Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) causes pregnancy-associated heart failure, typically during the last month of pregnancy, and up to 6 months post-partum, in women without known cardiovascular disease. PPCM is a global disease, but with a significant geographical variability within and between countries. Its true incidence in Africa is still unknown because of the lack of a PPCM population-based study. The variability in the epidemiology of PPCM between and within countries could be due to differences in the prevalence of both genetic and non-genetic risk factors...

As a chronic inflammatory disease, endometriosis generates fibrosis and anatomic distortion, which add extra-challenges to assisted reproductive technology cycles and requires a personalized approach. Patients with endometriomas have significantly decreased ovarian reserve and the ultrasound examination tends to be challenging, possibly underestimating follicle counts. It is crucial to assess the feasibility of oocyte retrieval procedure during the initial examination of the patient, as the distortion of the pelvic anatomy, the presence of hydrosalpinges and endometriomas might render the procedure difficult and increase the risk of complications...

A significant body of evidence has supported a negative impact of endometriosis on ovarian follicles; however, the origin and relevance of this ovarian impairment in endometriosis is still a matter of debate. The ovarian damage can be caused by endometriosis itself or by surgeries aiming to remove endometriotic lesions. In this review, we summarized the existing knowledge on the mechanisms by which endometriosis can impact the ovarian follicles, from molecular to clinical points of view. From a molecular standpoint, the presence of endometriosis or its consequences can induce oxidative stress, inflammation, aberrant mitochondrial energy metabolism and inappropriate steroid production in granulosa cells, phenomena that may impair the quality of oocytes to variable degrees...

As endometriosis is recognized as a contributing factor to infertility, prompting couples to embark on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments, it becomes crucial to comprehend the extent and way this condition can affect success rates. Natural conception data reveal lower success rates for women with endometriosis, yet the same cannot be extrapolated to the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF). In recent years, advancements in the ART process, particularly the distinct stages of the IVF pathway and investigations into embryo quality have shown a comparable rate of embryonic quality and chromosomal normalcy (euploidy) between embryos obtained from individuals with or without endometriosis...

Endometriosis is a benign, chronic, inflammatory condition affecting up to 10 % of women and characterised by the presence of glands and stroma tissue outside the uterus. Epidemiological and clinical studies demonstrate a consistent association between endometriosis and infertility. However, this relationship is far to be clearly understood and several mechanisms are involved. Available data show that patients with endometriosis have an increased estimated risk of infertility between two and four times compared with the general population...

Endometriomas may contribute to infertility and are associated with diminished ovarian reserve. Surgical management can damage the ovarian cortex and further diminish ovarian reserve. Surgical therapy of endometriomas can be achieved via cystectomy, ablation (electrosurgical, laser, or plasma energy), sclerotherapy, or oophorectomy. Each approach has varying effects on ovarian reserve, spontaneous pregnancy rates, and recurrence rates: Cystectomy is associated with a low recurrence rate but higher risk of diminished ovarian reserve; Ablation (with laser or plasma energy) appears to have minimal effect on ovarian reserve while also having low recurrence rates; Sclerotherapy is mixed in terms of effect on ovarian reserve as well as recurrence rates...

Regardless of whether a pregnancy ends in abortion, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, fertility and sexual activity can resume quickly. For those who do not plan to become pregnant again immediately, effective contraception is therefore required. Although a contraceptive discussion and the offer to provide contraception is considered an integral part of abortion care, health care providers may not always offer this same standard of care to those whose pregnancy ends in miscarriage or ectopic due to sensitivities or assumptions around this and future fertility intentions...

Endometriosis is a complex medical condition with a high prevalence in women of reproductive age. Fertility is compromised in patients with endometriosis, and success in IVF treatments has been a challenge leading to evaluation of different stimulation protocols. The long-standing debate between GnRH agonist long protocols and short GnRH antagonist protocols is being resolved in favor of the latter, since in addition to presenting equivalent results with respect to the traditional option, they have the additional benefit of safety...

Endometriosis is a complex chronic inflammatory process characterised by the presence of endometrial-like glandular tissue outside the uterine cavity, typically within the pelvic structures. This condition affects up to 10-15 % of women and those assigned female at birth, and can result in chronic pelvic pain and in/subfertility. Treatment goals include medical, surgical options and alternative therapies. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is the currently recommended first line investigation for endometriosis with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reserved for those with equivocal ultrasound findings...

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. It is important to identify women who are at high risk of developing this disorder in their first trimester of pregnancy to allow timely therapeutic intervention. The use of low-dose aspirin initiated before 16 weeks of gestation can significantly reduce the rate of preterm preeclampsia by 62 %. Effective screening recommended by the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) consists of a combination of maternal risk factors, mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and placental growth factor (PLGF)...

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disease that has no known precise cause. Integrative biology approach based on multi-omics has been applied to identify upstream pathways and better understand the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. At DNA level, genomics and epigenomics studies have revealed numerous genetic variants associated with preeclampsia, including those involved in regulating blood pressure and immune response. Transcriptomics analyses have revealed altered expression of genes in preeclampsia, particularly those related to inflammation and angiogenesis...

Deep endometriosis (DE) is the most severe form of endometriosis and is commonly associated with infertility. Surgical treatment of DE appears to increase chances of spontaneous conception in appropriately selected patients wishing to conceive. Identifying, however, the exact impact of DE, and its surgical removal, on natural conception is highly challenging. The surgical approach should be favoured in symptomatic patients with pregnancy intention. Limited data from infertile patients suggest that outcomes may not differ from patients without known infertility...

It was the dawn of a new era for robotic surgery when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved da Vinci robotic surgical system for general laparoscopic procedures in 2000. The surgical practice saw a transformative breakthrough towards minimally invasive approach with the ever-increasing uptake of advanced robots proven to benefit patients and surgeons in various ways. However, these innovative machines only complement and enhance a surgeon's operating skills, and with such privilege come responsibilities and new challenges...

The worldwide growth of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has been exponential since its FDA approval for use in gynecologic surgery in the spring of 2005. This growth has spanned the entire gamut of gynecologic procedures and pathology. One area that has leveraged the unique aspects of robotics has been its application to the conservative surgical management of uterine fibroids. This manuscript will review the surgical technique and highlight the current situation regarding the scientific literature with an evidence-based focus on the role of robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM) with the daVinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA)...

Obstetric emergencies are challenging, requiring implementation of a rapid sequence of interventions in a very short time to optimize clinical outcome. Managing obstetric emergencies could evoke ethical dilemmas for the obstetrician because of limited time to adequately educate the patient about her condition; impaired consciousness of the patient to give consent; nonexistent prior patient -doctor relationship and the need to consider both the patient and the fetus. In Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), poor access to appropriate emergency care, structural and financial barriers and a largely uneducated and a deeply cultural population contribute to the ethical challenges...

Laparoscopy and robotics are recommended for managing gynecological cancer, as they are associated with lower morbidity and comparable outcomes to open surgery. However, in the case of early cervical cancer, new evidence suggests worse oncological outcomes with these approaches compared to open surgery, though the limited number of robotic cases makes it challenging to draw definitive conclusions for this particular approach. The prior conization has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the risk of tumor spillage and contamination during minimally invasive (MIS) radical hysterectomy (RH)...

Deep endometriosis and uterine adenomyosis are two frequently encountered conditions affecting approximately 200 million women worldwide. They are closely related, showing similar histological patterns and multiple common pathogenic features, and share the same symptoms. It is therefore not surprising that they are often thought to have a common developmental origin. Indeed, both deep endometriosis and adenomyosis appear to derive from estrogen-dependent overproliferation of endometrial tissue and its subsequent implantation in ectopic sites...

Minimally invasive surgical techniques have become more common in pelvic floor reconstructive urogynaecological surgery, specifically, robotic-assisted pelvic floor surgery. Female pelvic floor anatomy is complex, and some repairs require highly experienced surgical skills that can be gained more easily using robotic-assisted surgery. A common application of the robotic platform in urogynaecological surgeries includes sacrocolpopexy, which has become the gold standard approach in the last decade for the correction of apical prolapse...

Obesity is a significant health concern worldwide and is associated with numerous health complications, including placental dysfunction during pregnancy. Placental dysfunction can lead to adverse outcomes for both the mother and the foetus, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and foetal growth restriction. Studies have shown that maternal obesity can lead to placental dysfunction through various mechanisms, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysregulation of metabolic pathways...

Pregnant women with obesity are at considerable risk during their labor and delivery. The aim of obstetric care is the safe delivery of the baby and the maintenance of good health of the mother while providing an ongoing support for the family unit. The awareness and mitigation of risks associated with caring for women who are obese is vital in ensuring continued good outcomes. Transfer of women for labor care, presence of senior staff, bariatric resources, understanding of the progress of labor with an increase in body mass index, and preparation for complications are covered in this chapter...