The Cochrane database of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND: Psychological therapies have been developed for parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Such therapies include interventions directed at the parent only or at parent and child/adolescent, and are designed to …

BACKGROUND: The four approaches to hysterectomy for benign disease are abdominal hysterectomy (AH), vaginal hysterectomy (VH), laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and robotic-assisted hysterectomy (RH). OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness a…

BACKGROUND: Establishing the patency of the fallopian tubes is a commonly undertaken diagnostic investigation for women with subfertility. This is usually achieved by flushing contrast medium through the tubes and taking radiographs. Howeve…

BACKGROUND: Indwelling urethral catheters are often used for bladder drainage in hospital. Urinary tract infection is the most common hospital-acquired infection, and a common complication of urinary catheterisation. Pain, ease of use and q…

BACKGROUND: About 10% of reproductive-aged women suffer from endometriosis which is a costly chronic disease that causes pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the 'gold standard' diagnostic test for endometriosis, but it is expensive…

This review has been replaced by published review 'Non‐surgical interventions for the management of chronic pelvic pain'. It will also be replaced by current protocol 'Surgical interventions for the management of chronic pelvic pain in wome…

BACKGROUND: This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library (2010, Issue 7).To increase the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), adherence compounds such as hyaluronic acid (HA) and fibrin…

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicines have been used for a long time to treat osteoporosis. The evidence of their benefits and harms needs to be systematically reviewed. OBJECTIVES: To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of Chinese he…

BACKGROUND: The avoidance of menstruation through continuous or extended (greater than 28 days) administration of combination hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) has gained legitimacy through its use in treating endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and …

BACKGROUND: This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in 2007. Traditionally, after major abdominal gynaecologic surgery postoperative oral intake is withheld until the return of bowel function. There has been con…

BACKGROUND: This overview reports on interventions for pain relief and for subfertility in pre-menopausal women with clinically diagnosed endometriosis. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this overview was to summarise the evidence from Cochrane…

BACKGROUND: Adhesions are fibrin bands that are a common consequence of gynaecological surgery. They are caused by various conditions including pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis. Adhesions are associated with considerable co-mor…

BACKGROUND: Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is routinely used for final oocyte maturation triggering in in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, but the use of HCG for this purpose may have drawbacks. …

Background Prophylactic oophorectomy alongside hysterectomy in premenopausal women is a common procedure. The decision to remove or conserve the ovaries is often based on the perceived risk for ovarian cancer and the need for additional gyn…

BACKGROUND: Benign smooth muscle tumours of the uterus, known as fibroids or myomas, are often symptomless. However, about one-third of women with fibroids will present with symptoms that are severe enough to warrant treatment. The standard…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial glands or stroma in sites other than the uterine cavity and is associated with pain and subfertility. Surgical interventions aim to remove visible areas of endometriosis and restore t…

BACKGROUND: This is an updated version of the original review, published in Issue 1, 2011, of The Cochrane Library. Acute lower abdominal pain is common, and making a diagnosis is particularly challenging in premenopausal women, as ovulatio…

BACKGROUND: Fibroids are common benign tumours arising in the uterus. Myomectomy is the surgical treatment of choice for women with symptomatic fibroids who prefer or want uterine conservation. Myomectomy can be performed by conventional la…

BACKGROUND: Traditional monitoring of ovarian hyperstimulation during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment has included transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) plus serum estradiol levels to ensure…

BACKGROUND: Chronic pelvic pain is a common and debilitating condition; its aetiology is multifactorial, involving social, psychological and biological factors. The management of chronic pelvic pain is challenging, as despite interventions …

BACKGROUND: Functional ovarian cysts are a common gynecological problem among women of reproductive age worldwide. When large, persistent, or painful, these cysts may require operations, sometimes resulting in removal of the ovary. Since ea…

BACKGROUND: Ten per cent to 15% of couples have difficulty in conceiving. A proportion of these couples will ultimately require assisted reproduction. Prior to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) a baseline ultrasound is performed to …

BACKGROUND: This is an updated merged review of two originally separate Cochrane reviews: one on robot-assisted surgery (RAS) for benign gynaecological disease, the other on RAS for gynaecological cancer. RAS is a relatively new innovation …