonographic sliding sign technique: validation study.

Objective: Adhesions between the uterus, bladder and anterior abdominal wall are associated with clinical sequelae, including chronic pelvic pain and dyspareunia, and can also yield complications during surgery. The transvaginal sonographic (TVS) sliding bladder sign is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool to evaluate the presence of vesicouterine adhesions. This study aimed to determine the predictive value and intra- and interobserver variation of the TVS sliding bladder sign in the assessment of vesicouterine adhesions.

Validation of the IDseek® OmniSTR™ Global Autosomal STR Profiling kit, reverse complement PCR as an improved tool/method for routine massively parallel sequencing of short tandem repeats.

Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) has gained interest in the forensic community over the past decade. Most of the published MPS methods focus on specialty applications intended for use in a limited number of samples with protocols that are relatively laborious. Recent developments using Reverse-Complement PCR enable an efficient MPS protocol suited for routine analysis of high numbers of samples.

Grading Sonographic Severity of Adenomyosis: A Pilot Study Assessing Feasibility and Interobserver Reliability.

Objectives: The reported prevalence of adenomyosis ranges widely due to different study populations, diagnostic tests and criteria. Categorizing the severity of disease may prove important. This study aims to develop a semi-quantifiable sonographic method to grade the severity of adenomyosis and assess the feasibility and interobserver reliability of this method.