How Often is Digital Rectal Examination Performed? Is it Still Taught to Medical Students?

Introduction: Digital rectal examination is an essential skill. However, it is not clear how often it is performed by AUA (American Urological Association) members or if it is still taught in medical school.

Methods: Two web based surveys were administered to AUA members (practicing urologists and residents/fellows) and medical student members of the AUA.

Robotic sacrocolpopexy for the management of pelvic organ prolapse: quality of life outcomes.

Background: Our aim was to investigate longer-term surgical and quality of life (QOL) outcomes in a cohort of women undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (RALS) for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study at a single institution of female patients undergoing RALS with and without concomitant robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy, urethral sling, and rectocele repair. Scores from the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ) surveys were used to evaluate QOL outcomes.

Robotic sacrocolpopexy for the management of pelvic organ prolapse: a review of midterm surgical and quality of life outcomes.

Introduction: Transabdominal sacrocolpopexy is a definitive treatment option for vaginal vault prolapse with durable success rates. The aim of our study was to review subjective and objective outcomes including complications after robotic assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for the repair of symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse.

Methods: Single-site retrospective cohort study of women undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with and without concomitant robotic assisted supracervical hysterectomy was performed.

Validating the incontinence symptom severity index: a self-assessment instrument for voiding symptom severity in women.

Purpose: Most voiding symptom self-assessment instruments assess either symptom bother or effect on quality of life. The Incontinence Symptom Severity Index is an instrument for self-assessment of severity of female urinary storage and voiding symptoms, rather than symptom bother or effects of symptoms on quality of life. We assessed the validity of the Incontinence Symptom Severity Index for female voiding symptom self-assessment.

Coordinated chemoradiation therapy with genital preservation for the treatment of primary invasive carcinoma of the male urethra.

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of a combined chemoradiation therapy protocol for the primary treatment of primary invasive carcinoma of the male urethra.

Materials And Methods: From January 1991 to December 2006, 18 patients with invasive carcinoma of the male urethra referred to our institution were treated with a chemoradiation therapy protocol, consisting of 2 cycles of 5-fluorouracil (1,000 mg/m(2)) on days 1 to 4 and days 29 to 32, and mitomycin-C (10 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 29 with concurrent external beam radiation therapy (45 to 55 Gy in 25 fractions during 5 weeks) to the genitalia, perineum, and inguinal and external iliac lymph nodes. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to assess overall, disease specific and disease-free survival.

Familial transmission of urogenital prolapse and incontinence.

Purpose Of Review: To summarize recent evidence suggesting a genetic basis for the development of urogenital prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.

Recent Findings: Epidemiological evidence suggests that some women have a genetic predisposition to the development of urogenital prolapse and stress incontinence. Abnormal expression of various structural proteins is thought to be the molecular genetic mechanism for the development of these conditions.

Progression of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: improved outcomes with the extraperitoneal approach and a running anastomosis.

Purpose: To compare the operative and perioperative outcomes of patients undergoing either a transperitoneal or an extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (TLRP or ELRP) with either an interrupted or a running urethrovesical anastomosis (IUVA or RUVA).

Patients And Methods: From January 2003 through December 2004, 265 patients underwent LRP by one surgeon at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center. They were divided into three groups according to the operative approach (TLRP or ELRP) and the suture anastomosis (IUVA or RUVA): group 1 = TLRP and IUVA (N = 58; 21.

Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with continent urinary diversion.

Laparoscopic radical cystectomy with urinary diversion, although challenging even for the skilled laparoscopist, has evolved rapidly throughout the past decade. These advances are attributable to a series of well-designed animal studies transitioned carefully to humans. Short-term data have shown that this is a feasible technique that respects the basic principles of surgical oncology.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: descending technique.

Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has evolved over the last decade to become a common treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer at specialized institutions. During that time, various technical modifications have been pioneered by groups throughout the world. We present our technique of transperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy through a descending approach.

A randomized double-blind prospective study evaluating patient tolerance of transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate using prebiopsy rofecoxib.

Objectives: To assess the use of a prebiopsy outpatient analgesia using the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent rofecoxib (Vioxx). Urologists perform approximately 500,000 transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies of the prostate per year, commonly without analgesia. Recent reports, however, have determined that a significant proportion of patients undergoing TRUS-guided biopsies have pain.