An interesting article from New Scientist In the current Covid 19 pandemic it has been apparent that this is a disease that particularly hits the elderly harder although it has emerged that there is another risk factor, being male. The first signs of a sex difference in severity emerged in Wuhan after the city entered…
I am often asked by patients what would be the best age to start trying for a family. As most people appreciate, fertility prospects decrease with age. In broad terms there is a slow decline until approximately the age of 35 and then the situation deteriorates reasonably rapidly until the age of 40 at which…
Exciting new research in mice ovaries has revealed that it might be possible to rejuvenate egg quality in human females as they age. It has been known for many years that human egg quality deteriorates from the age of 35 accelerating from the age of 40. This results in falling spontaneous pregnancy rates and increasing…
Whilst surfing the internet over the weekend I came across an article about endometriosis and robotic surgery written by one of the legends of gynaecological laparoscopic surgery, Dr Harry Reich. A man who I am delighted to have met and can call a friend and who has in many ways shaped my surgical career. He…
I have recently seen a patient who has been placed in a most unfortunate position. This lady has been in a happy, stable relationship for over 15 years and has been attempting to conceive unsuccessfully for most of that time. Aged 41 when I first met her, she was born with a congenital bowel issue…
This under-researched condition, possibly a variant of endometriosis, can be a critical consideration particularly for patients with endometriosis. The definition is of endometrial glands and stroma growing within the myometrium of the uterus or in other words not dissimilar to endometriosis but growing in the wrong part of the uterus. I liken it to having…
A recent editorial article in the American literature has called for the separation of obstetrics from gynaecology. This sentiment has been raised increasingly around the western world as a consequence of a decrease in the overall number of operations performed and an increase in the number of surgeons. The situation has arisen as a result…
Our recent paper has just been published: Bowel and bladder function after resection of deeply infiltrating endometriosis. Responding to our questionnaire, women reported significant improvement in urinary and bowel dysfunction postoperatively.
It has been well established that oncogenic (cancer causing) strains of HPV are the cause of cancer of the cervix and in fact it could probably be considered a form of sexually transmitted disease. Over the last few years vaccines have become available (Gardasil and Cervarix) for the prevention of HPV related cervical cancer. Gardasil…
A recent media report of ovarian transplantation with subsequent infertile women conceiving has raised great interest at a conference in Istanbul. (“Ovary transplant breakthrough lets women gives birth in older age – SMH – 5 July 2012”). 28 babies were born to infertile women who had ovarian tissue transplanted. I have heard the lead surgeon, Dr…