Outcome of Gastric Bypass Surgery on Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Review.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, is associated with obesity. The most effective method to achieve and maintain long-term weight loss is by the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). In this review, an overview about metabolic and PCOS-specific outcomes after RYGB in obese PCOS women is provided. The RYGB leads to an adequate excess weight loss and reduction in BMI in this patient population. Testosterone levels decline significantly at 6- and 12-months follow-up, as does the incidence of hirsutism and cycle irregularities. Data about fertility are scarce in this patient population. In conclusion, RYGB surgery seems to be an efficient treatment option for obese PCOS patients and leads to weight loss and improvements in metabolic parameters as well as in an improvement of PCOS-specific characteristics. However, larger prospective studies are warranted, which include all PCOS-specific outcome data in one patient population at the same time.

Stress and polycystic ovarian morphology in functional hypothalamic amenorrhea: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) reveal polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) in up to 50%. If stress sensitivity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the reason why PCOS women are prone to develop FHA, patients with FHA caused by stress should reveal PCOM more often. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, 38 stress-associated and 38 excessive exercise-induced FHA women were included. The main outcome parameter was PCOM. In addition, the focus was on general patient characteristics as well as on prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEAS), and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). RESULTS: PCOM was found in 34/76 patients (44.7%). The stress group showed a higher prevalence of PCOM than the excessive exercise group (57.9% versus 31.6%, p = 0.019) as well as higher prolactin levels (median 13.2ng/mL versus 11.7ng/mL, p = 0.008) and a trend towards higher DHEAS levels (p = 0.058). CONCLUSIONS: In FHA women, the PCOM prevalence was significantly higher in the stress-group than in the excessive exercise-group. The well-known stress sensitivity in women with PCOS might explain why PCOS women are prone to develop FHA as well as the high PCOM prevalence in FHA women.

An Overview of Postoperative Intraabdominal Adhesions and Their Role on Female Infertility: A Narrative Review.

Postoperative intraabdominal adhesions can occur after more than 90% of gynecologic surgeries. They not only cause chronic pelvic pain and small bowel obstruction, but are also one of the main reasons for infertility. Adhesions are not only a burden for the affected patients, but are also a burden for the healthcare system, since the treatment of adhesion-associated complications costs a considerable amount of money. The gold standard for the diagnosis of adhesions is by laparoscopy, although other methods, such as transvaginal hydro-laparoscopy, are being discussed as better alternatives. Ideally, adhesions are avoided inherently, by operating carefully and by using microsurgical principles. If this is not possible, gel barriers have been shown to be successful in reducing postoperative adhesions.

The Prevalence of Fallopian Tube Occlusion in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Seems Similar to Non-Subfertile Women: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

There are limited data on how non-infectious risk factors influence tubal patency in women with subfertility. With hormonal shifts influencing tubal secretions, it has been argued that subfertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have lower tubal patency. In a retrospective study, 216 women, who underwent diagnostic evaluation for PCOS and infertility, were included. Fallopian tube patency was tested using HSG, HyCoSy, and laparoscopic chromopertubation in 171 (79.2%), 28 (13.0%), and 17 (7.9%), respectively. Bilateral patency was found in 193 women (89.4%), unilateral patency in 13 (6.0%) and bilateral occlusion in 10 (4.6%) patients. Women with PCOS phenotypes C (odds ratio, OR 0.179, 95% CI: 0.039-0.828) and D (OR 0.256, 95% CI: 0.069-0.947) demonstrated lower risks for Fallopian tube occlusion. In conclusion, our data suggest that about 5% of infertile women with PCOS also have bilateral tubal occlusion, which seems similar to the rate in non-subfertile women. With 11% of participants having unilateral or bilateral tubal occlusion, this should reassure women with PCOS that their hormonal challenges do not seem to increase their risk for tubal factor subfertility.

The Prevalence and Impact of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Recurrent Miscarriage: A Retrospective Cohort Study and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The use of different definitions and diagnostic approaches of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and recurrent miscarriage (RM) has led to a wide range of prevalence rates in the literature. Despite the persistent controversy about the factual prevalence of PCOS in RM, a vast number of studies have revealed evidence about their association with each other. The goals of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of polycystic ovarian morphology and PCOS within the RM population, performing meta-analyses with the obtained data from this study, together with previous reports on this topic and evaluating reproductive outcome in women with RM and PCOS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study with 452 women with RM and a meta-analysis were conducted. The main outcome parameter was the prevalence of PCOS in RM patients. Results: In the retrospective study, the prevalence of PCOS in RM was 9.5%. Negative results for the selected risk factors for RM were present in 283 patients (62.6%). From all evaluated possible underlying causes for RM, only the presence of thrombophilic disorders was significantly associated with PCOS (PCOS: 20.9% versus no PCOS: 7.8%, p = 0.010). In the meta-analysis of three studies on PCOS in RM patients, which used the revised Rotterdam criteria for defining PCOS, an estimated pooled prevalence of 14.3% (95% CI: 6.2-24.9) was found. In the retrospective data set, women in the PCOS group revealed significantly higher luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels than age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls with RM negative for the selected risk facotrs (p < 0.05). The rate of further miscarriages was significantly higher in PCOS women than in controls (71.4% versus 53.6%, respectively; p = 0.031). Conclusions: The prevalence of PCOS seems slightly increased in women with RM. Women with PCOS suffering from RM showed a significantly higher risk for further miscarriage and decreased chances of having a life birth of about 18% which did not reach statistical significance. Therefore, we assume that PCOS plays a moderate role in RM.