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Fertility after childhood haemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a major concern. Conditioning regimens before HSCT present a high risk (>80%) of ovarian failure. Since 2000, we have proposed cryopreservation of ovarian tissue to female patients undergoing HSCT at our centre, to preserve future fertility. After clinical and haematological evaluation, the patients underwent ovarian tissue collection by laparoscopy. The tissue was analysed by histologic examination to detect any tumour contamination and then frozen following the slow freezing procedure and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. From August 2000 to September 2013, 47 patients planned to receive HSCT, underwent ovarian tissue cryopreservation. The median age at diagnosis was 11.1 years and at the time of procedure it was 13 years, respectively. Twenty-four patients were not pubertal at the time of storage, whereas 23 patients had already experienced menarche. The median time between laparoscopy and HSCT was 25 days. Twenty-six out of 28 evaluable patients (93%) developed hypergonadotropic hypogonadism at a median time of 23.3 months after HSCT. One patient required autologous orthotopic transplantation that resulted in one live birth. Results show a very high rate of iatrogenic hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, highlighting the need for fertility preservation in these patients.

Study Objective To describe safety, tolerability, and effectiveness results through a minimum 2-year follow-up of patients who underwent permanent sterilization with the Essure insert. Design A retrospective multicenter study (Canadian Task Force classification II2). Setting Seven general hospitals and 4 clinical teaching centers in Italy. Patients A total of 1968 women, mean age 39.5 years (range, 23–48 years) who underwent office hysteroscopic sterilization using the Essure insert between April 1, 2003, and December 30, 2014. Intervention The women underwent office hysteroscopic bilateral Essure insert placement, with satisfactory device location and tube occlusion based on hysterosalpingography or hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (HyCoSy). Measurements and Main Results Placement rate, successful bilateral tubal occlusion, perioperative adverse events, early postoperative (during the first 3 months of follow-up), and late complications were evaluated. Satisfactory insertion was accomplished in 97.2% of women and, in 4, perforation and 1 expulsion were detected during hysterosalpingography. Three unintended pregnancies occurred before the 3-month confirmation test. Two pregnancies were reported among women relying on the Essure inserts. Postprocedure pain was minimal and brief; in 9 women, pelvic pain became intractable, necessitating removal of the devices via laparoscopy. On telephone interviews, overall satisfaction was rated as “very satisfied” by the majority of women (97.6%), and no long-term adverse events were reported. Conclusion The findings from this extended Italian survey further support the effectiveness, tolerability, and satisfaction of Essure hysteroscopic sterilization when motivated women are selected and well informed of the potential risks of the device. Moreover, the results do not demonstrate an increased incidence of complications and pregnancies associated with long-term Essure use. Patients with a known hypersensitivity to nickel may be less suitable candidates for the Essure insert.

Laparoscopic sacropexy (LSP) is associated with obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) in 10-50% of cases. An anatomoclinical study was carried out to investigate whether there is any correlation between iatrogenic denervation during LSP and ODS.Five female cadavers were dissected to identify possible sites of nerve injury during LSP. Subsequently, the videos of 18 LSP were blindly reviewed to assess the location of sacral dissection and tacks, the position and depth of the peritoneal tunnel, and another 4 variables. An anatomical triangle was defined on the right lumbosacral spine so as to clearly describe the sites of the surgical variables, which were then statistically correlated with the patients' postoperative outcome.The only variable associated with postsurgical ODS was dissection in the 90° angle of the anatomical triangle, where the superior hypogastric plexus was observed in all cadavers.Medial and midline dissection over the sacral promontory might be associated with postoperative ODS.

In order to estimate the impact of laparoscopic stripping of endometriomas on the ovarian follicular reserve, 43 normo-ovulatory women were studied by endocrine (anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), FSH, LH, inhibin B, oestradiol) and ultrasonographic (antral follicle count (AFC)) methods before surgery, and 3 and 9 months after surgery. The operation was performed by experienced laparoscopists, particularly aware of the need to avoid damaging the healthy part of the ovary. Serum AMH concentrations significantly decreased after the operation (1.4±0.2 ng/ml after 3 months and 1.3±0.3 ng/ml after 9 months versus 3.0±0.4 ng/ml before surgery; P

Objective To obtain histologic confirmation of lesions suspected of endometriosis at laparoscopy. Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Patients in an academic hospital. Patient(s) Women of reproductive age who complained of chronic pelvic pain. Intervention(s) A total of 122 biopsies were obtained from 54 patients undergoing laparoscopy, after exclusion of other potential causes of pelvic pain. Main Outcome Measure(s) Lack of consistency between laparoscopic and histologic diagnosis of endometriosis, in particular for minimal/mild stages. Results Endometriosis was confirmed by histology in 54% of the excised lesions. Diagnosis was more often confirmed among classic lesions than for all atypical lesions considered together. The histologic diagnosis of fibrosis was the most common among those biopsies, which lacked the presence of endometriosis. The revised American Fertility Association (AFS) scores before and after histologic confirmation differed significantly. In particular, 20 patients in either revised AFS class I or II were down-graded to stage 0. No single anatomical site turned out to be particularly prone to misdiagnosis at laparoscopy, in comparison to the other sites. Conclusion(s) These results confirm the need of histologic confirmation to obtain a diagnosis of endometriosis. However, the clinical impact of such findings remains a matter of debate.

Study Objective To evaluate the correlation between salpingoscopic and laparoscopic findings and their relation to reproductive outcomes. Design Prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting University-affiliated hospital. Patients Ninety-one infertile women. Intervention Salpingoscopy and laparoscopy. Measurements and Main Results Salpingoscopic findings were expressed according to a widely used classification. Tubal morphology at laparoscopy was defined as regular (normal morphology), convoluted (any kind of distortion or adhesion), or hydrosalpinx. Laparoscopic and salpingoscopic findings did not correlate. Seventeen pregnancies occurred within 1 year from the procedures. According to life table analysis, the cumulative pregnancy rate was significantly higher in women with endotubal morphology showing minimal or no tubal damage, than in women with higher grades of endotubal damage. Conversely, tubal morphology at laparoscopy was not able to predict pregnancy outcome. Conclusion Laparoscopy alone might not be sufficient to predict tubal integrity. Performing salpingoscopy with laparoscopy could significantly increase accuracy in predicting short-term fertility outcome. Given its low complication rate and brief duration, salpingoscopy should have a primary role in management of infertility.

The role of laparoscopy as the gold standard for the diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis is questioned. An accurate histologic analysis fails to confirm the presence of endometriosis in a substantial proportion of patients diagnosed at laparoscopy.

The present case report demonstrates a laparoscopic approach to treat interstitial cornual pregnancy in emergency. Interstitial ectopic pregnancy develops in the uterine portion of the fallopian tube which accounts for 2–4% of all ectopic pregnancies and has the potential to cause life-threatening hemorrhage at rupture. The mortality rate for a woman diagnosed with such a pregnancy is 2–2.5%. Diagnosis of interstitial pregnancy is made by ultrasound. In this case a 32 year-old woman, Gravida 0 Parity 0 Living 0 Ectopic 1, presented to the emergency obstetrical room complaining acute abdominal pain. There was a history of 10 weeks of pregnancy but no pelvic ultrasound scan was performed before the access. A transvaginal ultrasound scan immediately performed demonstrated a gestational sac with viable fetus in the right interstitial region. Moreover there was an ultrasound evidence of hemoperitoneum. She was transferred to the operating room and an emergency laparoscopy surgery was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged two days after the surgery. Interstitial pregnancies present a difficult management problem with no absolute standard of care in literature. Laparoscopic technique is under study with favorable results. For our personal point of view a treatment via laparoscopy could be performed both in elective and in emergency cases.