Recent Results of ongoing THL studies

click here for RealAudio/Video version  *requires RealPlayer- free download

"Hi, this is Mark Surrey from Los Angeles. We're speaking from the ISGE meeting in Montreal, Canada, in regard to some of the newer advances in operative endoscopy. This particular meeting, we're going to address some of the results that we've had from the procedure described as transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy, which is a minimally invasive process utilized to evaluate the adnexa in the infertility patient. This is a procedure performed by inserting a dilating Veress cannula through the cul-de-sac in the midline, flooding the peritoneum with saline, approximately 200-300 cc's, and evaluating through a 2.7 mm lens laparoscope the peritoneal findings. We're going to be addressing the complications of this procedure as such, as that we've reviewed our data and the data from two large European centers in Dusseldorf, Germany and in Leven, Belgium. What we've found is approximately a 1% incidence of rectal perforations, and essentially no incidence of ureteral or general urinary perforations, and no significant incidence of vascular perforations. The rectal perforations that have been reported have all been pre- or retroperitoneal, and therefore, have been managed conservatively with antibiotics - none of which have required any additional surgical procedure, and six-month follow-up on these patients have revealed no additional complications. In conclusion, we feel that so far the complications reported from this procedure are well within the range of those reported from traditional transabdominal laparoscopic approach, and therefore, this seems to be a process that we see a bright future for. 

Thank you."