Shirin Dason

• University of Toronto

Importance Physicians, especially surgeons, delay family building, and face age-related complications of pregnancy. Objective To explore factors that are associated with family building decisions among residents and fellows and to understand their thoughts on accessing family building supports, workplace culture, and attitudes toward family planni...

Importance Physicians are known to delay childbearing compared with nonphysicians and to experience higher rates of age-related pregnancy complications. Delay of childbearing is more pronounced in surgical specialties, and family planning and building goals may influence specialty choice. Objective To assess medical students’ perspectives on the d...

Background Previous research has demonstrated that patients have difficulty with the decision to undergo non-urgent egg freezing (EF). This study aimed to investigate the decisional difficulties and possible decisional support mechanisms for patients considering EF, and for their providers. Methods This qualitative study involved a needs assessmen...

(Abstracted from Fertil Steril 2023;119(3):484–489) Adenomyosis is a benign gynecologic condition that causes endometrial glands and stroma to be found in the myometrium. Although the criterion-standard diagnosis of adenomyosis remains histology after hysterectomy, ultrasound diagnosis has allowed earlier detection, but no standard definition of im...

Objectif: Décrire les pratiques actuelles fondées sur des données probantes pour le diagnostic et la prise en charge de l'adénomyose. Population cible: Toutes les patientes en âge de procréer qui ont un utérus. Options: Les options diagnostiques sont l'échographie endovaginale et l'imagerie par résonance magnétique. Les options thérapeutiques...

Objective: To describe the current evidence-based diagnosis and management of adenomyosis. Target population: All patients with a uterus of reproductive age. Options: Diagnostic options include transvaginal sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment options should be tailored to symptoms (heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, and/or infert...

Background The decision to undergo non-urgent egg freezing (EF) is complex for patients and providers supporting them. Though prior studies have explored patient perspectives, no study has also included the separate perspectives of providers. Methods This qualitative study involved semi-structured individual interviews exploring the decision to un...

Background Reproductive decision-making is difficult for BRCA-positive women. Our objective was to assess the complexities of decision-making and identify decisional supports for patients and providers when discussing reproductive options prior to risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO). Methods This study was of qualitive design, using data co...

Objective: To use the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) criteria to evaluate the impact of adenomyosis on live birth rate following donor egg embryo transfer. Design: Retrospective cohort study SETTING: Tertiary fertility care center PATIENTS: 100 patients receiving 223 donor embryo transfers from January 2014-2020. All patients...

Pregnant women and their partners often ask healthcare professionals whether sex is safe during pregnancy, and what consequences may result from sexual activity. Many clinicians can also be unsure of the answers to these type of questions, leading to both patient and clinician resorting to the internet for advice, which can be inaccurate and anxiet...

Objective To comprehensively describe current preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) practices and management of non-euploid embryos in Canada. Methods This was a cross-sectional study utilizing an online survey distributed by email to all medical directors of fertility clinics with independent in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryolo...

Objective The purpose of this study was to understand how Canadian Obstetricians/Gynaecologists (OBGYNs) diagnose and manage adenomyosis. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed via an online survey distributed to 262 OBGYNs at three Canadian universities (University of Toronto, University of Calgary, and McMaster University). Results A...

Objectives To assess the decision making needs of providers when discussing egg freezing prior to risk-reducing salpingo-oopherectomy (RRSO) BRCA-positive women. Methods This qualitative study involved a needs assessment via semi-structured individual interviews guided by Ottawa Decision Support Framework. Participants included providers at a spec...

Objectives To assess decisional needs of patients undergoing elective egg freezing (EEF); to identify decision support needs of women considering EEF and providers who counsel them. Methods This qualitative study involved a needs assessment via individual interviews conducted using a semi-structured guide modified from the Ottawa Decision Support...

Objective: To compare laparotomy, laparoscopy, and robotic surgical approaches to lymphadenectomy for high-risk endometrial cancer staging. Methods: A retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who underwent surgery for pathologic high-risk endometrial carcinoma at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, between January 1, 2005 and Dec...

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), used as a common model of central nervous system injury, are particularly vulnerable to metabolic and oxidative damage. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this sensitivity have not been determined in vivo. PGC-1α (encoded by PPARGC1A) regulates adaptive metabolism and oxidative stress responses in a tissue- and...