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Aim: The chronic lack of obstetrics‐gynecology (Ob/Gyn) doctors is a serious problem to be tackled in Japan. To address this issue, it is necessary for medical students to be interested in working as an Ob/Gyn doctor and more junior residents need to specialize in Ob/Gyn. This study aims to identify the preferences concerning working conditions among students and discusses what information should be provided and what conditions should be changed. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among participants in the Summer School 2023 of the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The respondents were medical students and junior residents interested in Ob/Gyn. Ob/Gyn specialists contributing to the summer school were also asked the same questions for comparison. The resulting data focused on important working conditions, concerns about future work, and expected future working conditions. Results: Responses from 132 medical students (97.8%, N = 135), 122 residents (99.2%, N = 123), and 76 specialists (95.0%, N = 80) were obtained. There were three main findings. First, large gaps between students/residents and specialists were observed in terms of preferences. Second, differences between male and female students/residents were not negligible, although the difference was relatively small in specialists. Third, students/residents were more concerned about risks related to medical malpractice than specialists. Conclusions: Gaps in preferences and perceptions regarding working conditions between students/residents and specialists should be narrowed through sufficient information provision. Working conditions should become gender‐inclusive rather than focus on female persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The da Vinci surgical systems (X and Xi) are fourth‐generation systems marketed by Intuitive Inc. The X system is less expensive than the Xi system. This study compared the surgical outcomes of patients who underwent hysterectomy using the X and Xi systems. Methods: Data from 172 patients who underwent robot‐assisted total hysterectomies by four surgeons between April 2019 and March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed in a single‐center study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical system used. Approval was granted by the Institutional Review Board of the Tottori University Hospital (22A134). All patients provided opt‐out consent in accordance with the institutional guidelines. Results: Operative time (126.6 ± 29.5 for X, 138.2 ± 38.5 for Xi, p =.227) and console time (92.9 ± 27.0 for X, 105.5 ± 34.7 for Xi, p =.089) were insignificantly shorter in group X than in group Xi after propensity score matching for age, body mass index, nulliparity, previous history of abdominal or pelvic surgery, preoperative diagnosis, and surgical approach. No significant differences between X and Xi were observed in a subgroup analysis of patients who underwent robot‐assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy without lymphadenectomy (operative time: 199.0 ± 26.5 for X, 221.5 ± 45.1 for Xi, p =.227; console time: 162.1 ± 25.0 for X, 178.3 ± 0.314 for Xi, p =.314). Conclusion: Perioperative outcomes for the X and Xi da Vinci surgical systems were equivalent. The cost‐effective X system may allow the widespread use of robotic surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hybrid total laparoscopic hysterectomy combines conventional laparoscopic surgery and robot‐assisted devices: the camera and assistant forceps are operated by a robotic device, whereas the surgeon performs laparoscopic procedures, enabling surgery with a completely fixed field of view and significantly reducing errors in forceps grasping and needle misalignment. Here, we examined whether using two arms of the Hugo™ robot‐assisted surgery system, one for the camera and one for the assistant, would improve surgical accuracy compared with conventional total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Materials and Surgical Technique: The surgical system reduced surgeon errors in grasping the forceps during training and stabilized forceps operation. Compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery, the use of the surgical system did not result in different operative durations. The stable surgical procedure was considered a major advantage. Discussion: This new technique involving new equipment can improve surgeon training and performance. In the future, we will develop new techniques to improve surgical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of the 16th National Survey conducted by the Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery (JSES) for 2020 and 2021. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was first introduced to Japan in 1990 and has rapidly become popular because of its minimally invasive nature. Since then, the number of objective organs and indications for laparoscopic surgery have gradually expanded. In 2021, 290 787 patients underwent endoscopic surgery in all surgical domains. Of these, 124 614, 110 757, 23 156, 21 771, 6543, 2614, 535, 465, 247, and 58 underwent abdominal, obstetric and gynecologic, thoracic, urological, pediatric, orthopedic, bariatric, mammary and thyroid gland, cardiovascular, and plastic surgery, respectively. Owing to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection spread, the incidence of many surgeries decreased in 2020, and levels are only now gradually recovering. However, despite the impact of COVID‐19, robot‐assisted surgeries were increasingly applied. The rate of complications did not change significantly, indicating that the procedure was performed safely, even with the spread of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The authors conducted a large‐scale cohort study using the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology's perinatal registry database to determine the effect of myomectomy on perinatal outcomes. Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 203 745 women who gave birth between January and December 2020 in Japan. The participants were classified into two groups based on their history of myomectomy (open/laparoscopic) to investigate fertility treatment, delivery information, obstetric complications, maternal treatment, infant information, fetal appendages, obstetric history, underlying disease, infectious disease, drugs used, and case information regarding maternal and infant death. Results: In total, 1161 pregnant women had a history of myomectomy and 202 584 did not. Compared with the nonmyomectomy group, the myomectomy group had a higher occurrence rate of uterine rupture (0.9% vs 0.06%, P < 0.01) and placenta accreta (1.5% vs 0.5%, P < 0.01). In addition, history of myomectomy (odds ratio [OR], 2.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.500–4.226]; P < 0.001) was found to be an independent factor for placenta accrete and uterine rupture (OR, 14.4 [95% CI, 6.75–27.02]; P < 0.001). Furthermore, myomectomy increased the risk of uterine rupture by 14 times. Conclusion: Postmyomectomy pregnancy may increase the risk of placenta accreta and uterine rupture. Synopsis: Postmyomectomy pregnancy may increase the risk of placenta accreta and uterine rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Laparoscopic power morcellator (LPM) can be used for tissue retrieval through laparoscopic port site, but the dissemination of uterine and/or myoma tissues is a serious complication. To study the use of LPM for uterine fibroid treatment in Japan, we aimed to perform two national cross‐sectional surveys comprising multiple questionnaires. Methods: The first survey (2011–2013) was conducted in November 2014, and 203 medical institutions responded. The second survey (2017–2019) was conducted in December 2020, and 302 medical institutions were investigated. Results: Overall, 72 104 and 120 425 surgeries and 0.04% and 0.05% cases of postoperative malignancy diagnosis were reported in the first and second surveys, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in >90% of the cases in the first and second surveys as preoperative examinations. The frequency of LPM at hysterectomy was 8.9% and 4.6% and the frequency of LPM at laparoscopic myomectomy was 80.4% and 54.8% in the first and second surveys, respectively; both the parameters decreased in the second survey. Conclusions: It is impossible to completely exclude malignant diseases even if extensive preoperative diagnosis has been done before surgery. Therefore, the use of LPM in patients requires careful attention and informed consent in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]