Efficacy and safety of adjustable balloons (Proact™) to treat male stress urinary incontinence after prostate surgery: Medium and long-term follow-up data of a national multicentric retrospective study.

Aims: Male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) represents a complication after radical prostatectomy or benign prostatic obstruction surgery. The artificial urinary sphincter is considered the standard treatment but interest on minimally invasive devices, such as adjustable balloons, has recently increased. Aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ProACT system.

Italian Prostate Biopsies Group: 2016 Updated Guidelines Insights.

Aim: To present a summary of the updated guidelines of the Italian Prostate Biopsies Group following the best recent evidence of the literature.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of the new data emerging from 2012-2015 was performed by a panel of 14 selected Italian experts in urology, pathology and radiology. The experts collected articles published in the English-language literature by performing a search using Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library database.

Experience of percutaneous access under ultrasound guidance in renal transplant patients with allograft lithiasis.

Objective: Urolithiasis of the transplanted kidney has an incidence of 0.2 to 1.7%, it increases the risk of infection in immunosuppressed patients and it can lead to ureteral obstruction that is often associated with deterioration of renal function.

Burned-out in a mixed germ cell tumor of the testis: the problem of pT0. Case report.

Germ cell tumors constitute the majority of all testicular tumors, which are relatively rare overall and are mainly encountered in young adults and teenagers. The term 'burned-out' germ cell tumor refers to the presence of a metastatic germ cell tumor with histological regression of the primary testicular lesion. Clinical examination of the testes and scrotal sonography is the initial diagnosis of such neoplasms.

Incidentally detection of non-palpable testicular nodules at scrotal ultrasound: what is new?

The increased use of ultrasound in patients with urological and andrological symptoms has given an higher detection of intra-testicular nodules. Most of these lesions are hypoechoic and their interpretation is often equivocal. Recently, new ultrasound techniques have been developed alongside of B-mode and color-Doppler ultrasound.

Predictive value of resistive index in graft survival after kidney transplant.

Introduction: The intrarenal resistance index (RI) is a calculated parameter for the assessment of the status of the graft during the follow-up ultrasound of the transplanted kidney. Currently it is still unclear the predictive value of RI, also in function of the time.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively investigated the correlation between the RI and the graft survival (GS) and the overall survival (OS) after transplantation.

Practical recommendations for performing ultrasound scanning in the urological and andrological fields.

Aim: US scanning has been defined as the urologist's stethoscope. These recommendations have been drawn up with the aim of ensuring minimum standards of excellence for ultrasound imaging in urological and andrological practice. A series of essential recommendations are made, to be followed during ultrasound investigations in kidney, prostate, bladder, scrotal and penile diseases.

Ureteral strictures after kidney transplantation: risk factors.

Introduction: Ureteral obstruction is one of the most commonly reported urological complications after kidney transplantation often occurring within the first 3 months after surgery. Ischemia is the most frequent cause of ureteral stenosis and is the result of excessive hilar dissection and a poor anastomotic technique. Aim of this study was to identify the main risk factors for ureteral stenosis after kidney transplantation from cadaveric donors and to assess their impact on both graft survival and patient.

Value of the resistive index in patient and graft survival after kidney transplant.

Introduction: The resistive index (RI) obtained by performing doppler sonography is a hemodynamic index commonly used to measure flow resistance within an organ to assess if there is a vascular disease associated with that organ. It is a well-known predictor of kidney transplant outcome. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of RI values on patient and graft survival, as well as kidney graft function during 5-year follow-up.

Modifications of the bladder wall (organ damage) in patients with bladder outlet obstruction: ultrasound parameters.

Introduction: Progressive changes in the bladder wall are observed in men with lower urinary tract obstruction secondary to benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). The high pressure voiding causes initially an increase in the proportion of smooth muscle (hyperplasia/hypertrophy of the detrusor) that develops to major changes in the advanced stages of bladder decompensationi (fibrosis), hyperactivity and decreased functional capacity. Early identification of bladder changes by noninvasive transabdominal ultrasound can suggest therapeutic choices that can prevent further organ damage in the bladder wall.

Ultrasonographic findings in dual kidney transplantation.

Introduction: Organ shortage has led to using grafts from expanded criteria donors (ECD). Double kidney transplantation is an accepted strategy to increase the donor pool, using organs from an ECD which are not acceptable for single kidney transplantation (SKT). Aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the role of colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) in the diagnosis of major surgical complications in DKT, performed with unilateral or bilateral placement.

The European Union Interreg Program: Italian-Albanian experience with kidney transplants.

Introduction: A collaboration between the Regional Health Agency of Puglia (ARES), the Italian Ministry of Health and the Albanian Ministry of Health, was realized in 2008. One of the areas of interest was to promote the performance of kidney transplants in Albania by Albanian medical staff, funded with nearly 2 million euros. The program included two major goals: to transmit the required know-how to health care staff and to upgrade the Albanian facilities and equipment to the standards necessary for successful transplantation.

High energy microwave thermotherapy for symptomatic benign prostatic enlargment: predictive parameters of long term outcome.

Objectives: High-energy transurethral microwave thermotherapy (HE-TUMT) has become one of the most preferred minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). In this study we report the long term results in a subset of patients treated with the 30-minute high energy protocol.

Patients And Methods: A total of 135 patients were treated with TUMT Prostasoft 3.

Role of imaging and biopsy to assess local recurrence after definitive treatment for prostate carcinoma (surgery, radiotherapy, cryotherapy, HIFU).

Purpose: Defining the site of recurrent disease early after definitive treatment for a localized prostate cancer is a critical issue as it may greatly influence the subsequent therapeutic strategy or patient management.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed by searching Medline from January 1995 up to January 2011. Electronic searches were limited to the English language, and the keywords prostate cancer, radiotherapy [RT], high intensity focused ultrasound [HIFU], cryotherapy [CRIO], transrectal ultrasound [TRUS], magnetic resonance [MRI], PET/TC, and prostate biopsy were used.

Echoguided treatment of simple renal cysts: our experience from 1995 to 2010.

Unlabelled: The simple renal cysts are the most frequent lesions of kidney in adults. Approximately 30% of subjects older than 70 years presents a simple renal cysts. It is well accepted that a simple renal cyst without symptoms does not require any treatment.

A prospective study on patient's erectile function following transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy.

Objectives: This study is intended to assess variation of sexual function in 222 patient at different treatment stages of prostate cancer with the aid of a validated questionnaire in comparison with patients diagnosed with a benign lesion. The questionnaire covers the period before carrying out prostate biopsy, the disclosure of histological examination, and the recovery period.

Material And Methods: 240 patients who were to undergo trans-rectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy due to suspected prostate cancer were consecutively and prospectively studied between January 2008 and January 2009.

The role of endorectal ultrasonography in preoperative staging of rectal cancer.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to enlight the role of endorectal ultrasonography in the preoperative staging of rectal cancer.

Methods: 83 patients having rectal cancer and candidates to surgery were studied with endorectal ultrasonography with a probe at a frequency up to 7.5 MHz probe.

Ultrasound imaging diagnostics: healthcare risks for urologists.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are: 1) assessing if Ultrasound (US) used during US scans can represent a risk for the healthcare of urologists; 2) verifying the frequency of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) symptoms and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), trying to assess the possible correlation with job load and US scanning procedures; 3) assessing the role of individual factors like age, gender and physical activity in determining such disorders.

Methods: A group of 35 voluntary urologists carrying out ultrasound scans were selected: 13 were working for the 1 degrees Teaching Hospital Urology, 11 for the 2 degrees Teaching Hospital Urology, 2 for the Hospitalization Urology of the Policlinico of Bari and 9 for Urology of Public Corporation Di Venere of Bari. A questionnaire, divided in two parts, was administered to the sample: the first aimed at collecting demographic data and at describing the operators' workload and the second focused on the possible presence of CTS and MSD symptoms.

Surgical complications of renal transplantation: ultrasound diagnosis.

Objective: Ultrasound is the principal imaging technique for the evaluation of a renal allograft; it is a safe imaging technique to assess the structure of the graft and its perfusion without the need for intravenous contrast or ionizing radiation. The evaluation of kidney transplant complications is easy due to its presence in the iliac fossa lying anterior to the external iliac vessels. Complications may be classified as medical and surgical; the latter are classified in urologic, vascular and general surgical complications.

Transrectal ultrasound approach for identification and radioguided biopsy of sentinel node in lymph node staging of localized prostate cancer.

Introduction: The limited pelvic lymphadenectomy (LPL) is currently considered the referred method of identification of nodal micrometastases in localized prostate cancer. Lymphoscintigraphy (LS) and radioguided sentinel node biopsy (RSNB) could be an alternative method of nodal staging.

Materials And Methods: Between June 2003 and February 2007 19 patients with prostate cancer without metastases were included in the study.

Surgery for renal cell carcinoma in two European urologic clinics: to compare or compete?

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the incidence, TNM staging and the current strate- gy for the surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in two European urologic institutions, situated in Varna, Bulgaria and in Bari, Italy. Both clinics have sound experience of RCC surgery, and modern laparoscopic equipment. A retrospective chart review of all patients with RCC diagnosed and treated in the last year was conducted at the two sites.

Penile prostheses.

Penile prosthesis implantation is recognized as a valid option to obtain an artificial erection satisfactory for sexual intercourse in those patients in which a pharmacological approach is contraindicated or ineffective. Penile prostheses are subbject to continuous development and they are achieving ever better mechanical reliability and safety. The devices are divided into two general types: semirigid (malleable and mechanical) and inflatables.