Publications by authors named "Gueldal Kirkali"

Purpose: We developed prediction models for severe pain and urinary symptoms after ureteroscopy with ureteral stent placement.

Materials And Methods: The development cohort included 424 adults and adolescents enrolled in the multicenter STENTS prospective cohort study who underwent ureteroscopy with stent placement for urinary stones. The validation cohort was an independent prospective cohort of 115 adults.

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Pain clinical trials are notoriously complex and often inefficient in demonstrating efficacy, even for known efficacious treatments. A major issue is the difficulty in the a priori identification of specific phenotypes to include in the study population. Recent work has identified the extent of widespread pain as an important determinant of the likelihood of response to therapy, but it has not been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).

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Objective: To assess accuracy of self-reported stone events in a large clinical trial by adjudication against the weight of documentation for spontaneous stone passage or surgical intervention.

Methods: Participants in the Prevention of Urinary Stones with Hydration (PUSH) trial were randomized to a multi-component behavioral intervention or control arm to increase and maintain high fluid intake. The primary endpoint was urinary stone events including symptomatic stone passage or procedural intervention.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) is starting a new study (LURN II) to investigate urinary urgency and incontinence by comparing cases and controls.
  • - The study aims to improve the understanding of these difficult-to-treat symptoms by enhancing the phenotyping process.
  • - The paper will discuss the reasons for this new research initiative and identify existing knowledge gaps related to the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms, particularly urinary urgency.
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Background: Structured Problem Solving (SPS) is a patient-centered approach to promoting behavior change that relies on productive collaboration between coaches and participants and reinforces participant autonomy. We aimed to describe the design, implementation, and assessment of SPS in the multicenter Prevention of Urinary Stones with Hydration (PUSH) randomized trial.

Methods: In the PUSH trial, individuals with a history of urinary stone disease and low urine output were randomized to control versus a multicomponent intervention including SPS that was designed to promote fluid consumption and thereby prevent recurrent stones.

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  • The study aimed to explore structural changes in brain white matter in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
  • Researchers assessed the microstructural integrity of the brain's white matter in OAB patients compared to matched controls and found significant differences in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity.
  • Results indicated that OAB patients had more abnormalities in specific brain areas, particularly associated with higher severity of OAB symptoms, emphasizing a link between urinary issues and brain structure changes.
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Objective: To examine the relationships between preoperative hypersensitivity to pain and central sensitization, and postoperative ureteral stent pain after ureteroscopy (URS) for urinary stones.

Methods: Adults enrolled in the STudy to Enhance uNderstanding of sTent-associated Symptoms (STENTS) underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST) prior to URS and stent placement. Hypersensitivity to mechanical pain was assessed using a pressure algometer.

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Objective: To describe sex- and diagnosis-specific comorbidities, outcomes, and secular trends associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in a large, real-world population diagnosed with hydronephrosis in infancy.

Materials And Methods: We identified all infants ≤1 year old with ≥1 claim in the Optum Clinformatics 2007-2020 nationwide population database and used univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses to estimate associations of demographic and clinical characteristics of infants with a UPJO diagnosis with surgical status.

Results: Of 22,349 infants with hydronephrosis (1.

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  • Overactive bladder (OAB) might be linked to issues in brain circuits, and a study used functional MRI to explore how OAB participants experience urinary urgency compared to controls when their bladder is filling.
  • Participants underwent MRI scans after drinking water while their urgency levels were measured; results showed two patterns: one group that did not respond to bladder filling and another group from OAB who had a strong response.
  • The study found that the OAB participants who had higher urgency also exhibited different brain connectivity patterns, particularly between sensorimotor areas and prefrontal regions, indicating distinct neurophysiological characteristics related to their urinary symptoms.
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  • Physical and psychological health can significantly influence lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which are common in women and can be modified over time.
  • In a study involving 545 adult women, those with higher levels of depression and sleep disturbances reported more severe urinary symptoms, while better physical functioning correlated with milder symptoms.
  • Although all urinary symptoms decreased during the study, initial psychological factors did not predict the changes in LUTS over time.
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Purpose: To develop a tool to predict a woman's treatment pattern for bothersome urinary urgency (UU) and/or UU incontinence over 1 year after presenting for care at urology or urogynecology clinics.

Methods: The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network observational cohort study enrolled adult women with bothersome UU and/or UU incontinence using the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) Tool who were seeking care for LUTS. Treatments for UU and/or urgency incontinence were ordered from least to most invasive.

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Objective: To describe the experiences of patients undergoing stent removal in the USDRN Study to Enhance Understanding of Stent-Associated Symptoms (STENTS), a prospective, observational cohort study of patients with short-term ureteral stent placement post-ureteroscopy.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using in-depth interviews. Participants reflected on (1) painful or bothersome aspects of stent removal, (2) symptoms immediately after removal, and (3) symptoms in the days following removal.

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Ureteral stents are commonly used after ureteroscopy and cause significant discomfort, yet qualitative perspectives on patients' stent experiences remain unknown. We describe psychological, functional, and interpersonal effects of post-ureteroscopy stents and whether additional patient-reported assessments may be needed. Using a qualitative descriptive study design, we conducted in-depth interviews with a nested cohort of participants in the STudy to Enhance uNderstanding of sTent-associated Symptoms (STENTS).

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Clinical trials of pain are notoriously difficult and inefficient in demonstrating efficacy even for known efficacious treatments. Determining the appropriate pain phenotype to study can be problematic. Recent work has identified the extend of widespread pain as an important factor in the likelihood of response to therapy, but has not been tested in clinical trials.

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Purpose: The STudy to Enhance uNderstanding of sTent-associated Symptoms sought to identify risk factors for pain and urinary symptoms, as well as how these symptoms interfere with daily activities after ureteroscopy for stone treatment.

Materials And Methods: This prospective observational cohort study enrolled patients aged ≥12 years undergoing ureteroscopy with ureteral stent for stone treatment at 4 clinical centers. Participants reported symptoms at baseline; on postoperative days 1, 3, 5; at stent removal; and day 30 post-stent removal.

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Introduction: Caffeine has long been vilified as a cause for urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) along with other potential bladder irritants such as carbonation, alcohol, and acidic juices. The objective of this study was to assess the fluid intake behavior of people with urgency, UUI, and those with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) without UUI or urgency to assess if they avoided certain potential bladder irritants or had different fluid intake. We hypothesized that patients with UUI would avoid caffeine as a self-management method more so than these other two groups.

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Article Synopsis
  • Limited data exists on how patients with overactive bladder (OAB) adjust their treatments over time, which is crucial for enhancing their care.
  • A study involving 349 women found that treatment levels varied significantly, with the majority using behavioral treatments or physical therapy rather than medications.
  • Factors such as initial treatment types, UUI severity, and existing health conditions influenced the highest level of treatment received during the year.
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Purpose: We characterize patients with urinary urgency with vs without urgency urinary incontinence who presented to clinics actively seeking treatment for their symptoms.

Materials And Methods: Participants who enrolled in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network were categorized into urinary urgency with vs without urgency urinary incontinence. Participants were followed for 1 year; their urinary symptoms, urological pain, psychosocial factors, bowel function, sleep disturbance, physical activity levels, physical function, and quality of life were compared.

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  • Bladder diaries are important for understanding lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), but many patients struggle to fill them out correctly.
  • A study involving 290 symptomatic adults showed that while 60% completed the diaries, the strongest correlations between bladder diary data and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were found for daytime (r=0.75) and nighttime frequency (r=0.69).
  • Overall, while bladder diaries have limitations due to missing data, PROMs serve as a valid alternative, especially for tracking voiding frequency more conveniently.
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Purpose: With the ubiquity of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) in older men, costs related to this highly prevalent disease are likely significant but not well defined. With this study, we hoped to define costs related to LUTS/BPH care.

Methods: We utilized the Optum de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (CDM) for privately insured male enrollees aged 40-64 years with LUTS/BPH (N ≈ 100,300 annually) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare 5% Sample for male beneficiaries aged 65 + years with LUTS/BPH (N ≈ 147,800 annually).

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Background: Our objective was to describe day-to-day evolution and variations in patient-reported stent-associated symptoms (SAS) in the STudy to Enhance uNderstanding of sTent-associated Symptoms (STENTS), a prospective multicenter observational cohort study, using multiple instruments with conceptual overlap in various domains.

Methods: In a nested cohort of the STENTS study, the initial 40 participants having unilateral ureteroscopy (URS) and stent placement underwent daily assessment of self-reported measures using the Brief Pain Inventory short form, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System measures for pain severity and pain interference, the Urinary Score of the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire, and Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network Symptom Index. Pain intensity, pain interference, urinary symptoms, and bother were obtained preoperatively, daily until stent removal, and at postoperative day (POD) 30.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores how nonurological factors like anxiety, depression, physical function, and sleep quality affect male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
  • Data was analyzed from 518 men to identify relationships between psychological and physical health measures and various urinary symptom domains over time.
  • Findings show that depression and anxiety correlate with urinary issues, but their presence does not predict improvement after treatment, highlighting a need for further research to clarify these connections.
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Objective: To study patients who presented to the Emergency Department with acute renal colic to determine if resolution of hydronephrosis and pain accurately predicts stone passage on follow-up CT.

Materials And Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective randomized clinical trial of patients diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) scan with a symptomatic ureteral stone < 9 mm in diameter. Participants were followed after randomization to evaluate for analgesic use and to assess stone passage and hydronephrosis on a repeat CT scan obtained at 29-36 days.

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