Readmission and Prolapse Recurrence After Abdominal and Vaginal Apical Suspensions in Older Women.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate 30-day readmission, 12-month prolapse recurrence, and complications after apical surgeries in older women.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using 2002-2011 Medicare data in women 65 years or older who underwent abdominal sacrocolpopexy with synthetic mesh, vaginal uterosacral, or sacrospinous colpopexy with 12 months follow-up. Vaginal mesh procedures were excluded.

Relief of Urinary Symptom Burden after Primary Prostate Cancer Treatment.

Purpose: Harms of prostate cancer treatment on urinary health related quality of life have been thoroughly studied. In this study we evaluated not only the harms but also the potential benefits of prostate cancer treatment in relieving the pretreatment urinary symptom burden.

Materials And Methods: In American (1,021) and Spanish (539) multicenter prospective cohorts of men with localized prostate cancer we evaluated the effects of radical prostatectomy, external radiotherapy or brachytherapy in relieving pretreatment urinary symptoms and in inducing urinary symptoms de novo, measured by changes in urinary medication use and patient reported urinary bother.

Adverse health outcomes associated with surgical management of the small renal mass.

Purpose: Partial and radical nephrectomy are treatments for the small renal mass. Partial nephrectomy is considered the gold standard as it may protect against renal dysfunction compared to radical nephrectomy. However, both treatments may cause adverse health outcomes.

Medicare payments for outpatient urological surgery by location of care.

Purpose: The cost implications associated with offloading outpatient surgery from hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers and the physician office remain poorly defined. Therefore, we determined whether payments for outpatient surgery vary by location of care.

Materials And Methods: Using national Medicare claims from 1998 to 2006, we identified elderly patients who underwent 1 of 22 common outpatient urological procedures.

Surgical quality among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing outpatient urological surgery.

Purpose: The cost efficiency gains achieved from moving procedures to ambulatory surgery centers and offices may be mitigated if the quality of surgical care at these facilities is not comparable to that at the hospital. Motivated by this, we assessed short-term morbidity and mortality for patients by location of care.

Materials And Methods: Using a national sample of Medicare claims (1998 to 2006), we identified elderly beneficiaries who underwent one of 22 common outpatient urological procedures.