Diagnosis and Treatment of Small Renal Masses: Where Do We Stand?

Purpose Of Review: To present an overview of the current evidence-based studies covering diagnostic and management of SRM.

Recent Findings: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 3% of the cancers. Nowadays, partial nephrectomy (PN) represents gold standard treatment.

Comparative Study of the Influence of Three-Dimensional Versus Two-Dimensional Urological Laparoscopy on Surgeons' Surgical Performance and Ergonomics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The objective of this study is to compare the use of three-dimensional (3D) vision systems with traditional two-dimensional systems in laparoscopic urological surgery, analyzing the benefits, limitations, and impact of introducing this medical technology with regard to surgical performance and the surgeon's ergonomics. A systematic review with a structured bibliographic search was conducted in the electronic libraries (PubMed and EMBASE) until August 2019 and with no language restrictions. Studies on 3D visualization technology in laparoscopic urologic surgery, randomized controlled trials, and observational comparative studies were included.

Validation of a Novel, Sensitive, and Specific Urine-Based Test for Recurrence Surveillance of Patients With Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer in a Comprehensive Multicenter Study.

Bladder cancer (BC), the most frequent malignancy of the urinary system, is ranked the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide. Of all newly diagnosed patients with BC, 70-75% will present disease confined to the mucosa or submucosa, the non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC) subtype. Of those, approximately 70% will recur after transurethral resection (TUR).

[Evaluation of competencies in urology. Esscolap® basic, as aproximation to urologists skills improvement.].

Unlabelled: Urology needs models of competencies assessment, although there is a wide range of tools not yet integrated into the official training programs.

Context: At present, there is no universal framework for measuring surgeons' level of competence. Urology training programs should provide and consider knowledge, pyschomotor/cognitive skills, and simulator, cadaver or animal models-based training.

[Training in basic and advanced laparoscopy: Evaluation of a 30-year experience in a training program in Spain.].

The lack of globally established standards for learning urological laparoscopy has not prevented laparoscopic techniques from evolution and continuous development. Laparoscopy coexists with robotic surgery today, and in the last decade there have been many techniques that have undergone a boom with the use of a laparoscopic approach (total and partial nephrectomy, pyeloplasty, colposacropexy, etc.).

[Training and research in urologic laparoscopic surgery. Design of training programs and experimental models of renal tumor].

We present our experience with surgical training programs development for basic and advanced laparoscopic urological surgery. Both training programs consist of 21 and 28 hours respectively. Basic surgical programs start with general knowledge of ergonomics and instrumentation, there after, attendants acquire basic skills on physical simulator.

[Antimigration devices during endoscopic lithotripsy with holmium: yag laser].

Lithiasic pathology continues being very prevalent in our environment. There are multiple approaches and treatments to solve it in current urology. Lately, endourological techniques have suffered a spectacular advance which has permitted to increase their success rates, diminishing also their comorbidity very much.

[Lower calyx lithiasis: usefulness of the laser].

There is controversy yet about which is the best treatment modality for lithiasis of the lower calyx. The range of lithiasis clearance of the stones localized in the lower calyx will depend on various factors such as size, composition of the stone, type of lithotripter employed, type of urinary transport, and anatomy of the lower calyx. The role of flexible ureteroscopy in the treatment of intrarenal pathology has experimented a dramatic evolution, impulsed by the improvements in design of flexible ureterscopes, their degree of deflection, and better quality of image, in the great diversification of small calibre accessory instruments, and the use of the holmium laser for lithotripsy.

[Retrograde laser endopyelotomy].

Ureteropyelic junction obstruction (UPJO) is the most frequent congenital anomaly of the upper urinary tract. Until some years ago, the treatment of first choice was open pyeloplasty, but the development of endoscopic surgery and the clinical improvement on instruments, enables the treatment in a minimally invasive fashion, offering the advantages of shorter operative time, less morbidity, reduction of post operative analgesic requirements, shorter hospital stay, and shorter convalescence period. Retrograde endopyelotomy represents the natural evolution of the minimally invasive surgical treatment of the UPJO by eliminating the need of a percutaneous renal tract and its possible complications.

[Usefulness of the holmium:yag laser in the endoscopic section of ureteral stenosis].

The incidence of ureteral stenosis is frequent in our environment. Lately, due to the massive use of endourological techniques its incidence has increased. Etiology represents a decisive factor for the final result of treatment, but there are also common characteristics to all stenosis that influence very importantly the final success: time of evolution, length of the stenosis, side and function of the affected renal unit.

[Urological diseases in the works of Abulcasis].

Objectives: To perform a study on the surgical work of Abulcasis in the field of urology, to know the surgical tools and different techniques used, as well as the innovations applied to solve some features of urological diseases.

Methods: The part on urology from the book XXX by Tasrif, the edition from Strasbourg in 1532 was reviewed and translated from Latin.

Results: The author does not refer much to the clinical features of the various pathologies of the genitourinary apparatus; he focuses instead on the surgical treatment of them.

[Is there a risk of carcinoma dissemination in the percutaneous access for endoscopical treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial tumors?].

Objectives: The incidence of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter is low, and the standard treatment is nephroureterectomy with a bladder cuff. However, there are special circumstances, from both patient and tumor characteristics, which are subsidiary of a minimally invasive endoscopic treatment, such as percutaneous resection. Very satisfactory results have been obtained with this technique, which has been performed since 1985.

[Protocol for percutaneous treatment of upper urinary tract urothelial tumors].

We develop the diagnostic methodology to select patients with upper urinary tract urothelial tumors who are candidates for percutaneous endoscopic treatment. This treatment is indicated for low grade and stage lesions in the pyelocalyceal system (> 3 cm), lumbar ureter (> 1-2 cm) and for failures of the retrograde approach. In this protocol, we emphasize the performance of intraoperative biopsy and pyelocalyceal mapping, as well as the need of a second look to rule out residual tumor.

[Antegrade and retrograde endourological techniques. Equipment and methodology].

Low grade and stage upper urinary tract tumors may be treated endoscopically by antegrade or retrograde approach. The approach mainly depends on tumor size and site. Generally, retrograde ureteroscopy is used for small size tumors of the ureter and kidney, whereas the antegrade approach is indicated for bigger tumors in the upper ureter or kidney, or those tumors which cannot be adequately managed in a retrograde manner because of their site (lower calyx) or previous urinary diversion.

[Therapeutic advantages of rigid transurethral ureteroscopy in ureteral lithiasic pathology: retrospective study of 735 cases].

Objective: To present the results achieved by rigid transurethral ureteroscopy for the management of ureteral calculi over a period of 10 years.

Methods: From January 1991 to November 2000, 735 rigid transurethral ureteroscopy procedures for ureteral calculi were performed in our Lithotripsy Unit. The rigid ureteroscopes utilized ranged from 9.