Current opinion in obstetrics & gynecology

Intraperitoneal barriers reduce adhesion by preventing the formation of fibrin bridges between healing tissues. Although barriers were shown to be safe and effective in all human clinical trials, their use did not eliminate adhesions in all…

The power sources used in endoscopic surgery are varied and numerous, and will continue to improve as technology progresses. Early attempts at operative laparoscopy were crude, limited by the available instrumentation, and tended to be frus…

Laparoscopic surgery offers the most effective form of treatment for women with severe endometriosis. The development of advanced laparoscopic techniques allows complete removal of deeply infiltrating lesions. Implants can be laparoscopical…

This review provides an update on the role of operative laparoscopy in infertility treatment. The areas of discussion include laparoscopic surgery for proximal and distal tubal disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and assist…

Minimally invasive surgery enables the avoidance of, preparation for, participation in, and treatment of complications following assisted reproductive technology (ART). The major recent changes are, the development of surgical techniques to…

More than a decade after the serendipidous discovery of RU486, numerous antiprogestins have been synthesized and studied. Interest in how antiprogestins exert their antagonist effect has led to novel information about the molecular mechanis…

Deep endometriosis has been defined as endometriosis infiltrating deeper than 5 mm under the peritoneum. A model for the development and propagation of endometriosis is presented. Subtle and non-pigmented lesions are suggested to occur inte…

Chronic pelvic pain is a complex problem with a long history of attempts to elucidate the cause and to design effective therapies. This review is structured around recent articles in the field which contribute to our understanding, support …

The surgical approach to treatment of endometriosis is shifting away from laparotomy toward endoscopy as technology and experience improve. All patients with minimal or mild disease and a significant portion of those with advanced disease c…

This review focuses on the theoretical backgrounds for tubal gamete and zygote/embryo transfer, as well as the clinical results of gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), which are compared with other non-fertilization procedures in infertil…

Recent advances in endometriosis research are reviewed. Factors relating to the increasing frequency of laparoscopic diagnosis as well as potential diagnostic tests utilizing endometrial antibody and CA 125 assays of both serum and peritone…

Endometriosis is a commonly encountered disease, yet most aspects of its pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and treatment remain controversial. Recent advances, however, have increased our understanding of this enigmatic disorder. While many th…

This review discusses advances in falloposcopy over the past 10 years. Refinements in instrumentation, including fiberoptics, have allowed visualization of the endosalpinx, a portion of the reproductive tract that has evaded endoscopic eval…

Tubal and peritoneal factors continue to be a leading cause of infertility. In vitro fertilization, operative laparoscopy, and microsurgery are alternatives, but they are frequently complimentary therapeutic approaches. Proper investigation…

Minimally invasive surgery is going through a rapid phase of evolution and over a relatively short time we have witnessed progress from simple ablative procedures such as the division of adhesions and destruction of endometriosis to far mor…

Proximal, distal, and peritubal damage can be caused by a number of pathologic processes such as inflammation, endometriosis, and surgical trauma. The diagnosis of tubal occlusion relies primarily on hysterosalpingography, hysteroscopy, and…

The natural history of endometriosis, including the belief that it is a progressive disease, is reviewed with the help of a large, cross-sectional, prospective study and a smaller longitudinal study. Two studies are reviewed that address th…

Endometriosis is a disease affecting fertility in many women. However, the mere presence of what is defined as endometriosis cannot be accepted per se as a cause of infertility or an indication for therapy. In the minimal or mild stage the …

GnRH agonist (GnRHa) medications are now routinely used by gynecologists, urologists, medical endocrinologists, and pediatric endocrinologists alike. GnRHa are frequently highly effective in diminishing pain derived from endometriotic lesio…

Infertility surgeons who once exclusively used microsurgical techniques are now turning more and more to endoscopy. Although there are still few reports comparing laparotomy and endoscopic surgery, many of the series reported on in the last…

Pelviscopy, along with the entire concept of minimally invasive surgery through endoscopically guided intra-abdominal surgery, has become a mainstay in gynecologic surgery. The review of instrumentation in this field includes comments on th…

Advanced operative laparoscopy in general, and videolaseroscopy using CO2 laser via operative channel of the laparoscope and video, specifically, has revolutionized the management of endometriosis. Adhesion formation is reduced and subseque…

Unexplained infertility is a multifactorial disorder of reproduction. This review examines the potential contribution of decreased uterine perfusion, obscure luteal phase defect, intrinsic endometrial factor ovum captor inhibitor, microscop…