The aim of this study was to highlight the safety of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BTA) injections, with or without concurrent pudendal nerve block, in treating women with myofascial pelvic pain (MFPP).
This ...was a retrospective cohort study.
The review was conducted in a tertiary care academic center. Participants/Materials: We conducted a chart review of patients who were diagnosed with MFPP and treated with BTA with or without pudendal nerve block between January 2010 and February 2022.
BTA was injected transvaginally into the pelvic floor muscle group. The primary outcomes were adverse events after BTA injections, and the secondary outcome was the effect of concomitant pudendal nerve block at the time of BTA injections.
The cohort included 182 patients; 103 (56.6%) received BTA injections with pudendal nerve block, and 79 (43.4%) received BTA alone. There were no significant demographic differences between the two groups. Post-treatment complications of BTA administration included worsening of pelvic pain (11.5%), constipation (6.6%), urinary tract infection (2.7%), urinary retention (3.8%), and fecal incontinence (2.7%). No statistical difference was noted in the number of phone calls, patient-initiated electronic messages, emergency room visits, or clinic visits for both groups within 30 days post-treatment. The mean number of total injections was 1.6 in the BTA-only group and 1.7 in the BTA with pudendal block group (p = 0.421). Median time to re-intervention with a second BTA injection was 6.0 months; 5.6 months in the BTA with pudendal block group; and 6.8 months in the BTA-only group, p = 0.46. There were 63 re-intervention events after BTA injections.
Limitations of our study include the retrospective design making it vulnerable to missing or incomplete data available for review.
OnabotulinumtoxinA is beneficial in treating women with MFPP; with a duration of therapeutic effect of approximately 6 months. The use of a concurrent pudendal nerve block did not impact clinical outcomes.
Rare case of a massive uterine arteriovenous fistula Core, Jacob M.; Carrubba, Aakriti R.; Paz-Fumagalli, Ricardo
American journal of obstetrics and gynecology,
January 2020, 2020-01-00, 20200101, Volume:
222, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Changing US trends in contraceptive choices Vegunta, Suneela; Carrubba, Aakriti R; Wasson, Megan N
Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine,
2021-Dec-02, Volume:
88, Issue:
12
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (ie, intrauterine devices and the etonogestrel subdermal implant) have become increasingly popular methods of contraception because of their convenience and ...safety profile. At the same time, the use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, one of the most prescribed contraceptives in the United States since its approval in 1992, is on the wane. The history and pros and cons of these contraceptive methods are reviewed.
OBJECTIVEEndosalpingiosis is a poorly understood condition of ectopic epithelium resembling the fallopian tubes. It has been described as an incidental pathology finding, a disease similar to ...endometriosis, and in association with malignancy. The objective of this study is to determine if endosalpingiosis (ES) has an increased association with gynecologic malignancy when compared to endometriosis (EM). METHODSThis is a retrospective case-control analysis of patients with a histologic diagnosis of endosalpingiosis or endometriosis at three affiliated academic hospitals between 2000 and 2020. All ES patients were included, and 1:1 matching was attempted to obtain a comparable cohort of EM patients. Demographic and clinical data were obtained, and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTSA total of 967 patients (515 ES and 452 EM) were included. ES patients were significantly older than EM patients (median age 52 vs 48 years, p < 0.001). The ES group had significantly more cancer diagnoses at surgery than the EM group (40.1% vs 18.1%, p < 0.001); this difference persisted in a sub-analysis excluding patients with known or suspected malignancy (20.9% vs 5.6%, p < 0.001). ES patients had lower overall survival (10-year freedom from death: 77.0% vs 90.5%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, multivariable analysis showed that ES patients had increased cancer diagnosed at surgery (OR = 2.48, p < 0.001) and greater risk of death (OR = 1.69, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONSEndosalpingiosis was found concurrently with malignancy in 40% of cases, and this effect was preserved in multi-variable and sub-group analyses. Further research consisting of longer follow-up and exploration of molecular relationships between ES and cancer are forthcoming.
Coccygodynia is a painful condition of the tailbone that occurs more commonly in females. The association of coccyx pain with pelvic floor symptoms and the prevalence of coccyx pain in women with ...pelvic pain has not previously been reported.
To identify the prevalence of coccygodynia in women with pelvic pain and to describe the association of coccygodynia with pelvic floor examination findings and symptoms.
Retrospective cohort analysis.
Tertiary medical institution.
One hundred twenty-seven women presenting for outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy treatment who underwent vaginal and rectal pelvic floor examination.
Prevalence of coccygodynia, pain scores, association of coccygodynia with other comorbidities and diagnoses, and association of coccygodynia with physical examination findings.
Sixty-three (49.6%) of 127 women with pelvic pain presented with coccygodynia and 64 (50.4%) did not. Women with coccygodynia had significantly higher rates of muscle spasm (50.8% vs. 31.2%, p = .025) higher visual analog scale pain scores (median 5 vs. 3, p = .014), higher rates of outlet dysfunction constipation (31.7% vs. 10.0%, p = .032), and higher rates of fibromyalgia (15.9% vs. 3.1%, p = .014). On pelvic examination, women with coccygodynia were significantly more likely to have sacrococcygeal joint hypomobility (65.1% vs. 14.1%, p < .001), coccygeus muscle spasm (77.8% vs. 17.2%, p < .001), anococcygeal ligament pain (63.5% vs. 9.4%, p < .001), external anal sphincter pain/spasm (33.3% vs. 13.1%, p < .001), and impaired pelvic floor muscle coordination (77.8% vs. 57.8%, p = .016).
Almost 50% of women seeking pelvic floor physical therapy for pelvic pain had coexisting coccygodynia. These women had higher pain scores, increased pelvic floor dysfunction, and significantly greater abnormal physical exam findings. This study demonstrates a strong link between coccygodynia, pelvic floor symptoms, and pelvic pain and highlights the importance of screening for and identifying coccyx pain when evaluating women with pelvic pain.
INTRODUCTION:Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 15% of women in the United States. The endocannabinoid system can be a pharmacological target for endometriosis-related pelvic pain, as cannabis ...receptors are highly expressed in the uterus and other non-reproductive tissues. We hypothesize that many patients with CPP use cannabis and report improvement in symptoms.
METHODS:An anonymous, confidential, electronic survey was performed from March through August 2019. Patients aged 18 through 89 were included if they had a diagnosis of pelvic/perineal pain, dyspareunia, or endometriosis. Subjects were approached during outpatient appointments. Study approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board.
RESULTS:A total of 122 of 240 (50.8%) patients responded. Of these, 113 self-reported a diagnosis of CPP (92.6%). Twenty-six patients reported cannabis use (23%). Six (24%) used Cannabidiol (CBD), 3 (12%) used tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and 15 (60%) used a combination of CBD and THC. Frequency of use varied, with the majority using at least once per week (n=18, 69.2%). Only 5 (19.2%) utilized a State Medical Cannabis Program to obtain a certification. Of users, 24 (92.3%) reported improvement in symptoms, including pain, cramping, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, libido, and irritability. However, 21 (80.7%) reported side effects; the most common were dry mouth, sleepiness, and feeling “high.”
CONCLUSION:Up to 23% of patients with CPP report use of cannabis as an adjunct to their prescribed therapy, and they use a variety of formulations and doses. Most report daily or weekly use. Although side effects are common, most users report improvement in symptoms.
Purpose
Pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) is first-line therapy for treatment of pelvic floor tension myalgia (PFTM). Pelvic floor trigger point injections (PFTPI) are added if symptoms are ...refractive to conservative therapy or if patients experience a flare. The primary objective was to determine if a session of physical therapy with myofascial release immediately following PFTPI provides improved pain relief compared to trigger point injection alone.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 87 female patients with PFTM who underwent PFTPI alone or PFTPI immediately followed by PFPT. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were recorded pre-treatment and 2 weeks post-treatment. The primary outcome was the change in VAS between patients who received PFTPI alone and those who received PFTPI followed by myofascial release.
Results
Of the 87 patients in this study, 22 received PFTPI alone and 65 patients received PFTPI followed by PFPT. The median pre-treatment VAS score was 8 for both groups. The median post-treatment score was 6 for the PFTPI only group and 4 for the PFTPI followed by PFPT group, showing a median change in VAS score of 2 and 4, respectively (
p
= 0.042). Seventy-seven percent of patients in the PFTPI followed by PFPT group had a VAS score improvement of 3 or more, while 45% of patients in the PFTPI only group had a VAS score improvement greater than 3 (
p
= 0.008).
Conclusion
PFTPI immediately followed by PFPT offered more improvement in pain for patients with PFTM. This may be due to greater tolerance of myofascial release immediately following injections.
Determine the prevalence of burnout and frustration among participants currently completing a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (FMIGS).
Cross-sectional survey.
An anonymous survey ...was distributed to fellows in November 2018.
Current FMIGS fellows.
Not applicable.
A total of 57 of 83 (67.7%) FMIGS participants in American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists-accredited programs completed a survey regarding fellowship characteristics and experiences. Overall, 40 participants (70.2%) indicated that they were satisfied with their fellowship program experience. There were 33 participants (57.9%) who reported burnout, and 38 participants (66.7%) had experienced anxiety, depression, or extreme fatigue during the last month. Of those who reported burnout, 26 (76.5%) reported that they did not receive support from their fellowship program. Participants who experienced burnout were more likely to be in their second year (p = .003), spent less time per week doing scholarly activities (p = .048), and were less satisfied with their fellowship experience (p <.001). Participants who experienced anxiety, depression, or extreme fatigue had more cofellows in their program (p = .031), worked on average more hours per week (p = .020), and were more often required to practice obstetrics in their fellowship (p = .022).
Burnout symptoms are common among physicians across multiple specialties. Our findings suggest that this issue is prevalent among FMIGS participants. In addition, there is a lack of access to emotional and psychologic support programs for fellows experiencing burnout. We hope that this study will prompt attention to this important topic by both individual programs and American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists as a society to increase awareness and access to resources and promote wellness for fellows.
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