Highlights of the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Infertility

April 14-17, 2005; Athens, Greece

Peter Kovacs, MD

May 31, 2005

Introduction

The 7th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Infertility (COGI) was held in Athens, Greece, from April 14-17. The congress provides an opportunity to review the progress made in the most controversial areas of obstetrics and gynecology. Invited speakers try to summarize the available evidence supporting one management option over another. As the selected topics are generally controversial, there is usually scant and weak evidence supporting the available sides of a given controversy. This typically becomes evident during the sometimes heated debates following the presentations. As the obstetrics, gynecology, and infertility sessions are held in parallel, this review will focus on the most interesting areas in the field of infertility treatment.

In recent years, great advances have been made in the infertility management of reproductive age women who are cancer survivors. In the first part of this report, I review the presentations on ovarian freezing, thawing, and reproductive performance after transplantation of the frozen-thawed tissue. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most sophisticated infertility treatment and is becoming increasingly available worldwide. As with any other elective intervention, IVF must be as safe as possible for both the couple and the offspring. In the second part of this report, I focus on issues of IVF safety that were raised during the conference. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine problem of reproductive age women. It is not only a frequent cause of infertility but is associated with an increased risk of long-term medical complications. With a somewhat better understanding of the underlying pathology, new treatment options are becoming available, notably insulin sensitizers, and more information is emerging about the effects of various insulin sensitizers. Thus, the third part of the report focuses on some of these results. And finally, the various stimulation protocols and adjuvant drugs used during IVF always generate much debate. The last part of this report thus deals with the evidence supporting or disputing the benefits of these protocols.

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Cite this: Highlights of the 7th World Congress on Controversies in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Infertility - Medscape - Jun 01, 2005.

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