Primary Resectoscopic Treatment of First-Trimester Miscarriage.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and safety of resectoscopic treatment for uterine evacuation of first-trimester miscarriage. METHODS: A single-centre prospective study performed between April 2021 and October 2021 at a university-affiliated tertiary medical centre. Patients diagnosed with early miscarriage of up to 12 weeks from the last menstrual period were eligible for participation. Recruited patients underwent hysteroscopic uterine evacuation under general anaesthesia by a Versapoint 2 bipolar resectoscope 24Fr (Johnson and Johnson, Germany). RESULTS: A total of 15 patients were recruited for the study. The procedural characteristics as well as intra- and postoperative adverse events were recorded. The mean duration of the procedure was 14.3 ± 3.7 minutes. The achievement of complete evacuation was recorded in all cases, and no adverse events occurred during any procedure. Post-procedure follow-up 6 weeks after treatment was conducted by office hysteroscopy in 10 women and by ultrasonography in 4 women. One woman had conceived prior to her scheduled follow-up visit. In total, 2 (13.3%) cases of retained products of conception were diagnosed during office hysteroscopy and they were removed by the "see-and-treat" technique without anaesthesia. The diagnosis was confirmed pathologically. No intrauterine adhesions were detected and none of the women required a second hysteroscopy under anaesthesia due to retained products of conception. CONCLUSIONS: Hysteroscopic evacuation of first-trimester miscarriage by a standard resectoscope is a safe and feasible technique.

Recurrent Dysplasia After a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure: Local Versus General Anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the rates of positive specimen margins and postconization recurrent dysplasia between loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEPs) performed under general anesthesia (GA) and LEEP under local anesthesia (LA). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all consecutive women who underwent LEEP between 2011 and 2019. Collected data included demographics, LEEP indication, cone dimensions, and margin involvement as well as recurrence rate. Women who had undergone previous conization, cold-knife conization, or those who were lost to follow-up during the first 2 years after the procedure were excluded. RESULTS: Overall, 71 women who underwent LEEP under GA and 75 women under LA were included. Demographic characteristics were similar between the groups, as were the rates of preceding abnormal cytology and high-grade dysplasia before conization. Although cone depth and volume were higher for LEEP specimens done under GA compared with LA, the rate of positive specimen margins was comparable both for the endocervical margin (16/71 [22.5%] vs 16/75 [21.3%], respectively; p = .861) and the ectocervical margin (14/71 [19.7%] vs 11/75 [14.7%], respectively; p = .418). During the first 2 years after conization, the rates of high-grade dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia ≥ 2) in repeat biopsy and the need for repeat conization were also not significantly different between the GA and LA groups (4.2% vs 1.3%, p = .356; 7.0% vs 9.3%, p = .614, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesia mode does not seem to affect the rate of positive LEEP margins and the need for repeat conization. Our study findings suggest that LA should be preferred instead of GA in LEEP.

Expectant vs medical management for retained products of conception after medical termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rise of medical treatments for the termination of pregnancy, to date, no prospective trial has evaluated the efficacy of misoprostol in treating retained products of conception after induced termination of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare medical management with misoprostol with expectant management for retained products of conception after first-trimester medical termination of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This was an open-label randomized controlled trial conducted at a university-affiliated tertiary medical center. Consenting consecutive women who underwent a routine 3-week follow-up evaluation after medical termination of pregnancy and had a sonographic suspicion of retained products of conception, defined as sonographic evidence of intrauterine remnant (>12 mm) with a positive Doppler flow, were recruited. The participants were randomized into a medical treatment group (800 µg of sublingually administered misoprostol) or expectant management. They all underwent repeat ultrasound scans every 2 weeks until a maximum of 6 weeks, and those suspected of persistent retained products of conception were referred to operative hysteroscopy. The primary endpoint was successful treatment defined as no need for surgical intervention because of persistent retained products of conception within 8 weeks from pregnancy termination. RESULTS: There was no marked difference in demographic characteristics between the study groups. The median sonographically demonstrated retained product length was 20 mm (interquartile range, 17-25) in the medically managed group compared with 20 mm (interquartile range, 17-26) in the expectantly managed group (P=.733). Treatment succeeded in 42 of 68 women (61.8%) in the medically managed group compared with 36 of 63 women (57.1%) in the expectantly managed group (relative risk, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-1.70; P=.590). There was no difference in adverse outcomes between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: There was no clinically meaningful advantage for medical treatment with misoprostol compared with expectant management after first-trimester medical termination of pregnancy in women with suspected retained products of conception. Surgical intervention can be avoided in up to 60% of women who are managed expectantly for 8 weeks of follow-up.

The association of maternal SARS-CoV-2 vaccination-to-delivery interval and the levels of maternal and cord blood antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of maternal and cord blood levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pregnant women immunized against COVID-19. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed of pregnant women who delivered at a single university affiliated tertiary medical center. Women who received the COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2 Pfizer©) were approached. The correlation between levels of maternal sera and umbilical cord SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG was assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 58 women were included; of them, 19 had received a single dose and 39 received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Positive levels of umbilical cord IgG were found in 13/19 (68.4%) and 38/39 (97.4%) women after the administration of a single dose and two doses of the vaccine, respectively. The levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in the maternal sera of vaccinated women were positively correlated to their respective concentrations in cord blood sera (ρ = 0.857; R2 linear = 0.719; P < 0.001). Thirteen days after vaccination, the ratio of maternal-to-umbilical cord anti Spike IgG antibodies was approximately 1, indicating relatively similar levels in maternal and cord sera. CONCLUSION: After the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, levels of maternal and cord blood antibodies were positively correlated, especially when tested after 13 days following administration of the first dose of the vaccine.

Do spontaneously decreasing estradiol levels prior to triggering of ovulation adversely impact in vitro fertilization outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the potential adverse effect of spontaneously decreasing serum estradiol (SE) levels on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective single-subject study analyzed IVF cycles conducted at a hospital IVF unit between 2010 and 2017. Overall, 2,417 cycles were analyzed. Only cycles with spontaneously decreasing SE before human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) triggering were included. Each patient served as her own control, and subsequent cycles were analyzed for recurrent SE decreases. The main outcome was the number of oocytes retrieved. RESULTS: Cycle characteristics were similar between the study (SE decrease) and control groups, with the exception of the median SE on the day of hCG triggering (899.7 pg/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 193-2,116 pg/mL vs. 1,566.8 pg/mL; IQR, 249-2,970 pg/mL; p< 0.001). The study group, relative to the control group, had significantly fewer total oocytes (5 [IQR, 2-9] vs. 7 [IQR, 3-11]; p= 0.002) and significantly fewer metaphase II (MII) oocytes (3 [IQR, 1-6] vs. 4 [IQR, 2-8]; p= 0.001) retrieved. The study group had fewer cleavage-stage embryos than the control cycles (3 [IQR, 1-6] vs. 4 [IQR, 2-7]; p= 0.012). Compared to cycles with a ≤ 20% SE decrease, cycles with a > 20% decrease had significantly fewer total and MII oocytes retrieved. SE decrease recurred in 12% of patients. CONCLUSION: A spontaneous decrease in SE levels adversely affected IVF outcomes, with a linear correlation between the percentage decrease and the number of oocytes retrieved. SE decrease can repeat in later cycles.