Medical Malpractice and Nephrolithiasis: U.S. Appellate Cases from 2001 to 2018.

Introduction: Kidney stones are one of the most litigated diagnoses in urological practice. To better understand the cause for and outcomes of medical malpractice cases related to nephrolithiasis we analyzed United States medical malpractice appeals court cases from 2001 to 2018.

Methods: We searched LexisNexis for "kidney stone/nephrolithiasis" and "malpractice" from 2001 to 2018.

Pain Relief for Acute Urolithiasis: The Case for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Pain from renal colic is often severe and incapacitating. Many patients require emergent hospitalization and aggressive analgesia to relieve such discomfort. For many years, the optimal analgesic strategy has been sought to manage such severe pain.

Failing to follow up: predicting patients that will "no-show" for medically advised imaging following endourologic stone surgery.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to evaluate predictors of poor compliance after treatment of urinary stone disease.

Materials And Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent stent removal following percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) or ureteroscopy (URS) between 2008-2012. All patients were scheduled for follow up evaluation and renal ultrasound at 4-6 weeks following stent removal.

Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy: current technique and outcomes.

Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy continues to evolve as a surgical option in the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Current oncologic outcomes appear comparable in the short-term with open radical cystectomy. Long-term follow-up, however, remains lacking for this emerging technique.

Impact of repeated hilar clamping on renal function during laparoscopic and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.

Background And Purpose: Conventional wisdom and small animal studies suggest repeated hilar clamping during partial nephrectomy is deleterious to renal function. We describe the impact of repeated renal hilar clamping during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) on the overall function of the operated kidney.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing RPN or LPN with repeated hilar clamping was performed.

Searching robotic prostatectomy online: what information is available?

Objectives: To search online using the Google search engine to determine what information for robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is available and whether the claims made on the Internet are supported by the published peer-reviewed urologic data.

Methods: The term "robotic prostatectomy" was searched using Google on September 29, 2009. The first 50 Web sites were reviewed for RARP specific outcomes, including oncologic outcomes, potency, continence, recovery, and blood loss.

A standardized pain management protocol improves timeliness of analgesia among emergency department patients with renal colic.

Background: Kidney stones are a common, and extremely painful, cause of emergency department (ED) visits. Pain management is a critical component of high-quality patient care. A pilot study at our institution found that only 69% of ED patients with renal colic had evidence of clinically significant analgesia.

The gatekeeper disparity--why do some medical schools send more medical students into urology?

Purpose: Urology continues to be a highly desirable specialty despite decreasing exposure of students to urology in American medical schools. We assessed how American medical schools compare to each other in regard to the number of students that each sends into urological training. We evaluated the reasons why some medical schools consistently send more students into urology than others.

Adjuncts to improve outcomes of shock wave lithotripsy.

Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) has been a major tool in the treatment of urinary stones for nearly three decades. In recent years, SWL technology has been less effective at fragmenting stones than earlier devices; thus, adjunctive maneuvers to improve stone-free rates after SWL have been required. This article summarizes several of these adjuncts, such as slower shock wave rate, the use of percussion therapy to clear fragments, medications to hasten expulsion of fragments, and appropriate selection and positioning of patients for SWL.

YouTube as source of prostate cancer information.

Objectives: Patients can search the Internet for prostate cancer information, and YouTube is a popular Web site that they may consult. We analyzed the prostate cancer videos on YouTube for information content and the presence of bias.

Methods: YouTube was searched for videos about prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, radiotherapy, and surgery for prostate cancer.

Fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous renal access.

Percutaneous renal surgery is dependent upon appropriate access to the targeted portion of the collecting system. Obtaining a well-positioned nephrostomy tract improves the urologist's ability to both obtain the desired surgical outcome and minimize attendant morbidities. The two primary methods of obtaining fluoroscopic-guided percutaneous renal access-"bull's eye" targeting and triangulation-are reviewed.

A da Vinci robot system can make sense for a mature laparoscopic prostatectomy program.

Background And Objectives: We sought to provide informed recommendations on transitioning from laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) to robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RAP) through a study of the da Vinci robot.

Methods: We performed a cost-benefit analysis to determine the impact that purchasing a dollars 1.5 million da Vinci robot with a dollars 112,000 service contract per year and dollars 200 per case of disposables would have on profits of a mature laparoscopic prostatectomy program.

The cost of learning robotic-assisted prostatectomy.

Objectives: To describe the costs associated with the learning curve of robotic-assisted prostatectomy (RAP).

Methods: A theoretical model of the cost of operative time during the learning curve for RAP was constructed. Within the theoretical model varying rates of improvement were considered, and once the learning curve was complete, the total cost of operative time was calculated.