A prospective study examining the value of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasonography during the diagnosis and evaluation of Asherman syndrome.

Research Question: What is the value of three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) in the diagnosis and assessment of Asherman syndrome?

Design: This was a prospective study conducted at a hysteroscopy centre.

Results: A total of 685 participants were recruited, 65 dropped out and 620 were finally enrolled and analysed. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 3D-TVS in the diagnosis of Asherman syndrome were 95.

Embryo migration following ART documented by 2D/3D ultrasound.

Embryos have traditionally been thought to implant at the exact site they are transferred during assisted reproductive technology (ART). The introduction of 2D/3D ultrasound has allowed for mapping of the transfer site using air bubbles as a surrogate marker of embryo location. This study's aim was to compare the location of embryo transfer (ET) on ultrasound to that of embryo implantation.

Auto-Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid Gel for Prevention of Intrauterine Adhesions after Hysteroscopic Adhesiolysis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Study Objective: To investigate auto-cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel for the prevention of intrauterine adhesion (IUA) recurrence after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.

Design: A single-center, double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting: A tertiary university hospital.

Reproductive Implications and Management of Congenital Uterine Anomalies: Scientific Impact Paper No. 62 November 2019.

Congenital uterine anomalies (CUAs) are malformations of the womb that develop during fetal life. When a baby girl is in her mother's womb, her womb develops as two separate halves from two tubular structures called 'müllerian ducts', which fuse together before she is born. Abnormalities that occur during the baby's development can be variable from complete absence of a womb through to more subtle anomalies, which are classified into specific categories.

Cervical cerclage in twin pregnancy.

Cervical cerclage in women with twin pregnancy is not routinely indicated but appears to be beneficial in subjects with a history of preterm birth or very short cervix or dilated cervix. There is a paucity of literature data regarding transabdominal or laparoscopic cervical cerclage (LCC) in twin pregnancy. It is uncertain whether LCC is more effective than transvaginal cerclage.

Prevention of postoperative adhesion reformation by intermittent intrauterine balloon therapy: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intermittent intrauterine balloon dilatation versus standard care in the prevention of adhesion reformation.

Design: Single-blind randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Hysteroscopic Centre of a tertiary University Hospital.

Do specific ultrasonography features identified at the time of early pregnancy loss predict fetal chromosomal abnormality? - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To investigate the association of specific ultrasonography features identified during the diagnosis of early pregnancy loss (EPL) and abnormal karyotype. This was a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in accordance with PRISMA criteria. We searched PubMed, Cochrane and Ovid MEDLINE from 1977 to Jan 2017 to identify the articles that described EPL with karyotype and ultrasonography features.

Embryo transfer techniques.

Embryo transfer is the final and rate-limiting step of the assisted reproductive technique. Few advances have occurred in the last few decades with regard to this procedure. Studies conducted thus far have focused on factors and interventions taking place before, during and after this procedure.

A prospective observational study on the stress levels at the time of embryo transfer and pregnancy testing following in vitro fertilisation treatment: a comparison between women with different treatment outcomes.

Objective: To ascertain whether stress biomarkers and psychological indices of stress may predict both conception and miscarriage rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI).

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: A university-affiliated tertiary hospital.

The impact of music therapy on pain and stress reduction during oocyte retrieval - a randomized controlled trial.

Research Question: Does music therapy help in reducing pain and anxiety in women undergoing transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval (TUGOR)?

Design: In this randomized controlled open label study, 209 participants were recruited and randomized into three groups (music group, n = 70; headphone group, n = 70; control group, n = 69). Patients' psychological status was assessed using the visual analogue scale of pain (VAS-P), satisfaction of pain control, state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), Beck depression inventory (BDI), and general health questionnaire (GHQ). Stress biomarkers, including salivary alpha amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol (sCort), were measured before and after TUGOR.

The effect of endometrial scratch on natural-cycle cryopreserved embryo transfer outcomes: a randomized controlled study.

The benefit of endometrial scratch (ES) prior to embryo transfer is controversial. Systemic analysis has confirmed its potential benefit, especially in women with repeated IVF failures, yet most studies have focused on fresh embryo transfer, and its effect on vitrified-warmed embryo transfer (FET) cycles is yet to be explored. We hereby present our prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study on the evaluation of the implantation and pregnancy rate after ES prior to natural-cycle FET.

Correlation between three-dimensional power Doppler and morphometric measurement of endometrial vascularity at the time of embryo implantation in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage.

Power Doppler in combination with three-dimensional (3D-PD) ultrasonography has been used as a noninvasive tool to evaluate the vascularity. However, it is unclear whether 3D-PD can accurately reflect endometrial vascularization and replace the invasive endometrial biopsy. This study aims to investigate the correlation between 3D-PD and micro vessel morphometric measurement of endometrial vascularity.

The changing pattern of uterine contractions before and after fresh embryo transfer and its relation to clinical outcome.

In this prospective cohort study of 286 women undergoing fresh embryo transfer after IVF, uterine contraction frequency and direction were measured before (-5 min), 5 min after (+5 min) and 60 min after (+60 min) embryo transfer. Mean ± SD uterine contraction frequency at -5 min was 1.8 ± 1.

Assessment of the uterus with three-dimensional ultrasound in women undergoing ART.

Background: A detailed assessment of the uterus forms a pivotal part of the ART treatment process. The emergence of three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) has provided clinicians with a highly powerful tool in this respect. Assessments with 3D US range from the reconstruction of anatomical planes elusive to conventional US, to the objective measurement of anatomical volumes and vascularization parameters.

HOXA-10 and E-cadherin expression in the endometrium of women with recurrent implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage.

Objective: To compare the expression of HOXA-10 and E-cadherin in the endometrium of women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF), women with recurrent miscarriage (RM), and women with proven fertility (normal control; NC).

Design: Observational cohort study.

Setting: University assisted reproductive unit.

A prospective randomized controlled trial of 3D versus 2D ultrasound-guided embryo transfer in women undergoing ART treatment.

Study Question: Does three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) guidance during embryo transfer (ET) increase the ongoing pregnancy rate in women undergoing ART treatment.

Summary Answer: There is no significant difference in the ongoing pregnancy rate of women undergoing 3D versus 2D US-guided ET.

What Is Known Already: Studies have suggested that 3D US may confer additional benefits compared with 2D US during ET, although this has not been tested within the context of an RCT.

Endometrial thickness as a predictor of pregnancy outcomes in 10787 fresh IVF-ICSI cycles.

This retrospective study assessed the predictive value of endometrial thickness (EMT) on HCG administration day for the clinical outcome of fresh IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. A total of 8690 consecutive women undergoing 10,787 cycles over a 5-year period were included. The 5th, 50th and 95th centiles for EMT were determined as 8, 11 and 15 mm, respectively.