Treatment of Asherman's Syndrome in an Outpatient Hysteroscopy Setting

Nano-biomaterial Fibrinogen/P(LLA-CL) for prevention of intrauterine adhesion and restoration of fertility

Endometrial damage resulting from surgical procedures is a significant cause of intrauterine adhesion, thin endometrium, and subsequent miscarriage and infertility. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective clinical solution to promote endometrial regeneration after severe injury. In this study, we combined fibrinogen (Fg) and P(LLA-CL) by electrostatic spinning to form a stable nano-biomaterial Fg/P(LLA-CL), which can promote endometrial regeneration. After inducing physical injury to rat endometrium, we found that Fg/P(LLA-CL) membranes placed in the uterine cavities increased endometrial thickness and the number of glands after injury, while reducing the area of endometrial fibrosis. In addition, Fg/P(LLA-CL) increased neovascularization and decreased COL1A1 deposition. The expression of TGF-β1, a cytokine that promotes fibrosis, was down-regulated in the early stage of injury. Finally, fertility assays confirmed that Fg/P(LLA-CL) improved the pregnancy rate in rats with endometrial injury, and its safety was verified by blood tests and pathological examination of heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney. Therefore, Fg/P(LLA-CL) shows great potential as a safe and nontoxic biomaterial for endometrial regeneration, ultimately improving pregnancy outcomes in patients with intrauterine adhesion.

Hysteroscopic Findings and Operative Treatment: All at Once?

Hysteroscopy is considered not only a diagnostic instrument but also a therapeutic tool for many uterine pathologies. In the early 1990s, advances in technology and techniques made hysteroscopy less painful and invasive, allowing to increase in the number of gynecological procedures performed in an ambulatory setting without significant patient discomfort and with potentially significant cost savings. This is the so-called "office hysteroscopy" or "see-and-treat hysteroscopy", whose spread has permitted the decrease of the number of procedures performed in the operating room with the benefit of obviating the need for anesthesia and dilatation of the cervical canal.

Incidence and Clinical Implications of Placenta Accreta Spectrum after Treatment for Asherman Syndrome

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence, predictors, and clinical implications of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in pregnancies after hysteroscopic treatment for Asherman syndrome (AS).

DESIGN

This is a retrospective cohort study, conducted through a telephone survey and chart review.

SETTING

Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery center in an academic community hospital.

PATIENTS

Database of 355 patients hysteroscopically treated for AS over 4 years. We identified patients who achieved pregnancy past the first trimester and evaluated the incidence and predictors for PAS as well as associated clinical implications.

INTERVENTIONS

Telephone survey.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We identified 97 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Among these patients, 23 (23.7%) patients had PAS. History of cesarean delivery was the only variable statistically significantly associated with having PAS (adjusted odds ratio 4.03, 95% confidence interval 1.31-12.39). PAS was diagnosed antenatally in 3 patients (14.3%), with patients having placenta previa more likely to be diagnosed (p <.01). Nine patients (39.13%) with PAS required cesarean hysterectomy, which is 9.3% of those with a pregnancy that progressed past the first trimester. Factors associated with cesarean hysterectomy were the etiology of AS (dilation and evacuation after the second trimester pregnancy or postpartum instrumentation, p <.01), invasive placenta (increta or percreta, p <.05), and history of morbidly adherent placenta in previous pregnancies (p <.05). Two patients with PAS (9.5%) had uterine rupture, and another 2 (9.5%) experienced uterine inversion.

CONCLUSION

There is a high incidence of PAS and associated morbidity in pregnancies after hysteroscopic treatment for AS. There is a low rate of antenatal diagnosis as well as a lack of reliable clinical predictors, which both stress the importance of clinical awareness, careful counseling, and delivery planning.

Patient-reported menstrual and obstetric outcomes following hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for Asherman syndrome

Objective

Review the menstrual and obstetric outcomes among Asherman syndrome patients when stratified by disease severity.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center.

Patients

A total of 355 Asherman syndrome patients stratified by March classification who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.

Interventions

Telephone survey, analyzed with multivariable analysis.

Main Outcome Measures

Return of menstruation. Pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth rate.

Results

A total of 355 patients underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Of these, 150 (42.3%) patients completed the telephone survey with a mean follow-up of 2.21 years. Additionally, 40.7% had mild, 52.7% had moderate, and 6.6% had severe disease. Furthermore, 25.3% of patients reported amenorrhea at presentation, with mild disease patients having the highest rate of returning menstruation (93.8%) following treatment. The cumulative pregnancy rate was 81.9%, and the cumulative live birth rate was 51.2%, with no statistical differences identified by the classification group.

Conclusion

Asherman syndrome disease severity predicted returning menstruation but not pregnancy or live birth rate.

Concomitant Adenomyosis among Patients with Asherman Syndrome

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To characterize obstetric outcomes for concomitant Asherman syndrome and adenomyosis.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic medical center.

PATIENTS

A total of 227 patients with Asherman syndrome with available hysteroscopy and pelvic ultrasound reports.

INTERVENTIONS

Telephone survey to assess and compare the obstetric outcomes of patients with Asherman syndrome with concomitant adenomyosis (Group A) vs patients with Asherman syndrome without concomitant adenomyosis (Group B).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A telephone survey and confirmatory chart review were conducted to obtain information on patients' demographics, gynecologic and obstetric history, past medical and surgical history, and Asherman syndrome management. Adenomyosis was a common sonographic finding, detected in 39 patients with Asherman syndrome (17.2%). In this cohort, 77 patients attempted pregnancy and produced 87 pregnancies. Age (odds ratio [OR] 0.67; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.52-0.86) was negatively associated with a pregnancy outcome. Age (OR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73-0.95) and severe Asherman disease (OR 0.06; 95% CI, <0.01-0.99) were negatively associated with a live birth outcome. Adenomyosis was not an independent predictor of pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, or live birth rate among patients with Asherman syndrome.

CONCLUSION

Adenomyosis is relatively common in patients with Asherman syndrome. Adenomyosis does not seem to add any distinct detriment to fertility among patients with Asherman syndrome.

Supplements to Conventional Treatment After Hysteroscopic Lysis of Intrauterine Adhesions: A Systematic Review

Intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) are a result of trauma to the basalis layer of the endometrium and may lead to clinical sequelae such as miscarriage, infertility, and menstrual irregularities. Hysteroscopy is recognized as the gold standard in diagnosis and management, although the optimal treatment after surgical intervention remains unclear. This review aimed to provide an update on the treatment options available after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and to facilitate clinical management of patients with IUAs. To avoid duplicating previous work, the review focused on studies that compared various adjunctive postoperative treatments in patients receiving hormone therapy. Of 548 studies, 15 papers fit our criteria that compared post-resection treatment options in women with IUAs. Meta-analysis of the use of Foley catheter or amnion graft as an adjunctive therapy after adhesiolysis failed to show a statistical difference (odds ratio 1.55; 95% confidence interval 0.60-3.99). Meta-analysis could not be done for the 13 remaining studies as a result of extensive heterogeneity, bias, or non-comparable end points. The lack of a universal classification system for IUAs and the use of variable outcomes to measure the success of adjunctive treatment pose challenges in generating standard treatment recommendations. This review calls for the development of a universal classification system and studies with consistent parameters and end points to allow for the generation of standard treatment guidelines. On the basis of the available evidence, recommendation of specific adjunctive treatments after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis is unjustified.

No. 360-Induced Abortion: Surgical Abortion and Second Trimester Medical Methods

OBJECTIVE

This guideline reviews evidence relating to the provision of surgical induced abortion (IA) and second trimester medical abortion, including pre- and post-procedural care.

INTENDED USERS

Gynaecologists, family physicians, nurses, midwives, residents, and other health care providers who currently or intend to provide and/or teach IAs.

TARGET POPULATION

Women with an unintended or abnormal first or second trimester pregnancy.

EVIDENCE

PubMed, Medline, and the Cochrane Database were searched using the key words: first-trimester surgical abortion, second-trimester surgical abortion, second-trimester medical abortion, dilation and evacuation, induction abortion, feticide, cervical preparation, cervical dilation, abortion complications. Results were restricted to English or French systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and observational studies published from 1979 to July 2017. National and international clinical practice guidelines were consulted for review. Grey literature was not searched.

VALUES

The quality of evidence in this document was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology framework. The summary of findings is available upon request.

BENEFITS, HARMS, AND/OR COSTS

IA is safe and effective. The benefits of IA outweigh the potential harms or costs. No new direct harms or costs identified with these guidelines.

Asherman's syndrome: current perspectives on diagnosis and management

Intrauterine adhesions with symptoms like hypomenorrhea or infertility are known under the term Asherman's syndrome. Although the syndrome has been widely investigated, evidence of both prevention of the syndrome and the ideal treatment are missing. Understanding the pathogenesis of intrauterine adherences is necessary for the prevention of the formation of intrauterine scarring. Intrauterine adhesions can develop from lesion of the basal layer of the endometrium caused by curettage of the newly pregnant uterus. The syndrome may also occur after hysteroscopic surgery, uterine artery embolization or uterine tuberculosis. For initial diagnosis the less invasive contrast sonohysterography or hysterosalpingography is useful. The final diagnosis is based on hysteroscopy. Magnetic resonance imaging is required in cases with totally obliterated uterine cavity. Intrauterine adherences are classified in accordance with different classification systems based on the hysteroscopic diagnosis of severity and localization of adherences. Classification is necessary for the planning of surgery, information on prognosis and scientific purposes. Surgery is performed in symptomatic patients with either infertility or with painful periods. Intrauterine adherences are divided with a hysteroscope using scissors or a power instrument working from the central part of the uterus to the periphery. Peroperative ultrasonography is useful in an outpatient setting for the prevention of complications. Hysteroscopy with fluoroscopy is a solution in difficult cases. Use of intrauterine devices like balloon catheters or intrauterine contraceptive devices seems to be the preferred methods for the prevention of re-occurrence of adhesions after treatment. Both primary prevention after hysteroscopic surgery or curettage and secondary prevention of new adhesions after adhesiolysis have been investigated. The aim of this review was to summarize the literature on diagnosis, classification, treatment and prevention, based on a literature search with a wide range of search terms.

Reproductive outcomes after surgical treatment of asherman syndrome: A systematic review

In this systematic review, we analysed the reproductive outcomes of hysteroscopic adhesiolysis in women with Asherman syndrome (AS). We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library (from database inception to April 2018) and selected studies that quantitatively described the reproductive outcomes. We assessed study quality and pooled rate data for each outcome. There were 54 studies (4640 women) of varying quality. The pooled rate of pregnancy was 50.7% (95% CI [confidence interval]: 49.1 to 52.3) in 53 studies, early pregnancy loss was 17.7% (95% CI: 15.9 to 19.6) in 31 studies, ectopic pregnancy (EP) was 4.2% (95% CI: 2.8 to 6.3) in 9 studies, mid-trimester loss (MTL) was 11.5% (95% CI: 7.6 to 17.8) in 7 studies, cervical incompetence was 12.5% (95% CI: 3.3 to 33.5) in 2 studies and placenta accreta syndrome was 10.1% (95% CI: 8.6 to 11.8) in 23 studies. The pregnancy rate in women with severe adhesion was significantly lower than that in women with mild adhesion (P = 0.021). These results can be used to counsel women with AS before surgical treatment and for planning antenatal care after conception.

A comprehensive review of Asherman's syndrome: causes, symptoms and treatment options

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Intrauterine adhesions, also known as Asherman's syndrome, can have an impact on both reproductive outcomes and gynaecologic symptoms. Understanding the cause of intrauterine adhesions and the common clinical presentation will increase awareness of the condition and guide the patient to appropriate therapy. Surgical management offers favourable fertility outcomes and is often successful in restoring menstruation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Surgical management with hysteroscopic lysis of adhesions is the gold standard for treatment and adopting an office-based approach offers several advantages. Prevention of reformation of adhesions remains challenging and no single method for preventing recurrence has shown superiority. Cell-based therapies using endometrial stem/progenitor cells hold promise for future use in regenerating inadequate endometrium.

SUMMARY

Increased awareness of the symptoms suggestive of intrauterine adhesive disease, as well as recognition of common causes and preceding events, is crucial for early diagnosis, patient counselling and treatment. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/COOG/A36.

Stem cell therapy in Asherman syndrome and thin endometrium: Stem cell- based therapy

The endometrium is one of the essential components of the uterus. The endometrium of human is a complex and dynamic tissue, which undergoes periods of growth and turn over during any menstrual cycle. Stem cells are initially undifferentiated cells that display a wide range of differentiation potential with no distinct morphological features. Stem cell therapy method recently has become a novel procedure for treatment of tissue injury and fibrosis in response to damage. Currently, there is massive interest in stem cells as a novel treatment method for regenerative medicine and more specifically for the regeneration of human endometrium disorder like Asherman syndrome (AS) and thin endometrium. AS also known as intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is a uterine disorder with the aberrant creation of adhesions within the uterus and/or cervix. Patients with IUA are significantly associated with menstrual abnormalities and suffer from pelvic pain. In addition, IUA might prevent implantation of the blastocyst, impair the blood supply to the uterus and early fetus, and finally result in the recurrent miscarriage or infertility in the AS patients. It has been evidenced that the transplantation of different stem cells with a diverse source in the endometrial zone had effects on endometrium such as declined the fibrotic area, an elevated number of glands, stimulated angiogenesis, the enhanced thickness of the endometrium, better formed tissue construction, protected gestation, and improved pregnancy rate. This study presents a summary of the investigations that indicate the key role of stem cell therapy in regeneration and renovation of defective parts.

Effect of early second-look hysteroscopy on reproductive outcomes after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis in patients with intrauterine adhesion, a retrospective study in China

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of early second-look hysteroscopy after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) on the pregnancy rate (PR) and live birth rate (LBR).

STUDY DESIGN

It is a retrospective, observational study of 151 women were referred to our institution from January 2010 to January 2016. Operative hysteroscopy for treatment of IUAs and office hysteroscopic follow-up to assess IUAs. We investigated demographic characteristics, menstrual pattern, previous intrauterine surgery, reproductive history, ovarian preservation assessment, tubal patency examination, husband's semen test, obstetric parameters, and surgical variables to evaluate the effect of early second-look hysteroscopy after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis on the PR and LBR.

RESULTS

Of 151 women treated for IUAs, the general PR was 71.5% and LBR was 53.0%. The PR and LBR were higher in the earlier second-look group (compared with second hysteroscopy later than 2 months group) and the group which received less than three times adhesiolysis (p < 0.05). The PR was higher in the amenorrhea group (compared with normal menses group) and recurrent miscarriage group (compared with infertility group) (p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that the second-look time interval, times of operation to relieve adhesion, and pregnancy history were associated with the PR, while age and the second-look time interval were associated with the LBR.

CONCLUSIONS

Early second-look hysteroscopic examinations within 2 months may increase the cumulative PR and LBR.

A Pilot Study Comparing Hysteroscopic Adhesiolysis by Conventional Resectoscope Versus Mini-resectoscope

OBJECTIVES

To compare the feasibility and efficacy of the mini-resectoscope with the conventional resectoscope in terms of the operative, menstrual, and reproductive outcome in hysteroscopic adhesiolysis in infertile women.

METHODS

We conducted a parallel prospective randomized study at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. A total of 60 patients underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis using either conventional resectoscope (n = 30) or mini-resectoscope (n = 30). The primary outcome measures were pregnancy-related indicators. Secondary outcome measures were the operative parameters (cervical dilatation time, operation time, postoperative pain scores, fluid deficit, and preoperative and postoperative sodium levels), second-look hysteroscopy findings, and improvement in the menstrual pattern after surgery.

RESULTS

Cervical dilatation time and pain score 30 minutes after the procedure were significantly lower in the mini-resectoscope group. Out of the total 21 cases with hypomenorrhea, 12 cases (57.1%) started having normal menstrual flow postsurgery. All amenorrheic patients resumed menstruation after surgery. However, nine cases continued to have hypomenorrhea. Over long-term follow-up, 16 patients out of 60 had conceived (seven in the conventional resectoscope group and nine in the mini-resectoscope group). There were three ongoing pregnancies, three abortions, one ectopic pregnancy, and nine term pregnancies. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of mini-resectoscope for hysteroscopic adhesiolysis is associated with reduced operative morbidity. Use of the mini-resectoscope is an effective and safe alternative to the conventional system.

Office Operative Hysteroscopy: An Update

Hysteroscopy is considered the gold standard for the evaluation of intracavitary pathology in both premenopausal and postmenopausal patients associated with abnormal uterine bleeding, as well as for the evaluation of infertile patients with suspected cavity abnormalities. Office-based operative hysteroscopy allows patients to resume activities immediately and successfully integrates clinical practice into a "see and treat" modality, avoiding the added risks of anesthesia and the inconvenience of the operating room. For 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has provided a substantial increase in reimbursement for a select number of office-based hysteroscopic procedures. This review provides an update on the indications, equipment, and procedures for office hysteroscopy, as well as the management of complications that may arise within an office-based practice.

Prevalence of intrauterine adhesions after termination of pregnancy: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Termination of pregnancy (TOP) is one of the most performed interventions in women worldwide: approximately one in three women will have at least one TOP in their reproductive life. Intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) have been reported as a possible complication after TOP, but their prevalence has not been established, as women are not routinely evaluated. IUAs are associated with menstrual disturbances, infertility and obstetric complications.

METHODS

We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE and CENTRAL from inception until November 2015 for studies evaluating women following TOP. We selected studies in which women were evaluated consecutively, independently of symptoms, by hysteroscopy or hysterosalpingography (HSG), for the presence of IUAs.

RESULTS

After an extensive review of the literature, no studies were found that evaluated women after medical TOP and no randomised trials following surgical TOP. Only two prospective cohort studies were identified. In the first, IUAs were detected in 21.2% of women evaluated by hysteroscopy following first trimester surgical TOP; adhesions were moderate to severe in 48%. In the second, IUAs were detected in 16.2% of women evaluated by HSG after second trimester TOP by intra-amniotic prostaglandin induction followed by D&C; a pathologically wide internal cervical os was observed in 12%.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review suggests a link between TOP and adhesion formation, but, according to the scientific literature and despite new diagnostic facilities, the relationship between the methods of TOP and IUA formation remains unclear. Nevertheless, the reported frequency is in accordance with that found in women following D&C for miscarriage. Further research is required.