Ethical and legal aspects of abortion

The Angels asked God: Is there a solution for the abortion debate? God: Yes, of course my Angels. It will be resolved. The Angels: When? God: Not in my lifetime. (Oktay Kadayifçi) The abortion debate is an emotional, sensitive and complicated issue that interests society and religion. Our intention is not to convince you to accept either side of the debate, but to help with an understanding of both sides. As a health care provider, our mission is to reduce unwanted pregnancies and provide a loving home for all children. Whatever our efforts as a medical health care provider, they have not been successful in meeting the needs. One of the available methods is pregnancy termination, but the main issue is whether pregnancy termination is a method or not. Pro-life and pro-choice proponents have their strong and reasonable views. In this paper, we try to clarify the claims of both sides without any intervention. © 2007 Published by Reproductive Healthcare Ltd

The effect of tubal ligation scoring and sterilization counseling on the request for tubal reanastomosis

PubMedID: 17056453Objective: The aim of this study is to emphasize the role of counseling methods that are meant to decrease the request for tubal ligation reversal, such as tubal ligation scoring. Method: This study covers 389 patients who were admitted for tubal sterilization to Çukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1999. We have used the 'Tubal ligation score' on these 389 patients. Four hundred and seventeen patients who underwent bilateral Pomeroy type tubal ligation during cesarean section without having undergone tubal ligation scoring in the same time interval, were accepted as the control group. Results: Laparoscopic tubal ligation (with a Yoon ring) was performed on 368 patients who had a score of 6 or higher. Twenty-one patients who got a score of 6 or lower were recounseled and another family planning method was prescribed to them. None of the 368 patients to whom tubal ligation scoring was done previous to laparoscopic tubal ligation returned to our clinic for tubal reanastomosis. Fifteen of the 417 patients (3.6%) in the control group returned to our clinic for tubal reanastomosis. Conclusion: Tubal ligation scoring may decrease the ratio of patients who request a tubal ligation reversal. © 2006 European Society of Contraception

Laparoscopic microsurgical tubal reanastomosis: A preliminary study

PubMedID: 12428936Objective: To determine the effect of laparoscopic reversal of tubal sterilization on pregnancy rate. Methods: Eight patients who underwent laparoscopic tubal reversal between March 1999 and 31 December 2001 were evaluated. Results: Four of eight patients who had had laparoscopic tubal reversal became pregnant. Three have delivered; pregnancy in the fourth woman is ongoing. To date, the other four patients are still not pregnant. Two of these four cases have tubal patency but have not achieved pregnancy; in the other two cases, the operation was unsuccessful and tubal patency did not occur. Conclusion: In our preliminary study, the pregnancy rate was 50%

Neglected disease; genital tuberculosis

Objective: The aim of this study is to emphasize the importance of genital tuberculosis on infertility. Material; and Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients had laparotomy with various indications who applied to the Infertility Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatients Clinic of the University of Çukurova in a period between 1st January 1984 to 1st January 1999. Results: Genital tuberculosis has been diagnosed incidentally in 16 out of 118 patients. 11 of them had primary and 5 of them had secondary infertility. The incidence of genital tuberculosis was 13.5%. The mean age of patients was 27.8. Discussion: Since nowadays genital tuberculosis is neglected, it seems [hat because of (migration atypical forms of tuberculosis will be reborn both in developed and also in developing countries

Comparison of lipid profiles in normal and hypertensive pregnant women

[No abstract available

Removal of intra-abdominal intrauterine device by laparoscopy

PubMedID: 12041860Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the cases in which intra-abdominal intrauterine devices (IUDs) were removed by laparoscopy. Methods: A retrospective study, from 1994 to 2000 was carried out with eight patients who underwent laparoscopy for the removal of an IUD. The patients admitted to our clinic with 'lost IUD' were examined by pelvic ultrasonography, X-ray and hysteroscopy. IUDs were found to be extrauterine but within the abdominal cavity. The IUDs were removed by operative laparoscopy. Results: The mean age of the patients was 31.5 years. The mean duration of usage of IUD was 5.5 years. The IUD was located in the cavity of Douglas in four cases, in the posterior wall of the uterus (perimetrium) in one case and in the conglomerated mass bordered by the intestines in three cases. The types of the IUDs were Cu-T 380A (n = 5), Multiload (n = 1) and Lippes-Loop (n = 2). The mean laparoscopic operation time was 25 min. No major complications (intestinal or vessel injuries) or minor problems occurred. Laparotomy was not necessary in any of the eight cases. All cases were treated as out-patients and discharged on the same day. After counselling, three women requested sterilization, which was performed at the same laparoscopy session by the administration of bilateral Yoon rings, and other family planning methods were chosen by five women. There were no problems when cases were followed at the 10th and 30th postoperative days. Discussion: Our results support the idea that, in cases of extrauterine but intra-abdominal IUD, laparoscopic removal of the IUD must be the first choice of therapy

Fraser syndrome

PubMedID: 7649327In a consanguineous marriage, a woman at 32 weeks' pregnancy presented with intrauterine growth retardation and bilateral renal agenesis. Fraser syndrome (cryptophthalmus syndactyly syndrome) was diagnosed based on cryptophthalmos, atresia of meatus acusticus externus in auricula, syndactyly, hypoplastic larynx, hypoplastic left lung, agenesis of urinary system and aberrant pancreas in duodenum. The syndrome is inherited as a recessive trait and the risk of recurrence is 25%. © 1995

Intraventricular ciprofloxacin usage in treatment of multidrug-resistant central nervous system infections: Report of four cases

In recent years, multidrug-resistant microorganisms appear as important nosocomial pathogens which treatment is quite difficult. As sufficient drug levels could not be achieved in cerebrospinal fluid during intravenous antibiotic therapy for central nervous system infections and due to multidrug-resistance treatment alternatives are limited. In this study, four cases of central nervous system infections due to multidrug-resistant microorganisms who were successfully treated with removal of the devices and intraventricular ciprofloxacin are presented. In conclusion, intraventricular ciprofloxacin can be used for treatment of central nervous system infections if the causative microorganism is sensitive to the drug and no other alternative therapy is available

Endogenous digoxin-immunoreactive substance in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies

PubMedID: 7905428AIMS: To determine the potential use of a digoxin-immunoreactive substance in the prediction of preeclampsia, to study the relationship between serum levels of this substance and gestational age, and to evaluate the correlation between this substance and blood pressure findings in preeclamptic pregnancies. METHODS: Serum digoxin-immunoreactive substance concentrations were measured by RIA (double antibody, radioimmunoassay) in normotensive (n = 14) and preeclamptic (n = 17) pregnant women in their third trimesters. Statistical evaluation was performed with the Mann-Whitney U-test and correlation-regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean (± S.E.) digoxin-immunoreactive substance levels in the normal and preeclamptic patients were 0. 29 ± 0.06 and 0.31 ± 0.05 ng/ml, respectively, the slightly higher level in the hypertensive group being statistically nonsignificant. Serum digoxin-immunoreactive substance levels did not demonstrate good correlation with gestational age and systolic blood pressure in preeclamptic pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: An endogenous digoxin-immunoreactive substance is present in the sera of third trimester pregnant women, but it does not contribute to the pathogenesis or prediction of preeclampsia. © 1993