Pregnancy Outcomes After Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Leiomyomas Compared With Myomectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare pregnancy outcomes after laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation and myomectomy. METHODS: The ULTRA (Uterine Leiomyoma Treatment With Radiofrequency Ablation) study is an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study with longitudinal follow-up up to 5 years comparing outcomes of radiofrequency ablation with myomectomy in premenopausal women older than age 21 years with symptomatic uterine leiomyomas. Participants were queried every 6 months after surgery to assess the incidence of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Among 539 women enrolled in ULTRA, a total of 37 participants (mean age at first pregnancy 35.0±4.7 years) conceived 43 times as of March 2023 (22 radiofrequency ablation, 21 myomectomy). The average length of follow-up time after all procedures was 2.5±1.0 years. The baseline miscarriage rate in the study population was 33.3%. In participants who underwent radiofrequency ablation, 9 of 22 pregnancies (40.9%, 95% CI, 20.3-61.5%) ended in first-trimester miscarriage, 11 resulted in live births (50.0%, 95% CI, 29.1-70.9%), one resulted fetal death at 30 weeks of gestation, and one resulted in uterine rupture during miscarriage treatment with misoprostol 10 weeks after radiofrequency ablation. Among the live births in the radiofrequency ablation group, 45.5% were by vaginal delivery. In the myomectomy group, 9 of 21 pregnancies (42.9%, 95% CI, 21.7-64.0%) ended in first-trimester miscarriage and 12 resulted in live births (57.1%, 95% CI, 36.0-78.3%). There were no significant differences in the likelihood of live birth or miscarriage between the study groups. CONCLUSION: Full-term pregnancy and vaginal delivery are achievable after radiofrequency ablation of leiomyomas. However, in this interim analysis, the miscarriage rate in both radiofrequency ablation and myomectomy groups was higher than expected for women in this age group. Long-term data collection in the ongoing ULTRA study aims to further understand pregnancy outcomes after radiofrequency ablation compared with myomectomy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT0210094.

Hematological and Psychophysiological Correlates of Anomalous Information Reception in Mediums: A Preliminary Exploration.

CONTEXT: Modern research with mediums-individuals who regularly experience and report communication from the deceased-includes investigations of mediums' accuracy, psychology, phenomenology, and electrophysiology and the therapeutic potential of mediumship readings for the bereaved. Anecdotal reports imply that chronic medical problems may be a serious concern for mediums. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was two-fold: (I) to systematically investigate the hematological and psychophysiological correlates of anomalous information reception (AIR, the reporting of accurate and specific information about the deceased in the absence of prior knowledge, feedback, or deceptive means) and (II) to compare the reported health issues of mediums and non-mediums. DESIGN: (I) A repeated-measures design in which mediums engaged in blinded mediumship readings and a control condition was used. (II) A parallel-groups design was used to compare mediums' and non-mediums' responses to an anonymous online survey regarding their health issues. PARTICIPANTS: (I) Data was collected from five Windbridge Certified Research Mediums. (II) Survey responses from 125 mediums were compared to responses from 222 non-mediums. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (I) General physiological measures and 28 hematological elements were assessed. (II) Reports regarding autoimmune disease diagnoses and specific ailments by organ system were collected. RESULTS: Novel findings from this study included the following: (I) No significant hematological or physiological changes were seen in the mediums when pre- and post-condition comparisons were made for the counter-balanced sessions. (II) Compared to non-mediums, more mediums reported having at least one autoimmune disease (35.2% vs. 18.9%; p = 0.00076; z = 3.37; h = 0.4). Mediums also reported experiencing more health issues than did non-mediums (8.08 ± 5.38 vs. 5.09 ± 4.17 symptoms; p < 0.000001, g = 0.6). Specifically, more mediums than non-mediums (all p < 0.004) reported water retention (19.2% vs. 5.0%, z = 4.23, h = 0.5), bruising easily (20.0% vs. 9.0%, z = 2.93, h = 0.3), gastrointestinal issues (35.2% vs. 18.5%, z = 3.48, h = 0.4), headaches/migraines (26.4% vs. 11.3%, z = 3.63, h = 0.4), asthma (20.0% vs. 9.0%, z = 2.93, h = 0.3), food intolerances (28.0% vs. 9.9%, z = 4.37, h = 0.5), and sleep disturbances (40.8% vs. 14.9%, z = 5.41 h = 0.6). The proportions of participants reporting exophthalmos, chronic fatigue syndrome, and ankle sprains were not different.