Male infertility is a clinician-orientied book aimed at the clinician dealing with the infertile couple because rational, effective management is only possible if the couple are considered together. The aim of the work is to provide advice to the clinician and to give reference to the underlying science. This will not only enable clinicians to understand the underlying science but will also give scientists an insight to clinical work. This blend of science and clinical work is reflected in the contributors who are experts drawn from both fields.

Covering both the pharmacological and the more controversial non-pharmacological management of pain relief, this comprehensive text, edited by an internationally renowned specialist, provides practical guidance to all involved in this aspect of labour care.

A practical primer for physicians wanting to learn about simple and complex urodynamic testing. The clear, concise workbook structure allows for quick reference to multichannel urodynamic tracings and their interpretation. Brief but thorough discussion of the underlying theory and concepts behind urodynamic testing enable readers to gain a firm grasp of the implications of test results in individual patients. It provides an understanding of all the techniques used for the evaluation and treatment of the incontinent or lower urinary tract dysfunctional female patient, and also includes a quick reference guide to outpatient treatment. In contrast to other didactic texts, this book allows readers to initiate testing programs and will thus be of practical benefit to all those interested in improving patient care.

This brief explores the resurgence of the role of doulas in the child birthing process in Chinese clinical settings, as a lens to understand comparative pre- and post-natal care worldwide. The demand for doulas in China is increasing, and the rise in the use of doulas is thought to be due to increasing dissatisfaction with current institutional maternity health care. Attention is focused on Chinese women's relationships with their bodies and on women's experiences of choice, agency, and access to health and reproductive services as well as maternal health care information and support. Chapters present an overview of the current experience of pre- and post- natal care in China. In addition, chapters explore interview data on how Chinese doulas construct multiple identities, in terms of serving as lactation consultants, child care providers, and child care educators for women during pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal Healthcare and Doulas in China will be of interest to researchers in public health and health policy, particularly with an interest in maternal health or Asian studies, as well as, health practitioners, and clinicians who are interested in issues related to women, maternity, health care, childbirth, and feminist research in China.

The entire span of a woman's reproductive years and beyond is the scope of this volume, which presents research covering events from first menstruation through the post-menopausal years. Special care has been taken to balance basic research and clinical information.

The volume comprises chapters on first menstruation, hypothalamic amenorrhea, implantation and recurrent abortion, XX metabolic syndrome, endometriosis, menopause, osteoporosis, minimally invasive surgery, assisted reproduction, ultrasound imaging in obstetrics, estrogen receptor modulators, and urogynecology. Papers on fertility drugs and gynecologic cancer, contraception today, prenatal genetic diagnosis, cloning and stem cells, transdermal hormone therapy, and estrogen and brain function will also be included.

Authors from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics will address issues such as, Is there an optimal rate for cesarean section? and fistulas in Africa, as well as perinatal mortality in Europe.

This volume is the latest proceedings of a series of meetings that has been held in Athens for over a decade, and the participants are internationally known authorities in their fields.

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Peritoneoscopy and culdoscopy were first introduced in the second edition of TeLinde's Operative Gynecology in 1953. TeLinde noted, "In many instances we find peritoneoscopy to be a useful procedure. Nevertheless it often left something to be desired." During the subsequent four decades, enormous progress has allowed the expansion of the application of laparoscopy and hysteroscopy throughout gynecol- ogy. Thus, it is appropriate and quite useful to have a text devoted solely to this rapidly advancing specialty. In its second edition, the text Practical Manual of Operative Laparoscopy and Hys- teroscopy is a complete and honest overview of the field providing the reader with a critical appraisal of the current literature on technique, development, and long- term follow-up. Refreshingly, the authors include not only the American experi- ence but also advances from Europe and Asia. Ricardo Azziz and Ana Alvarez Murphy have carefully organized the text into general concepts and laparoscopic and hysteroscopic operative techniques. The editors have selected authors of national and international stature to prepare chap- ters in their areas of expertise. The edited text carefully analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each operative technique so as to allow readers insight as to the proper place for a particular endoscopic technique in their surgical practices.

Recent years have seen important advances in the technology and techniques available to surgeons performing gynecologic surgery as well as reconstructive of clinical pelvic procedures. These developments took place in a wide variety settings from regional teaching centers to private clinical facilities. In 1996, the leading investigators from around the world gathered to discuss the present status of pelvic surgery and adhesion prevention with a look toward the future of patient care. This volume contains the proceedings of that meeting: the Third Interna tional Congress on Pelvic Surgery and Adhesion Prevention. Each chapter in cludes the material presented at the congress as well as a timely update of the authors' latest research and clinical thinking. Presentation integrating basic and clinical science provide the basis for con sidering peritoneal repair after surgery including the interaction of growth factors and other biochemical messengers. Research has increased the understanding of mesothelial reepithelialization and has led to new surgical technologies to reduce adhesion fonnation. A state-of-the-art review of emerging surgical adjuvants for adhesion prevention is provided, including discussion of barriers, gels, and poly mers as well as "designer" drugs effective at modifying the peritoneal response to injury. Assessment of clinical outcome in a wide variety of gynecologic surgical procedures brings into focus the benefits available as a result of these new tech nologies."

Assisted Reproduction is a specialty undergoing rapid change as new technologies are introduced and new research challenges previous treatment options. This text examines a selection of controversial topics for both laboratory and clinical practice and tries to place them in perspective, so readers can understand how and why the current state of the question has come about and how future contributions to the debate should be measured. All physicians involved with the technologies concerned will learn from the expert contributions assembled here. CONTENTS: The use of ovarian markers * Use of molecular markers of endometrial receptivity * Use of GnRHa for triggering final oocyte maturation during ovarian stimulation cycles * Use of time-lapse embryo imaging in assisted reproductive technology practice * Use of cryopreservation for all embryos * Preimplantation genetic screening * The use of single embryo transfer * Use of luteal phase support * Measuring safety and efficiency in in vitro fertilization * To flush follicles during egg collection or not * Use of blastocyst culture * Use of mitochondrial donation * Controversies in recurrent implantation failure: From theory to practice * Fibroids: To remove or not? * Limitations of endometrioma surgery in in vitro fertilization: Possibilities of early disease control

This volume is a practical guide for medical students during their clinical years, providing coverage of the common gynaecological conditions which will be most frequently encountered by the doctor in training. The text is designed to complement the practical experience gained by the student in the clinic, advocating a problem-solving patient-centred approach, and emphasizing the importance of clinical and communication skills.

Based on the gold standard procedures and protocols developed at Boston IVF, this new edition of a bestselling text continues to provide a structured approach to treating the infertile couple that can be of benefit to the gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist, and reproductive medicine nurse alike. Both clinical and laboratory techniques are included, with material on preconception care. New to this edition are chapters on fertility care for the LGBT community, endometriosis, elective egg freezing, and effective nursing.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an in-depth, thorough guide for the clinician on the most common complication of sexually transmitted pathogens. Edited and written by the preeminent experts in the field, this volume presents the etiology, treatment, and diagnosis of PID, as well as chapters on risk factors, epidemiology, and prevention. In addition, the myriad clinical complications and challenges are discussed in chapters on tuboovarian abscess, PID and HIV infection, sequelae of PID, PID in adolescence, and PID in pregnancy. This is a must-have resource for obstetrician-gynecologists, primary care physicians, and all clinicians who provide health care to women of all ages.

Major advances in genetics, immunology, and endocrinology have necessitated a new edition of this best-selling text. However, despite the advances, recurrent pregnancy loss presents a frustrating clinical problem. There is still disagreement about the number of pregnancy losses which warrant investigation and treatment and about which investigations should be performed. This third edition provides an authoritative and comprehensive update on advances in the understanding and management of this troubling phenomenon, covering both basic scientific topics such as genetics and cytokines, and profiles major advances in immunology, endocrinology, and thrombotic mechanism. Clinical research is discussed, as is assessment of results when applying an evidence-based approach or a more personalised approach, which is now becoming possible due to advances in the diagnosis of cause. There are lively debates on the role of progestogens and immunotherapy, which remain controversial. Designed for specialists working in reproductive medicine clinics and those involved with maternal-fetal care, the book is also ideal for generalists and gynecologists seeking a comprehensive view of developments in the field.

Pregnancy is the main determinant of some liver diseases in humans: acute fatty liver of pregnancy, cholestasis of pregnancy, and acute liver failure in toxaemia of pregnancy. Pregnancy also modifies the natural history of other more common hepatobiliary diseases, such as cholesterol gallstones. Sex hormones (mainly oestrogens, progesterone and/or some of its metabolites) and prolactin are considered responsible for these pathological consequences and they also appear to be influential in the outcome of several other hepatobiliary disorders, in both sexes and all ages. Although these disorders and their hormonal interrelations have been clinically well characterized, their pathogenesis remains obscure from the biomolecular point of view. In recent years, novel approaches using new technologies have improved our understanding of hormone actions and metabolism, hormone receptors, metabolic pathways and their interrelations with closely related molecules, such as bile acids. This book, the proceedings of the 89th Falk Symposium, held in Santiago, Chile, 10-11 November, 1995, will help research scientists and clinicians to review basic and clinical aspects of these interactions, in order to stimulate biomedical research in a relevant and exciting area.

Recurrent pregnancy loss is an emotional challenge for patients. This book offers a practical approach to office-based gynecologists and trainee gynecologists to learn how to identify the root causes and minimize the risks of further miscarriage in subsequent pregnancies. This book is part of the Gynecology in Practice Series, which aims to provide a clinical 'in the office' or 'at the bedside' guide to effective patient care for gynecologists.

At the Mie International Symposium held in Japan in April 1994, leading scientists reviewed recent advances in the understanding of the contractile mechanism in smooth muscle. The present volume collects the papers presented at the symposium, summarizing the latest advances in smooth muscle function and emphasizing important components of the contraction-relaxation cycle. Topics include a discussion of the smooth muscle cell membrane, with emphasis on its ion channels; the regulation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels and the relationship to force in smooth muscle; aspects of the two key regulatory enzymes involved with myosin phosphorylation-dephosphorylation; the molecular basis for pharmacomechanical coupling in smooth muscle; developments in the basic contractile mechanisms involving the crossbridge cycle of tonic and phasic muscle; the role of myosin light chains; and many others. The approach is broad and presents contemporary opinions in pharmacology, physiology, and biochemistry as they relate to smooth muscle function. The book will appeal not only to those working in these disciplines, but to vascular clinicians, obstetric-gynecological physicians, and gastroenterologists as well.

In the 1960s, thanks to the development of prenatal diagnosis, medicine found a new object of study: the living fetus. At first, prenatal testing was proposed only to women at a high risk of giving birth to an impaired child. But in the following decades, such testing has become routine. In Imperfect Pregnancies, Ilana Lowy argues that the generalization of prenatal diagnosis has radically changed the experience of pregnancy for tens of millions of women worldwide. Although most women are reassured that their future child is developing well, others face a stressful period of waiting for results, uncertain prognosis, and difficult decisions. Lowy follows the rise of biomedical technologies that made prenatal diagnosis possible and investigates the institutional, sociocultural, economic, legal, and political consequences of their widespread diffusion. Because prenatal diagnosis is linked to the contentious issue of selective termination of pregnancy for a fetal anomaly, debates on this topic have largely centered on the rejection of human imperfection and the notion that we are now perched on a slippery slope that will lead to new eugenics. Imperfect Pregnancies tells a more complicated story, emphasizing that there is no single standardized way to scrutinize the fetus, but there are a great number of historically conditioned and situated approaches. This book will interest students, scholars, health professionals, administrators, and activists interested in issues surrounding new medical technologies, screening, risk management, pregnancy, disability, and the history and social politics of women's bodies.

Recognition of the relationship between alcohol abuse and adverse prenatal outcomes is reflected in the warning labels on every alcoholic beverage sold in the United States. Because alcohol abuse has serious consequences for both individuals and society as a whole, much research has been devoted to this problem. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome provides straightforward facts regarding the impact of alcohol consumption as it affects the development of the embryo and fetus. Surveying current research of fetal alcohol syndrome and its related problems, the book addresses the immediate effects on development at various stages. Long-term action of prenatal alcohol exposure later in life is also considered. A chapter devoted to assessing the behavior of children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol emphasizes the necessity of longitudinal studies of fetal alcohol syndrome. This important reference offers a thorough overview of a problem that cannot be ignored.

This authoritative textbook provides a much-needed guide for postgraduate trainees preparing for the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) Fellowship examination. Published in association with EBCOG, it fully addresses the competencies defined by the EBCOG curriculum and builds the clinical practice related to these competencies upon the basic science foundations. Volume 1 covers the depth and breadth of obstetrics, and draws on the specialist knowledge of four highly experienced Editors and over 100 contributors from across Europe, reflecting the high-quality training needed to ensure the safety and quality of healthcare for women and their babies. It incorporates key international guidelines throughout, along with colour diagrams and photographs for easy understanding. This is an invaluable resource, not only for postgraduate trainees planning to sit the EFOG examination, but also for practising specialists looking to update their knowledge and skills to meet the ever-evolving complexity of clinical practice.

Since the first edition went to press in 1989, there have been many important developments concerning different aspects of maternity care. To take account of these, much needs to be added to this history. Late 1989 saw the publication of the double volume set of studies, Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth, in which all the then existing evidence on all the associated procedures was considered and evaluated by well-informed and impartial authors representing many countries. This informative collection has since been followed by a flow of single reports of new research findings about specific subjects within the field. To incorporate the new material has involved, in particular, a consider able enlargement and rearrangement of the text and reference lists for Chapters 3 and 4, which deal with antenatal and intranatal care. Then in 1990-1 the House of Commons Health Committee, under its chairman Nicholas Winterton, undertook a further enquiry into the maternity services in Britain. A wide range of people concerned as pro viders or users of the service, as well as researchers concerned to find out how well the service was meeting needs, chose to submit testi monies, written and oral. These testimonies were all later published in six volumes which offered a most valuable depiction of the maternity service from many points of view."

Fibrin sealant is used for numerous indications in gynecology, especially for the McIndoe Operation and Cohn biopsy, the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz-Hirsch-Stoll-Operation, urethrocysopexy, or in vitro fertilization for embryo transfer. The use of fibrin sealant in urology has also been extended, especially in operations of the spermatic cord, reconstruction of the urethra and closing of nephrotomies.

In Manufacturing Babies and Public Consent, Jose Van Dyck sketches a map of the public debate on new reproductive technologies as it has evolved in the USA and Britain since 1978. Many people have participated in heated discussions on test-tube babies and in vitro fertilization, particularly medical researchers and feminists. The new technologies have been both embraced as the cure to infertility and condemned as the exploitation of women's bodies. Reconstructing this debate, Van Dyck juxtaposes a variety of textual material, from scientific articles to newspaper articles and works of fiction.

On the occasion of the symposium on Hypertension in Postmenopausal Women (Monte Carlo, January 19-22, 1994), international scientists and clinicians discussed the various aspects of high blood pressure in older women. This volume presents an overview of this important aspect of both cardiology and gynecology. Special emphasis is given to the different approaches to antihypertension treatment.

In this issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics, guest editor Dr. Carlos Parra-Herran brings his considerable expertise to the topic of Gynecologic and Obstetric Pathology. Top experts cover emerging topics in gynecologic pathology that are relevant to clinical practice, including information on classification, terminology, diagnostic criteria, and ancillary testing. This issues also includes a review of the pathologic findings in specimens from patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery. Contains 14 practice-oriented topics including placental pathology: integrating consensus recommendations into practice; gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: contemporary diagnostic approach; homologous recombination deficiency and BRCA testing in pelvic high-grade serous carcinoma; ovarian sex cord stromal tumors and their mimickers; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on gynecologic and obstetric pathology, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.