Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine最新文献

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition and is thought to affect approximately 40% of women over the age of 50, with prevalence increasing with age. 1 in 10 women will undergo surgery during their lifetime. Symptomatic women can be offered supervized pelvic floor exercises supported by Specialist Pelvic Floor Physiotherapists, vaginal pessary management or surgical management. This article covers comprehensive assessment, preoperative considerations to support shared decision making, and clinical governance surrounding surgical management of prolapse. It also provides a summary of different surgical techniques for both vaginal and abdominal approach for prolapse.

Fetal structural anomalies, affecting up to 3% of pregnancies, can be a major concern for expectant parents. Ultrasound screening has become an essential part of prenatal care, offering early detection of birth defects and empowering parents with information for reproductive decision making. While first-trimester scans are becoming more informative, the second-trimester scan remains the cornerstone of anomaly detection. Technological advancements, and the use of additional tools like MRI, are further enhancing our ability to ensure a healthy outcome for both mother and baby. Advancements have enabled detection of around half of all major anomalies in the first trimester (11–13+6) weeks. Professional societies recommend the second-trimester anatomy scan (18–22 weeks) as the gold standard for anomaly detection. The fetal anomaly scan boasts a high detection rate for major structural malformations, ranging from 15% to exceeding 90% in some cases. Detection rates vary depending on the organ system being examined. Equipment settings and sonographer experience play a role in accuracy. Whilst not 100% effective, the scan is safe and valuable. It empowers informed decision-making and can improve some pregnancy outcomes by enabling early detection and management. This allows for interventions, planning for delivery at the right time and place, and emotional preparation for parents. However, it is crucial to understand the limitations of the scan and the possibility of false positives or missed anomalies.

Women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse are offered a choice of conservative and surgical treatment options. Two thirds of women choose a vaginal pessary, a support device inserted in the vagina. This article reports the finding of a randomized controlled trial published in 2023 evaluating the cost-effectiveness of self-management of pessary compared to clinic-based care. Women were recruited in 21 centres across the UK and 340 women were randomized to pessary self-management or clinic-based care. The primary outcome measure was prolapse-specific quality of life and secondary outcomes were generic quality of life, pelvic floor symptoms, sexual function, self-efficacy, pessary complications, pessary use and pessary confidence. Participants’ health care resource use was measured. The trial showed that at 18 month follow-up self-management was not associated with better or worse quality of life than clinic-based care. Women in the self-management group reported fewer pessary complications and lower healthcare resource use.

The process of screening aims to reduce the burden of disease. In pregnancy this is relevant to both the mother and her baby. There are national screening programmes for infectious disease, haemoglobinopathy and fetal anomalies, all of which have the potential to reduce the life-long burden of disease in the newborn. But screening extends beyond these programmes and when risk factors are identified, interventions might be instigated to reduce the impact of disease on pregnancy outcomes. This article reviews screening in its broadest sense. It describes the various screening opportunities and considers the actions that can be taken to optimize the health of the mother and her baby. The process of screening continues throughout pregnancy, in the same way that risks evolve as pregnancy progresses.