Introduction

Many of us entered the discipline of obstetrics and gynecology because we believed that it uniquely lent itself to a mix of medicine and surgery.This is certainly the most common attraction to the field cited by residency applicants to our institution. But how accurate is that assessment? It certainly applies to obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine where treatment of maternal medical conditions and obstetrical surgical treatments are seamlessly integrated on a daily basis. Moreover, in obstetrics there are many alternative medical and surgical treatments for dysfunctional labor, uterine atony, pregnancy termination, and certain fetal anomalies. But can medical and surgical treatments be viewed pari passu in gynecology? Increasingly the answer is yes. This unique textbook provides ample examples of alternative medical and surgical approaches to a host of common gynecologic conditions including ectopic pregnancy, abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis, myomas, and urinary incontinence. Particularly timely are its chapters on uterine artery embolization and fertility preservation in patients with early and reproductive tract malignancies and in women wishing to both delay and preserve fertility for social reasons.