Summary. Two women with Asherman's syndrome after postpartum curettage are presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by hysteroscopy. The adhesions were vaporized under hysteroscopic control, using a Nd‐YAG laser (neodymium‐yttrium‐aluminium‐garnet laser). The method was precise, casued minimal thermal injury and resulted in immediate return of regular menstrual cycles. The use of the Nd‐YAG laser for Asherman's syndrome warrants further study.

A multicentre study was conducted to determine the success of the TVT in a clinical practice and to try to identify factors which may be associated with operative failure or postoperative complications. Three hundred and twenty women were included; the overall subjective success rate was 92.2%; 245 patients had reliable documentation regarding postoperative voiding, 25 had voiding problems (10.2%). Operative success did not appear to be diminished by previous surgery. Increased patient weight had a positive effect on outcome. Irritative symptoms preoperatively had an odds ratio of 1.8 for postoperative voiding difficulties. This study shows that the TVT appears to be an effective operation for genuine stress incontinence with low intra and postoperative complication rates. These results also show that it is highly successful in patients who may not be ideal candidates for other continence procedures either because of previous pelvic surgery or body weight.

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Twenty-nine women, aged 31-53 years, scheduled for an abdominal hysterectomy, participated in this study. The patients were divided into three groups. The first received a Multiload MLCu250 intrauterine device (IUD); the second group received a chlorhexidine acetate medicated Multiload MLCu250 IUD; the third group acted as a control group receiving no IUD. Bacteriological cultures of the vagina and ectocervix were taken prior to insertion of the IUD. At hysterectomy, some 18 hours later, specimens were taken from the cervical canal, uterine cavity, and the device itself, for culture of anaerobic and aerobic organisms using a standardized previously validated technique. In three of the nine control patients, organisms were cultured from the uterine cavity. There were no differences between the bacteriological results of the two groups with medicated and non-medicated devices, with regard to the cultures from the cervical canal, uterine cavity or the devices themselves. Nor was there any difference between the control and the IUD group.