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Results of a recent extended study of prolapse surgery  showed that in 60% of women, two common procedures failed within 5 years, but patients still reported a higher quality of life than before the surgery. Plus: ACOG has released a revised Committee Opinion to emphasize the idea of the “fourth trimester” in an attempt to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality numbers. Also: A recent study suggests that entering menopause later in life may be associated with a small boost in memory performance years later.

The following board members - both past and current - authors and collaborators will be appearing in Austin at the ACOG Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in April. Here is a rundown on where you can find them, the programs they will be participating in, plus links to their recent articles in Contemporary OB/GYN.

Enhanced recovery pathways (ERP) are rapidly gaining acceptance and use in gynecologic surgery. These handouts from the ERAS Society provide the physician and patient with valuable information for both pre- and post-operative care.

Analysis of data from more than 50 million pregnancy-related hospitalizations shows that more needs to be done to identify new mothers at high risk for heart failure (HF) before they leave the hospital. Plus: Incidence of occult cancer during benign gynecology surgery is low but not insignificant. Also: According to a recent study, nearly 5% of non-pregnant women of childbearing age experience major depression, but less than half of those patients use antidepressants.

ERPs may take a year or two to get gong but the benefits to patients and the healthcare system can be significant.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an order restricting sales and distribution of the contraceptive device Essure. Plus: Can a Pap test one day be used to diagnose ovarian, endometrial cancers?

A collection of standards, guidelines, tools and articles for further reading on maternal mortality. ACOG guidelines for emergencies and adverse effects; resources for coping with the death of a patient. Plus, news from Haiti about using mobile technology to save mothers.

A 26-year-old G0 comes to the office complaining of dysuria and painful lesions on her vulva. Can you make the correct diagnosis and treatment plan?

Contemporary OB/GYN will post links to reports on OB hospital closures to help illustrate the impact these closures have on their patients and maternal mortality rates. Be sure to check back often for the very latest links and information.

A family history of uterine cancer prompted the patient to seek a hysterectomy.

Readers write in about their thoughts on Contemporary OB/GYN's coverage of the maternal mortality issue, urge the avoidance of politicizing issues, and argue for the reduction of cesarean deliveries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has done women a disservice by incompletely examining the evidence for risk and benefits associated with morcellation for women undergoing surgery for suspected fibroids. Of note, within days of the FDA report, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) of the US Department of Health and Human Services published a more rigorous and complete analysis of available data with entirely different results and conclusions. Thirty-six signees recommend that Contemporary OB/GYN’s readers review the AHRQ findings and decide which report serves women best.

Dr. James Greenberg gives his review of the LiquiBand Exceed Topical Skin Adhesive.

Two physicians recount their experiences of losing a patient.

From our own experience in academic medicine, Dr. Ed Funai and I can vouch for the fact that most medical students are going into medicine for the right reasons-to help others via a career wedded in both science and humanity. Ironically, those same medical students are also experiencing record levels of burnout, substance abuse and depression as they enter their third and fourth years.

The purpose of this article is to review the steps in a cesarean delivery and examine the best available evidence for performing the procedure.

Findings from a recent study indicate that trimethoprim 200 mg BID for 3 or 7 days is the most effective antibiotic for uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) when levels of local resistance to the drug are < 30%. However, when it is ≥ 35%, a single dose of fosfomycin 3g or nitrofurantoin 100 mg BID for 7 days is more cost-effective.

In a Swiss comparative trial, diclofenac was found to be inferior to norfloxacin for treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI).

An analysis of data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-TEEN) 2015 shows that parental concerns about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination are gender-specific.

Results of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) suggest that over-the-counter moisturizer may be just as effective as vaginal estrogen tablets for treatment of vulvovaginal symptoms (VVS) in postmenopausal women. Plus: Does a Mediterranean diet help protect bones in postmenopausal women? Also: Metformin, an oral diabetes medication, seems to reduce the likelihood of late miscarriage and premature birth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to results of a multicenter study.

Failure of liquid nitrogen storage tanks at two major infertility centers has led to a review of procedures at those and other similar facilities by them and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Plus: Does MHT affect cardiovascular health? Also: Hirsutism treatment and diagnosis updated.

Women who smoke cigarettes may be more susceptible to urogenital infections and have more vaginal malodor, according to a cross-sectional study.

Allegations in this case include extended use of oxytocin and allowing labor to continue too long.

The aim of this paper is not to outline a specific medical-surgical algorithm for managing PPH, but rather to give an overview for system-wide preparedness that should be considered in planning to mitigate this frequent, potentially life-threatening, obstetrical emergency.

Planning up front for an endoscopic gynecologic surgical procedure is the best way to prevent an injury or complication.

Roughly one of two Ethiopian women were found to have bacterial vaginosis (BV) that strongly correlated with personal hygiene, according to a cross-sectional study.

Interim data from two studies of a dapivirine vaginal ring-DREAM and HOPE-lend further credence to the potential benefits of using the device for HIV prevention. Plus: FDA authorizes direct-to-consumer BRCA1/BRCA2 test. Also: A new Zika virus test extends window for accurate diagnosis.

A collection of standards, guidelines, tools and articles for the OB managing postpartum hemorrhage.

In the second part of Dr. Lockwood's editorial on opioids, he discusses steps that ob/gyns can take to help limit opioid use disorder in our pregnant and non-pregnant patients.

A newly published pilot study is the first to show that the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) ospemifene effectively normalizes vestibular innervation sensitivity, in addition to confirming that it relieves postmenopausal vestibular signs and symptoms.