The Cochrane database of systematic reviews

This is a protocol for a Cochrane review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: The primary objective of this review is to evaluate the benefits and harms of a subanaesthetic dosage of ketamine/esketamine as an adjunct to perioperat…

RATIONALE: Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrium-like tissue developing outside the uterine cavity. This condition is oestrogen-dependent and thus is seen primarily during the reproductive years. Owing to their antiprolife…

BACKGROUND: Around 18% to 33% of couples with infertility present with tubal occlusion (blocked or damaged fallopian tubes) or hydrosalpinx (fluid-filled tubes). Diagnostic laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) with chromopertubation (methylene blu…

BACKGROUND: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is an essential step in most assisted conception cycles. Different treatment combinations (termed protocols) exist in COS, yet there is no consensus on their relative effectiveness and safety…

BACKGROUND: Frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) use increases the cumulative pregnancy rate, reduces cost and is relatively simple to undertake. FET is performed using different cycle regimens: spontaneous ovulatory (natural) cycles; cycles…

BACKGROUND: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are commonly used in assisted reproduction technology (ART) cycles to prevent a luteinising hormone (LH) surge during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) prior to planned ooc…

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) occurs in 8% to 13% of all women of reproductive age and 50% of women presenting with infertility (i.e. inability to reach a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual inte…

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of perioperative ERAS protocols compared to traditional perioperative care for women undergoing surgery due to non-malignant gynae…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids occur in up to 40% of women over 35 years of age. Up to 50% of uterine fibroids cause symptoms that warrant treatment: anaemia caused by heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, infertility and poor…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a hormone-sensitive inflammatory condition affecting between 5% and 10% of reproductive-aged women and an unknown number of gender-diverse individuals. It is often associated with debilitating pelvic pain sympto…

RATIONALE: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is widely used as a first-line treatment for subfertile couples with favourable prognostic factors, yet pregnancy rates vary considerably. The optimal method for timing IUI - whether through differ…

RATIONALE: Pain control following laparoscopic gynaecologic surgery is key to successful recovery. The efficacy of the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block compared to no block or a local anaesthetic injection has not been well establish…

BACKGROUND: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women is common and can have a profound impact on an individual's quality of life. Vaginal lasers, designed for treating vulvovaginal atrophy, have been explored as a clinic-based option for …

BACKGROUND: The rate of successful pregnancies brought to term has barely increased since the first assisted reproductive technology (ART) technique became available. Research suggests that vasodilators may increase endometrial receptivity,…

BACKGROUND: Practitioners in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) continually seek alternative or adjunct treatments to improve ART outcomes. This Cochrane review investigates the adjunct use of synthetic versions of two natu…

BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is a recommended treatment for female stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence. Training varies in exercise type (pelvic floor muscles contracting with and without other muscles), dose,…

BACKGROUND: This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2017. Acute appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix) can be simple or complicated. Appendiceal phlegmon and appendiceal abscess are examples of complicated appendiciti…

BACKGROUND: This is an updated and expanded version of the original Cochrane review, first published in 2014. Postoperative oral intake is traditionally withheld after major abdominal gynaecologic surgery until the return of bowel function.…

BACKGROUND: Endometrioma are endometriotic deposits within the ovary. Laparoscopic management of endometriomas is associated with shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and decreased hospital costs compared with laparotomy. The previous ve…

BACKGROUND: During a stimulated cycle of in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), women receive daily doses of gonadotropin follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to induce multifollicular development in the ovarie…

BACKGROUND: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART), is offered as a treatment option for male factor infertility. Over the years, the indications for ICSI have been expanded, despite uncert…

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of hormonal contraception used for pregnancy prevention on fracture risk in individuals who are currently or were previously capab…

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of physical, psychological and social symptoms in women of reproductive age, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe type of the syndrome, previously known as late lute…

BACKGROUND: Researchers conducting trials have a responsibility to publish the results of their work in a peer-reviewed journal, and failure to do so may introduce bias that affects the accuracy of available evidence. Moreover, failure to p…

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological treatment that works by delivering electrical currents via electrodes attached to the skin at the site of pain. It can be an alternative to pharmacologi…