When & Where
November 27 - 30, 2008
Paris, France
This event is a comprehensive multidisciplinary congress devoted to a wide spectrum of controversial issues and clinical debates in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility (COGI).
Here is an excerpt of the welcome note from the organisers:
The COGI World Congress is designed as an umbrella for the ever-growing number of sub-disciplines of our profession. The program is especially planned to engage in controversial issues in all fields related to Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility, and is devised as a meeting forum for world experts from all branches of our profession. The COGI congress is divided into three sections, in accordance with the major disciplines, and is appropriate for the needs of the specialist who would like to participate in a forum that can examine and discuss the limits of our knowledge, as well as the solutions provided in situations of clinical uncertainties. The congress is also suitable for the needs of those with a more general clinical interest who strive to be updated on developments in other fields. COGI is the forum for discussion among peer experts, whose questions arise from the lack of evidence, and who wish to achieve consensus based on expert opinions.
The special event of this year’s COGI is marked by the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the birth of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby. This miraculous event was pioneered by Prof. Robert Edwards and the late Prof Patrick Steptoe. It was a step forward for the family of Louise, but a major leap for medicine and thousands of doctors that gained the opportunity to touch the lives of millions of infertile couples. However, following this event, without the series of developments and innovations by hundreds of physicians and scientists throughout the world, we would not have attained our current position, and many couples would have remained childless.
You might need a little cash advance to register for this one as the fees are not cheap. And you’ll also have to consider about travelling expenses especially if you’re coming from outside Europe. For more information on this event, click here.
The German government will be holding a two day workshop in Bonn on 20 – 21 November 2008: “Endometriosis: a challenge for women and health care systems”. The workshop is limited to 100 delegates (physicians, women with endometriosis, support organisations, scientists, etc) and it will be conducted in German, English and Russian to address:
- status quo (ie. disease impact, quality of care, availability of treatment, current access to care, etc)
- action plan for future needs
The symposium is held by the Federal Ministry of Health, Germany and World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe in cooperation with the Association for Social Security Policy and Research.
To secure a place please go to: www.endometriosis-symposium.de/
Source: Endometriosis.org
Well, this did not come as a shock to me as I’ve already heard of cases that endometriosis was also found in the digestive system. Anyway, for those not in the know, read the following article.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with endometriosis are at increased risk of also having irritable bowel syndrome or pelvic inflammatory disease, according to findings from a large study conducted in the UK.
Dr. Karen D. Ballard, at the University of Surrey in Guildford, and colleagues identified 5,540 women aged 15 to 55 years who were diagnosed with endometriosis. They matched these “case” patients to 21,239 control women without endometriosis.
They found that women with endometriosis were at significantly greater risk of having a diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease before and after the date on which endometriosis was diagnosed.
Similarly, a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome was more likely before and after a diagnosis of endometriosis than among controls.
“If there is coexisting pelvic inflammatory disease, then this needs rigorous treatment to reduce the risk of even greater subfertility,” the researchers conclude in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Read more »
The World Endometriosis Society has recently published its September 2008 e-Journal which highlights the following topics:
- The president’s summary from WCE2008
- Diagnostic tests for endometriosis
- Scientific programme summary from WCE2008: six experts speak out
- Minutes from the WES General Assembly 2008
- Winners of the 2008 Rodolphe Maheux Award
- Comment: A call for patient advocacy
A copy in PDF version may be downloaded here.
Sonorecto-what? Well, it is a new diagnostic procedure that researchers are studying at the moment, which they think might be helpful in evaluating women who have suspected deep endometroisis.
Sonorectovaginography: A New Sonographic Technique for Imaging of the Posterior Compartment of the Pelvis
Tommaso Bignardi, MD and George Condous, MBBS, MRCOG, FRANZCOG
Objective. We describe the use of a new sonographic technique for imaging of the posterior compartment of the pelvis: sonorectovaginography.
Methods. Sonorectovaginography uses instillation of fluids (saline solution and ultrasound gel) in the vagina, pouch of Douglas, and rectum for the purpose of creating acoustic interfaces between the vagina, cervix, rectum, and pouch of Douglas. We performed sonorectovaginography in a woman with chronic pelvic pain during laparoscopy. Urinary catheters were introduced into the rectum and vagina. Sterile saline solution was introduced into the abdominal cavity through a laparoscopic trocar and in the rectum via a rectal catheter. The transvaginal probe was then inserted, and sterile ultrasound gel was introduced into the vagina through the vaginal catheter under sonographic guidance.
Results. Sonorectovaginography has helped us create acoustic interfaces and enhanced simultaneous visualization of the vaginal walls, posterior vaginal fornix, retrocervical area, rectovaginal septum, rectal wall, and pouch of Douglas.
Conclusions. Imaging of the posterior compartment of the pelvis is of paramount importance for identification of potentially difficult endometriosis cases, such as those complicated by obliteration of the pouch of Douglas or infiltration of the retrocervical area, rectovaginal septum, or vaginal or rectal wall. Sonorectovaginography may prove helpful in evaluating this compartment of the pelvis in women with suspected deep endometriosis. Its reproducibility, tolerability, and accuracy, however, need to be validated prospectively, and normative data for the rectovaginal septum also need to be established.
Source: Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
There is a new approach that doctors are trying out at the moment as part of their drug management for endometriosis.
Now doctors have found a way to relieve the pain with a pill. They’re combining aromatase inhibitors with the endometriosis drug Lupron.
“When you use the combination of these two drugs, you have a better chance,” Dr. Barrueto said.
Dr. Barrueto says aromatase inhibitors block the production of estrogen which suppresses the growth of endometriosis and reduces inflammation.
But the drugs are not without side effects. Some of the most common ones are hot flashes, mood swings and reduced libido.
Read more »
When & Where
19 to 22 October 2008
Hilton Hotel, Brisbane
Queensland, Australia
Theme: Working Together For Reproductive Health
The conference theme, “Working Together For Reproductive Health” guided the development of the sessions, though we retained some of the discipline based sessions. This theme was chosen to highlight potential benefits for our patients if we all recognize our respective skill sets and organise ourselves around a common theme. The overall aim of the program is to provide sessions that stimulate further discussions with your colleagues in the many IVF Units in Australia and New Zealand.
Keynote Speakers
John Collins
Bart Fauser
Jonathan Van Blerkom
Andrew Van Steirteghem
Registration is now open. For more information, please visit the FSA Conference website.
The Pain of Urological Origin (PUGO) special interest group of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) held a two-day meeting last August 15 and 16, 2008 in Scotland prior to the IASP 12th World Congress on Pain to consider the past, present and future of urogenital pain. The aim was to outline current practices and have a look at what the future may hold.
The following excerpt discussed on endometriosis:
Fred Howard from the University of Rochester spoke on the endometriosis pain syndrome. Chronic pelvic pain in women is most commonly of gastrointestinal origin followed by the urinary tract and finally the reproductive tract. Endometriosis is a histologic finding, not a syndrome per se. We don’t know the percentage of patients with endometriosis who also have pelvic pain, nor do we know the percent of women with pelvic pain who have endometriosis. We don’t understand how it causes pelvic pain, why removing lesions doesn’t always end the pain, or why similar symptoms are seen in patients with and without endometriosis. The triad of symptoms associated with endometriosis includes dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain. This can be referred to as the endometriosis pain syndrome. Dr. Howard quoted Frank Ling’s report (Obstetrics and Gynecology, 93:51-58, 1999) showing the efficacy of depot leuprolide for chronic pelvic pain in women suspected of having endometriosis, whether or not the diagnosis was borne out on subsequent laparoscopy, a rather curious finding. Work by Sutton, Jones, and Abbott strongly suggests that endometriosis lesions can cause pain and that surgical treatment is more effective than diagnostic laparoscopy in randomized, controlled trials (Fertility and Sterility, 62:696-700, 1994) (JSLS, 5:111-115, 2001) (Fertility and Sterility, 82:878-884, 2004).
Source: Newswise
Women, especially those who have or are prone to pelvic health disorders, should try to educate themselves more about their options of treatment. The study made by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) indicates the lack of knowledge when it comes to these things.
Cypress, CA · August 13, 2008 /PRNewswire/ – A new awareness study found that virtually all women expect their OB/GYN to inform them about minimally invasive treatments for common pelvic health disorders (PHDs), yet comparatively few are aware of the newer treatments designed to cause less pain and provide shorter recoveries. Russell Research conducted the study for AAGL, the preeminent organization of gynecologic endoscopic surgeons.
“I expect my OB/GYN to tell me about the least invasive treatments, even if he or she doesn’t offer them and would need to refer me to someone else,” was the near-universal assumption (98%). Women expect their gynecologist to offer them treatment options with the least amount of pain (98%) and to consider how treatment will affect their lifestyle — factors such as recovery time, lost wages and additional child care costs (94%).
The survey results revealed that women’s expectations are not being met:
- Endometrial ablation is over 90 percent effective in providing relief from heavy menstrual bleeding, but less than half of those suffering from heavy bleeding had ever heard of it.
- Myomectomy, a minimally invasive procedure for removing fibroids, relieves heavy bleeding due to fibroids in 90 percent of cases. Only 45 percent of women with fibroids were aware of this option.
- Sling procedures are effective in treating women with mild to moderate Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) and in some cases can be performed on an outpatient basis with no incisions. Two-thirds of those with SUI had never heard of sling procedures.
“This survey confirms what we have long suspected – that women with PHDs are not being fully informed about the range of available treatment options,” said Charles E. Miller, MD, President of AAGL. “When half of women suffering from a given condition are unaware that they may be candidates for a minimally invasive procedure that spares them pain, time and disruption of their lives, there is a clear need for stronger efforts in patient education.”
Read more »
It looks like all those hard work in research is starting to pay off. At least we are getting somewhere.
Researchers discovered that an enzyme, called telomerase, is released by cells in the inner lining of the womb during the latter stages of the menstrual cycle in women who are affected by endometriosis. Telomerase is not commonly found in the cells that make up the body, but is uniquely found in the inner lining of the womb and in some special cells, such as sperm and egg cells. The enzyme is also found in cancer cells and is thought to be responsible for replicating DNA sequences during cell division in chromosomes.
Read more »
