Endometriosis: Multidisciplinary Aspects of Patient Management

About the conference

The scientific and practical conference Endometriosis: Multidisciplinary Aspects of Patient Management took place in Odesa on 15 March 2024. It focused on modern diagnosis and treatment of genital and extragenital endometriosis.

The event was organised by the Odesa Branch of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Ukraine, official continuing professional development provider No. 1118, with Odesa National Medical University and the Health Department of the Odesa Regional Military Administration as co-organisers.

The hybrid conference was broadcast through YouTube and Webex and brought together more than 250 participants from Odesa, Mykolaiv and other regions of Ukraine. Participants included obstetrician-gynecologists, urologists, surgeons, gynecologic oncologists, proctologists, family physicians, healthcare managers and university staff.

Objectives

• Present modern evidence and international recommendations for endometriosis care.
• Discuss organ-preserving technologies and reproductive surgery.
• Examine urinary, bowel, reproductive and oncologic aspects of the disease.
• Strengthen multidisciplinary management of complex forms of endometriosis.

Main topics

• International standards for diagnosis and treatment
• Genital and extragenital endometriosis
• Urinary and bowel involvement
• Organ-preserving and reproductive surgery
• Endometriosis and assisted reproductive technologies
• Adenomyosis in women of reproductive age
• Hormonal treatment and long-term follow-up
• Complex and rare clinical cases

Resolution of the Scientific and Practical Conference

“Endometriosis: Multidisciplinary Aspects of Patient Management”

Date: 15 March 2024

Conference organisers

Organiser: Odesa Branch of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Ukraine — official continuing professional development provider No. 1118.

Co-organisers:

• Odesa National Medical University;
• Health Department of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.

Conference participants

More than 250 participants from the Odesa, Mykolaiv and other regions of Ukraine took part in the interregional conference. The event was held in a hybrid format, combining in-person and online participation through YouTube and Webex.

Participants included representatives of practical healthcare, managers of medical institutions and healthcare authorities, academic staff from departments of obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine, as well as physicians from different specialties:

• obstetrician-gynecologists;
• urologists;
• surgeons;
• gynecologic oncologists;
• proctologists.

The conference brought together prominent Ukrainian physicians and academic specialists, including:

• Mykhailo Kashtalian — Professor of Surgery at Odesa National Medical University;
• Volodymyr Hrubnyk — Professor of Surgery at Odesa National Medical University;
• Fedir Kostiev — Professor of General, Pediatric and Military Surgery with Urology at Odesa National Medical University;
• Mykhailo Ukhal — Professor of General, Pediatric and Military Surgery with Urology at Odesa National Medical University;
• Andrii Rybin — Professor and specialist in gynecologic oncology;
• Eduard Kapustin — Candidate of Medical Sciences and Chief Physician of the Institute of Reproductive Genetics in Kyiv;
• Ihor Hladchuk — Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Odesa National Medical University;
• Gulsym Manasova — Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Odesa National Medical University;
• Oleh Nazarenko — Chief Gynecologist of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Colonel of the Medical Service, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor;
• other leading specialists.

Main areas of the conference

The primary focus of the conference was the management of endometriosis from the perspective of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment.

The speakers emphasised the high prevalence of endometriosis among women of reproductive age, particularly extragenital forms of the disease. Current information was presented regarding the impact of endometriosis on women undergoing assisted reproductive technology programmes.

Special attention was given to urinary and bowel forms of endometriosis. Modern approaches to the examination of these patients were presented, together with the specific features of surgical treatment and subsequent long-term hormonal therapy aimed at preserving reproductive health and maintaining an adequate quality of life.

Participants were introduced to current international recommendations and standards for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis and its various forms. Individual clinical cases and video presentations of surgical and endoscopic treatment of rare forms of the disease were also presented.

The conference emphasised the importance of multidisciplinary management for patients with endometriosis of different localisations in order to prevent severe complications.

The event concluded with a discussion during which participants reviewed individual clinical cases and considered the selected diagnostic and treatment strategies.

The multidisciplinary nature of the conference provided a valuable opportunity to communicate with specialists from different areas of medicine, exchange innovative ideas and solutions, and discuss scientific and clinical experience.

Continuing professional development

Following the conference, participants completed a final assessment that allowed them to receive continuing professional development points.

Full information about the conference and video recordings of the presentations are available on the website of the Odesa Branch of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Ukraine.

Recommendations adopted by the conference

Based on the presentations and the general discussion, the conference participants recommended the following:

1. For managers of healthcare institutions, obstetrician-gynecologists, urologists, surgeons and other relevant specialists

• provide medical care to women in accordance with the established diagnosis, current clinical guidelines, international standards and evidence-based medicine principles recommended by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine;

• give particular attention to the protection of reproductive health during the ongoing war in Ukraine;

• continue improving perinatal, obstetric and gynecologic care through the use of modern technologies and advances in medical science;

• direct reproductive-health initiatives towards the stabilisation and improvement of demographic indicators;

• consider the improvement of personalised preventive care for women to be a priority;

• ensure continuity of care between medical specialists and apply a multidisciplinary case-conference approach to the diagnosis and treatment of complex gynecologic conditions, particularly endometriosis;

• improve the operation of primary healthcare services and the quality of preventive medical examinations for women.

2. For the Presidium of the Odesa Branch of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Ukraine

• regularly include sections on combined pathology in continuing professional development programmes, including somatic, gynecologic, endocrine and oncologic diseases, as well as pregnancy management;

• improve continuing postgraduate education for physicians of all specialties and nursing staff through modern teaching methods, including distance and simulation-based learning;

• strengthen the connection between medical education and scientific research;

• actively involve students, postgraduate researchers and young scientists in solving practical healthcare problems.