PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze a feasible and suitable surgical precautionary preparatory technique. The techniques of double-gloving with hygienic hand wash (DH) and single-gloving with surgical hand wash (SS) wer...PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze a feasible and suitable surgical precautionary preparatory technique. The techniques of double-gloving with hygienic hand wash (DH) and single-gloving with surgical hand wash (SS) were compared for their ability to prevent postoperative infection in robotic and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized, multicenter study was conducted between January 2016 and June 2020. We divided the robotic and laparoscopic cases into two groups: DH and SS. Data on infectious outcomes were collected. Propensity score matching was performed to control for operative characteristics between the two groups. The primary endpoint was the presence of fever and surgical site infections (SSIs) indicating postoperative infection. RESULTS: Among four medical centers, seven surgeons were allocated to either the DH or the SS group. A total of 221 and 251 patients underwent DH and SS, respectively. Propensity score matching, which included 171 cases from each group, showed that the incidence of fever during hospitalization was significantly lower in the DH group than that in the SS group (11.7% vs. 23.4%, p=0.007). Multivariable analysis revealed that DH was associated with a reduced odds ratio for developing postoperative fever during hospitalization (risk ratio: 0.49, p=0.043). No differences were found in SSI before and after hospitalization between the two groups. CONCLUSION: DH resulted in less postoperative fever and had a comparable effect in preventing SSIs. This procedure could be an alternative to the SS protocol in some minimally invasive surgeries.
PURPOSE: To evaluate whether there were any changes in the rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) and antibiotic resistance in pediatric patients during the pandemic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urine culture samples c...PURPOSE: To evaluate whether there were any changes in the rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) and antibiotic resistance in pediatric patients during the pandemic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urine culture samples collected due to suspected UTI were searched retrospectively from our hospital database, and the patients with growth in urine culture were identified. They were divided into 2 groups as Group A (before COVID-19, March 11, 2019- March 11, 2020) and Group B (COVID-19 period, March 11, 2020- March 11, 2021). Also, COVID-19 period was divided into 3 subgroups (March 2020- June 2020: first epidemic peak, July 2020 - November 2020: normalization process, December 2020- March 2021: second epidemic peak). We adjusted the patient age as <1, 1-6 and 7-18 years. Age, gender, microorganism strain types, and their antibiotic resistance patterns were compared between the 2 groups Results: This cross-sectional study included 250 eligible patients (Group A, n=182 and Group B, n=68) with a mean age of 10.91 ± 5.58 years. The male/female ratio was higher in Group B than in Group A (p = .004). Incidence of UTIs was lower in the curfew and restriction periods due to epidemic peaks than normalization process (p = .001). The proportion of E.coli decreased from 80.2% to 61.8% during the pandemic period when compared to pre-pandemic period (p = .001). Group B had lower rates of resistance to ampicillin, fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin for E.coli than Group A (p = .001, p = .012 and p = .001, respectively). Also, Group B had higher rate of uncommon microorganisms and lower rate of resistance to nitrofurantoin for E.coli than Group A in patients aged 7-18 years (p = .003 and p = .023, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic process has caused alterations in community-acquired UTIs in children. More hygienic lifestyle may be considered as the main factor in this change.
OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for infectious complication of ureteroscopy after obstructive acute pyelonephritis (OAPN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center, retrospective cohort study (#20200002, retrospecti...OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for infectious complication of ureteroscopy after obstructive acute pyelonephritis (OAPN). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center, retrospective cohort study (#20200002, retrospectively registered in February 1st, 2020) included patients who underwent emergency drainage for OAPN and subsequently underwent ureteroscopic stone removal between January 2006 and December 2020. Multivariable analysis was conducted using demographic and stone-related factors to determine those that could predict postoperative febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). RESULTS: Overall, 432 patients underwent ureteroscopy after OAPN. The stone-free rate was 84.3%, whereas the overall and major complication rates were 17.6% and 3.2%, respectively. A total of 70 (16.2%) patient developed febrile UTI, among whom 34 (7.9%) and 11 (2.5%) developed sepsis and severe sepsis, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified diabetes mellitus [odds ratio (OR) 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-3.74], duration from drainage to surgery >1 month (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.20-4.74), and simultaneous retrograde intrarenal surgery (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.35-6.48) as significant risk factors for UTI. After dividing patients into low- (0), intermediate- (1), and high- (2-3) risk groups according to the number of factors they had, the risk of postoperative UTI was 6.3%, 14.5%, and 27.7%, respectively (p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent ureteroscopy after OAPN were at risk for postoperative UTI, despite its efficacy. Simultaneous retrograde intrarenal surgery should be carefully planned, especially for patients with diabetes mellitus or extended surgery wait times.
PURPOSE: To explore the effectiveness of vitamin E in male infertility, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrieval time was from January 1947 to May 2021, without language r...PURPOSE: To explore the effectiveness of vitamin E in male infertility, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrieval time was from January 1947 to May 2021, without language restriction. Stata 12.0 was used for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 8 randomized controlled trials involving 459 patients were included. The results showed that after vitamin E treatment, semen volume was reduced (95% CI: - 0.55 to - 0.06, SMD = - 0.30, p = 0.015), total sperm count was increased (95% CI: 0.02-0.45, SMD = 0.23, p = 0.035), and the differences were statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences in increasing sperm concentration (95% CI: -0.21-0.29, SMD = 0.04, p = 0.769), total sperm motility (95% CI: -0.01-0.42, SMD = 0.20, p = 0.061) or sperm forward motility rate (95% CI: -0.06-0.65, SMD = 0.29, p = 0.106). Subgroup analysis showed that vitamin E treatment for six months could improve sperm forward motility (95% CI: 0.46-1.14, SMD = 0.80, p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Vitamin E could increase the total sperm count and reduce the volume of semen in male infertility patients, and long-term treatment could improve the forward motility rate of sperm. The decrease of semen volume may be the result of different abstinence time before and after the test.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors for perioperative and long-term renal functions after nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical records of 379 patients who underwent...PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors for perioperative and long-term renal functions after nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical records of 379 patients who underwent NSS for a single renal tumor with a normal contralateral kidney between 2009 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. After surgery, the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) within 7 days and the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) 5 years later were assessed using serum creatinine (S-Cr) levels. Perioperative AKI was defined as an increase in the S-Cr level by ≥ 0.3 mg/dL or 1.5-1.9 times the baseline value. CKD was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreasing from > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 to < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. RESULTS: Changes in the eGFR were assessed during 5 years after surgery. Among 379 patients, 81 (21.4%) patients presented diabetes mellitus (DM), and 30 (7.92%) experienced uncontrolled DM. The AKI occurrence and CKD progression were observed in 50 (13.2%) patients and 79 (20.8%) patients, respectively. Multivariable analyses revealed that female gender (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.91, odds ratio [OR] = 0.39, P = 0.029), uncontrolled DM (95% CI: 1.05-6.60, OR = 2.63, P = 0.039), and intermediate NePhRO score (95% CI: 1.07-3.80, OR = 2.02, P = 0.03) were associated with perioperative AKI. In addition, old age (95% CI: 1.10-1.18, OR = 1.14, P < 0.001) and uncontrolled DM (95% CI: 1.84-11.4, OR = 4.57, P = 0.001) were associated with long-term CKD progression. CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled DM is the only predictive factor for perioperative and long-term renal functions after nephron-sparing surgery.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and the efficacy of a radiation-free 2-step tract dilation technique in totally ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Oct 2018 to Mar 2020, we...PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and the efficacy of a radiation-free 2-step tract dilation technique in totally ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Oct 2018 to Mar 2020, we prospectively and consecutively enrolled 18 patients with 19 kidney units with urolithiasis. The nephrostomy tract was established by the following four steps: 1) ultrasound-guided renal puncture, 2) first-stage serial dilation to 16 Fr with Amplatz dilators, 3) check and adjustment of the partially dilated tract with a ureteroscope, 4) second-stage dilation with a 24-Fr balloon dilator. RESULTS: The median age was 62.0 [IQR 11.0] years, and 11 (61.1%) were male. The median stone size was 3.3 [3.6] cm2, and stone laterality was almost equal over both sides. Successful tract establishment on the first attempt without fluoroscopy was achieved in 18 (94.7%) operations. The median tract establishment time was 10.4 [4.9] mins, and the median operation time was 67.0 [52.2] mins. The median hemoglobin drop was 1.0 [1.1] g/dL, and none required blood transfusion. Three (15.8%) developed fever. Pleural injury occurred in two (10.5%) operations (both had supracostal puncture), and one required drainage with pigtail. Stone-free status was achieved in 15 (77.8%) operations at 3 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Herein we present a radiation-free 2-step tract dilation technique, which is characterized by ureteroscopic check of the partially dilated tract in between the first dilation with serial fascial dilators and the second dilation with balloon. Our data suggest that it is a safe and effective method.
PURPOSE: Upward stone migration is a significant problem during ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) for upper ureteral stone, especially in absence of a ureteral occlusion device. In this study, we evaluated the novel strat...PURPOSE: Upward stone migration is a significant problem during ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) for upper ureteral stone, especially in absence of a ureteral occlusion device. In this study, we evaluated the novel strategy of reverse Trendelenburg position (RTP) and intraoperative diuresis for URSL without ureteral occlusion devices to avoid upward migration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2018 to May 2020, a total of 119 URSLs were performed for upper ureteral stone (6-15 mm) with 67 procedures in RTP and 52 procedures in conventional lithotomy position (CLP). 20 mg of intravenous furosemide was administered prior to stone fragmentation with holmium laser only in RTP group. Patient demographics, stone side, stone size and operative characteristics were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Patient data, stone side and size were similar in the two groups. All procedures were complete without conversion to open surgery and major complications. There was no significant difference in the mean operative time (47.9 ± 7.7 min vs 45.3 ± 7.0 min, P = .062) and mean hospital stay (3.9 ± 0.9 d vs 4.0 ± 1.0 d, P = .336) between the RTP and CLP group. Stone upward migration was significantly less in RTP group (3.0%, 2/67) than in CLP group (19.2%, 10/52) (P = .005). Stone-free rate at one month after initial treatment was 92.5% in RTP group and 73.1% in CLP group (P = .004). CONCLUSION: The strategy of placing the patient in RTP and intraoperative administration of intravenous furosemide is simple, feasible and cost-effective in preventing stone upward migration during URSL with holmium laser in absence of a ureteral occlusion device for upper ureteral stone.
PURPOSE: We aimed to compare oncological outcomes in the two rare subtypes, unclassified renal cell cancer (unRCC) and translocation RCC (tRCC), vs clear cell RCC (ccRCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2019, fr...PURPOSE: We aimed to compare oncological outcomes in the two rare subtypes, unclassified renal cell cancer (unRCC) and translocation RCC (tRCC), vs clear cell RCC (ccRCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2019, from Turkish Urooncology Society Database, we identified 2324 patients for histological subtypes including 80 unRCC (3.4%), 19 tRCC (0.8%) and 2225 ccRCC (95.8%). RESULTS: The overall (15.8%) and cancer-specific mortalities (11.1%) were found to be higher in tRCC group and the recurrence free mortality (13.8%) was found to be higher in unRCC group. Larger pathological tumor size (p = 0.012) and advanced pathological T stage (p = 0.042) were independent predictive factors on overall mortality in patients with unRCC tumors. CONCLUSION: The oncological outcomes of the unRCC and tRCC are worse than ccRCC and pathological tumor size and pathological stage are predictive factors for mortality in the unRCC.
Orthotopic neobladder is a well-established surgical solution for continent urinary diversion after radical cystectomy. Nevertheless, it still represents a challenging surgery. Some critical issues of orthotopic bladder...Orthotopic neobladder is a well-established surgical solution for continent urinary diversion after radical cystectomy. Nevertheless, it still represents a challenging surgery. Some critical issues of orthotopic bladder substitution include relevant complication rates, renal function impairment, urinary incontinence and patient quality of life. We present a new ileal neobladder technique, Vesuvian Orthotopic Neobladder (VON), performed for the first time at our institution in 2020. The main purpose of this new surgical procedure is to simplify and speed up the reservoir reconstruction through a ten standardized technical steps and obtain an appropriate bladder capacity at the same time. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma or non muscle-invasive high risk bladder cancer patients fit for bladder substitution. The exclusion criteria were locally advanced cancer, presence of hydronephrosis, renal or hepatic impairment. A chest-abdominal CT scan and urinary cytology were performed before the procedure. Patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as required. Overall, operative time, bladder reconfiguration time, hospitalization time, catheterization time were recorded. All complications associated with the procedure were classified according to the Clavien Dindo score. The bladder volume was evaluated by ultrasound three months after the surgery. RESULTS: A total of six male patients diagnosed with non-metastatic muscle-invasive or high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy followed by VON reconfiguration were included in the study. Mean age was 62.8 (±4.9) years; all selected patients enjoyed good health conditions (Charlson Comorbidity Index 4-6). One patient presented with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Four patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Mean overall operative time was 273.3 (±18.6) minutes. Average time for neobladder reconstruction was 63.7 (±16.1) minutes. There were no intraoperative complications. A single case of urethral anastomosis leakage occurred and was treated conservatively. Bladder volume on ultrasound evaluation ranged between 250 and 290 ml. Day time and nocturnal continence were observed in four and three patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: The new VON technique is a good alternative to traditional orthotopic bladder procedures. VON reconstruction seems to offer the advantage of speeding up the procedure, reducing intestinal compromise with good storage capacity. The ten surgical steps can be considered a good starting point for further improvements in surgical technique. More robust data regarding the number of procedures and the duration of follow-up is required.
Background Publication bias is one of the most important biases in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This bias occurs when the results of an article affect its publication, in other words positive or significant find...Background Publication bias is one of the most important biases in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This bias occurs when the results of an article affect its publication, in other words positive or significant findings are more likely to be published than the other probable results. Previous studies have shown that publication bias has been a matter of concern in the meta-analysis and systematic reviews conducted in some medical fields. There is not a study that has evaluated the status of publication bias assessment in urology systematic reviews. We decided to assess the status of publication bias evaluation in systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in high impact urology journals. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed on 200 systematic reviews and meta-analysis published in four top urology journals based on their impact factor (European Urology, The Journal of Urology, BJU International and Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases). Two independent reviewers performed data extraction about publication bias evaluation in included systematic reviews. Results From the 200 included studies only 65 (32.5%) evaluated the publication bias in the review process and 31 reviews had reported publication bias in their study. Visual inspection of a funnel plot was the most frequent method used for evaluation of publication bias (61 from 65, 93.85%); this method was used alone in 34 articles and in combination with other methods in 27 papers. Conclusion The present study confirms that publication bias was formally evaluated in a small number of reviews and meta-analysis published in urology journals, therefore, this may be a risk factor that could decrease the robustness of outcomes and results of these studies. It seems that there is an essential need for authors, reviewers, and editors to pay better attention to evaluation of publication bias besides reporting it based on the aforementioned reporting guidelines.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the associations among teenage childbearing (Age at first birth<=19 years old) with later-life risk of stress and urgency urinary incontinence (SUI, UUI) in American women using nationally representa...PURPOSE: To evaluate the associations among teenage childbearing (Age at first birth<=19 years old) with later-life risk of stress and urgency urinary incontinence (SUI, UUI) in American women using nationally representative data from America. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2015 to 2018 were merged to include 2673 women. The question, "How old were you at the time of your first live birth?" was used to assess teenage childbearing. Urinary incontinence was ascertained by self-report. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between teenage childbearing and urinary incontinence in American women, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Among the 2673 women with complete data, the prevalence of SUI was 27.3%, and the prevalence of UUI was 22.1%. Overall, 856 of female had given birth at or before the age of nineteen. Teenage childbearing was significantly associated with SUI (OR=1.9, 95%CI=1.5-2.3, p < 0.001), but teenage childbearing was not associated with UUI (OR=1.2, 95%CI=1.0-1.5, p = 0.0658). CONCLUSION: After controlling for known risk factors, teenage childbearing seems to be signif-icantly related to female stress urinary incontinence.
PURPOSE: Aspirin (ASA) is often stopped prior to percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) due to the surgical bleeding risk. However, this practice is based on expert opinion only, and mounting evidence suggests holding aspir...PURPOSE: Aspirin (ASA) is often stopped prior to percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) due to the surgical bleeding risk. However, this practice is based on expert opinion only, and mounting evidence suggests holding aspirin perioperatively can be more harmful than once thought. In our review we aimed to discuss the safety of low dose aspirin continued or discontinued in the whole perioperative period of PCNL. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We performed a computerized PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library search of relevant studies. Study identification satisfied the PRISMA guidelines. Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of including studies. Favored outcomes such as operative time, complications and change in hemoglobin were extracted. Statistical analysis was performed with Rev-Man software 5.3 and forest plots were used to illustrate our findings. RESULTS: After screening, four studies were included in the present systematic review. There was no difference in the number of total complications (OR:1.25; 95 % CI 0.82-1.90; p=0.30), major complications (OR: 1.24; 95 % CI 0.53-2.93; p=0.62) and blood transfusion rate (OR:0.99; 95 % CI 0.46-2.12; p=0.98) between the continuing low dose aspirin group and discontinuing group. Moreover, the overall stone-free rate was also not statistically significant (OR:3.17; 95 % CI 0.89-11.25; p=0.07). It was similar about the change in hemoglobin, hematocrit and creatinine levels between two groups. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, transient cessation of aspirin perioperatively seems not to be necessary for patients who need PCNL complicated with the necessity of aspirin therapy. However, further well-designed prospective studies with large sample size are needed to confirm and validate our findings.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate the Sexual Health Scale for Middle-Aged sexually active women (SHIMA). METHODS: This study was a sequential exploratory study consisting of two phases. I...PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate the Sexual Health Scale for Middle-Aged sexually active women (SHIMA). METHODS: This study was a sequential exploratory study consisting of two phases. In phase one, we interviewed 19 middle-aged women and reviewed the existing instruments to generate an item pool. Then, a panel of experts (n = 16) examined the items. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of the scale were assessed. For content and face validity, a panel of experts (n = 8) and a group of middle-aged women (n = 10) reviewed the items. For construct validity, a cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 427 married women. Finally, SHIMA's reliability was assessed. RESULTS: In the first phase, the sexual health concept was explored, and a provisional scale including 60 items was generated. Next, 21 items were removed based on content and face validity. Accordingly, the results obtained from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated acceptable loading for 34 items tapping into six factors that jointly explained 48.67% of the total variance observed. The internal consistency evaluation revealed that Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega were greater than 0.7, and the average inter-item correlation was greater than 0.4, except for one factor that showed borderline results. Test-retest reliability over a 2-weeks interval was 0.90, indicating its high stability. CONCLUSION: The SHIMA is a reliable and valid scale for measuring sexual health in middle-aged married women. It can be used as a sexual health screening scale by healthcare professionals and for research purposes.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection in patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients...PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection in patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients after TURP received the injection of BTX-A around the prostate capsule or pelvic floor under ultrasound guidance. The clinical outcomes including overall pain intensity (assessed by visual analog scale, VAS), the Functional Pelvic Pain scale (FPPS), and mental state by anxiety and depression questionnaires, the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D)) were assessed at pre-treatment, and 1, 4, 12 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Six male patients, aged 65 to 76 years were enrolled. The improvement of VAS pain score, the Functional Pelvic Pain scale, and mental assessment were observed at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment for all six patients. All 6 patients had no safety concerns through 12 weeks visit, except 3 patients complained transient pain at injection site. CONCLUSION: Injection of BTX-A around the prostate under ultrasound guidance may be effective and safe for patients with CPPS after TURP.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of two different flap procedures for prevention of urethrocutaneous fistula in hypospadias patients undergoing tubularized incised plate urethroplasty . PATIE...PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of two different flap procedures for prevention of urethrocutaneous fistula in hypospadias patients undergoing tubularized incised plate urethroplasty . PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 89 patients who underwent hypospadias repair. The standard technique of tubularized incised plate urethroplasty was used. There were 45 patients in Group 1 and 44 patients in Group 2, in which ventral and dorsal dartos flaps were used to cover the neourethra respectively. Surgical complications were assessed as the main outcomes. The results were analyzed with Chi-square and Mann-whitney u tests. RESULTS: There was no significiant difference between the groups in terms of age and meatus location. We observed postoperative surgical complications in 15 (33.3 %) patients in Group 1 and in 4 (9.1 %) patients in Group 2. The complications noted in the Group 1 were urethrocutaneous fistula in 10 patients ( 22.2 %) and meatal stenosis in 5 patients ( 11.1 %). In Group 2, fistula was observed in 2 patients (4.6 %) and stenosis in again 2 patients (4.6 %). Urethrocutaneous fistulas occurred statistically more frequently when ventral based dartos flaps were used (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Several flap procedures and their modifications have been suggested to avoid fistula formation. Within these procedures, dartos flaps are reported to be very useful for primary distal or proximal hypospadias repair and reoperations. In this study, we concluded that ; vascularized dorsal preputial dartos flap procedure is safe and more effective than ventral based flap in prevention of fistula formation.
PURPOSE: To explore the establishment of a scoring system that can provide a reference for clinical decision making regarding the endoscopic treatment of 1-2 cm lower pole stones (LPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of...PURPOSE: To explore the establishment of a scoring system that can provide a reference for clinical decision making regarding the endoscopic treatment of 1-2 cm lower pole stones (LPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of patients with renal calculi who were treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) or retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in three hospitals from January 2013 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariable logistic analysis was performed to determine the statistically significant indicators and regression coefficients, which were used to construct the scoring system. The stone-free rate (SFR) and postoperative complication rates of PCNL and RIRS within the two fractional segments of the scoring system were compared to select the optimal procedures. RESULTS: A total of 137 patients in the PCNL group and 152 patients in the RIRS group were included in this study. Five factors were found to be most predictive of endoscopic treatment choice: stone number, stone diameter, infundibulopelvic angle (IPA), infundibular length (IL), and infundibular width (IW), yielding a total score ranging from 0-5. In the 0-2 segments, the RIRS group had better outcomes than the PCNL group in terms of the postoperative complication rates (6.8% versus 18.0%, P = .026). In segments 3-5, the SFR of the PCNL group was significantly higher than that of the RIRS group (88.5% versus 70.6%, P = .017). CONCLUSION: Our scoring system was based on the patient's preoperative imaging examination to measure the stone number, stone diameter, IPA, IL and IW. RIRS was recommended at 0-2 segments, and PCNL was recommended at 3-5 segments. This new scoring system is expected to provide guidance for urologists to make endoscopic treatment decisions for 1-2 cm LPS.
PURPOSE: The most common adjuvant therapy known for non-invasive muscle bladder cancer (NMIBC) is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Intravesical chemotherapy drugs like gemcitabine can also be used post-TURBT,...PURPOSE: The most common adjuvant therapy known for non-invasive muscle bladder cancer (NMIBC) is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). Intravesical chemotherapy drugs like gemcitabine can also be used post-TURBT, which is considered as a good alternative for BCG, or can be used as a second-line treatment. Due to the common side effects of BCG, the use of chemotherapy drugs as intravesical treatments is currently increasing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 117 intermediate-risk NMIBC cases were included in this study. All the patients underwent TURBT surgery and received 1 gr intravesical gemcitabine immediately after performing the surgery. The patients were then divided into two groups, either receiving intravesical gemcitabine or intravesical BCG weekly for 6 weeks. The patients were followed up with cystoscopy. RESULTS: Most patients were men who had smoking risk factors. The youngest patient was 36 years old and the oldest one was 88 years old. The rate of side effects in the group receiving gemcitabine (13.6%) was much lower than the group receiving BCG (44.8%). (P-value = 0.016). The recurrence rate during a one year period was lower in the group consisting of patients receiving gemcitabine compared to the group receiving BCG (19 patients vs. 23 patients) (p-value = 0.401) Conclusion: The efficacy of intravesical gemcitabine and intravesical BCG was almost equal in the treatment of intermediate-risk NMIBCs. The adverse effects of gemcitabine were found to be significantly lower than BCG. Due to causing fewer complications, gemcitabine can be known as a good alternative, especially among elderly patients with comorbidities.
BACKGROUND: The pandemic of COVID-19 is nowhere from over, which pushes us to adapt to it. Social distancing rules were applied to restrict the people and prevent virus transmission. Despite these restrictions, the pati...BACKGROUND: The pandemic of COVID-19 is nowhere from over, which pushes us to adapt to it. Social distancing rules were applied to restrict the people and prevent virus transmission. Despite these restrictions, the patient's care should not be compromised. Doctors are encouraged to technologically improve themselves to get used to the utilization of telemedicine. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of urology specialists and urology residents throughout the country. The survey was accompanied by the Indonesian Urological Association, and the survey was opened for one month and sent by email to all members of the association. RESULTS: A total of 50 urologists and 182 urology residents participated. Almost half (48%) currently do not have facilities to hold a telemedicine practice in their institution, and 14% reported inadequate facilities. The majority reveals that the barrier to conducting this method was due to insufficient facility. Other issues like insurance coverage and patient's interest in telemedicine, the risk of patient's data leak, and the urologist's lack of interest in telemedicine might also be challenging. Despite some doubts, in sum, more than half have thought that telemedicine would keep utilized although the pandemic is resolved. CONCLUSIONS: We are currently learning the novel telemedicine implementation and some challenges still need to be resolved. Starting from the regulation and legal protection fundamentally, and the health insurance coverage needs to be determined. After all, the low interest in adopting this method has become the greatest barrier.
PURPOSE: Several randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were performed to compare the efficacy of sexual intercourse or masturbation and no sexual activity in treating distal ureteral stones, indicating conflicting results....PURPOSE: Several randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) were performed to compare the efficacy of sexual intercourse or masturbation and no sexual activity in treating distal ureteral stones, indicating conflicting results. The meta-analysis was conducted to assess the role of sexual intercourse or masturbation in the treatment of distal ureteral calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, Clinicaltrail.gov, and Web of Science were searched by October 2021. Men who were instructed of no sexual intercourse or masturbation, and only received standard symptomatic treatment are comparators. Relative risk (RR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random or fixed effects models. RESULTS: Five RCTs including 500 subjects were analyzed in the study. Compared with controls, subjects in experimental group had significantly higher expulsion rate at 2nd and 4th week (95%CI: 1.334 to 2.638, RR: 1.876, I2 = 73.6%, P < .001; 95%CI: 1.148 to 1.752, RR: 1.418, I2 = 55.9%, P < .001), significantly decreased requirement for analgesic injections (95%CI: -1.071 to -.126, WMD: -.598, I2 = 90.3%, P = .013), and significantly shorter expulsion time (95%CI: -6.941 to -.436, WMD: -3.689, I2 = 83.7%, P = .026). CONCLUSION: Performing sexual intercourse or masturbation 3 or 4 times a week can be an alternative treatment option of distal ureteral calculi (0-10 mm in size). However, more clinical evidence with better designs solving raised concerns is warranted.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURSL) based on the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 435 patients diag...PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy (FURSL) based on the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 435 patients diagnosed with upper urinary calculi between 2017-2020 and categorized them into ERAS (ERAS management) and control groups (traditional management). The operative time, postoperative ambulation time, postoperative hospital stay, the total cost of hospitalization, postoperative complications, and stone removal rate between the two groups were subsequently compared. RESULTS: The FURSL procedure was successfully performed in 427 patients but failed in 4 patients of the ERAS group (n = 216) and 4 of the control group (n = 219). No postoperative complications occurred in either group except for fever and hematuria. There was no significant difference in postoperative fever and stone removal between the two groups (all P > .05). However, patients in the ERAS group had a shorter operative time, shorter postoperative ambulation time, less postoperative severe hematuria, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower total cost of hospitalization than those in the control group (all P < .05). CONCLUSION: FURSL, based on the concept of ERAS, is safe and reliable for the treatment of upper urinary calculi, with rapid postoperative recovery and a low cost of hospitalization. It is worthy of clinical promotion.