Assessment of Ablation Rates with Artificial Urinary Stones Appropriate for Simulation Training.

Artificial urinary calculi are an essential tool for research and training in endourology. The goal of the study was to evaluate different types of artificial stones and how they behave to laser treatment, to finally determine which is the optimal one for training purposes. The stones were produced with a mix of Bego Stone powder and water, at mixing rates of 15:03, 15:04, and 15:06.

Patient-Reported Needs in Postoperative Communication After Kidney Stone Surgery.

Introduction: Patient-centered communication after surgery can enhance patient satisfaction and reduce unplanned clinical contact. However, patient information needs following kidney stone surgery are not well understood, limiting quality improvement efforts. We aimed to characterize patient-reported needs in and preferences for postoperative communication following kidney stone surgery.

Outcomes of sacral neuromodulation in male patients with overactive bladder, chronic pelvic pain, and fecal incontinence.

Introduction: Despite the growing body of literature on sacral neuromodulation (SNM) outcomes, research focusing on male patients remains limited and often represented by small cohorts nested within a larger study of mostly women. Herein, we evaluated the outcomes of SNM in a male-only cohort with overactive bladder (OAB), fecal incontinence (FI), chronic bladder pain, and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 64 male patients who underwent SNM insertion between 2013 and 2021 at a high-volume tertiary center.

Differences in P-Type and Type 1 Uropathogenic Urinary Anti-Adhesion Activity of Cranberry Fruit Juice Dry Extract Product and D-Mannose Dietary Supplement.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention benefits of cranberry intake are clinically validated, especially for women and children. To ensure the benefits of cranberry dietary supplement products, the anti-adhesion activity (AAA) against uropathogenic bacteria is routinely used in in vitro bioassays to determine the activity in whole product formulations, isolated compounds, and ex vivo bioassays to assess urinary activity following intake. D-mannose is another dietary supplement taken for UTI prevention, based on the anti-adhesion mechanism.

Physician Perception of Grade Group 1 Prostate Cancer.

Background: Despite its low-risk nature, grade group 1 (GG 1) prostate cancer (PCa) remains overtreated. This suggests a disconnect between daily physician practice and the standard of care. We hypothesized that GG 1 disease is overtreated because of common misconceptions regarding its true natural history.

Telemedicine in Urology: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Heading?

Context: Humanity is facing significant challenges, and in 2019, a new coronavirus caused an unprecedented global disease outbreak. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic vastly impacted health care delivery, generating devastating economic, social, and public health disruption. Although previously underutilized, it was not until recently that telemedicine emerged and amassed tremendous popularity.

Robotic Partial Nephrectomy in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Objective Measurement of Short- and Long-Term Renal Functional Outcomes.

Background: Minimal literature informs the use of robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, we evaluated the renal functional outcomes in CKD patients undergoing RPN.

Methods: We reviewed a prospective database of patients undergoing RPN 2010 to 2015 and identified 182 patients who had preoperative and postoperative nuclear renal scintigraphy (at 2 and 12 months postop).

Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: A Narrative Review and Comparison with Open and Robotic Partial Nephrectomy.

Introduction: Kidney cancer ranks among the top 10 most prevalent cancers in Western society, ∼90% of which are renal cell carcinomas. There has been a paradigm shift in the management of small renal masses with strong emphasis now placed on nephron-sparing surgery and increased utilization of laparoscopic approaches to partial nephrectomy. In this review, the current state of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) is discussed.

Skin-to-tumor Distance Predicts Treatment Failure of T1A Renal Cell Carcinoma Following Percutaneous Cryoablation.

Objective: To determine the impact of skin-to-tumor (STT) distance on the risk for treatment failure following percutaneous cryoablation (PCA).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent PCA with documented T1a recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at 2 academic centers between 2005 and 2015. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and perioperative and postoperative course variables were collected.

Contemporary assessment of renal stone complexity using cross-sectional imaging.

Recently, several scoring systems have been proposed to predict outcomes of percutaneous nephrolithotomy, objectively and quantitatively assessing kidney calculi complexity using cross-sectional imaging. These scoring systems are promising new tools that can guide surgical decision making, predict surgical outcomes, counsel patients undergoing stone surgery, and improve standardized academic reporting in percutaneous kidney stone surgery. In this article, we review features of each of these systems, their similarities and differences, and their applicability in clinical practice and relevance in academic reporting.

Urethral Stone Disease Leading to Retention After Hair-bearing Neophalloplasty.

A 35-year-old male patient with a past history of traumatic penile amputation and subsequent penile reconstruction with a radial artery free flap phalloplasty presented to the urology clinic for urinary retention and complaint of a firm penile mass. The patient had been lost to follow-up for 2 years before this presentation. Patient had a suprapubic tube in place from initial surgery, with imaging showing 2 large uroliths encrusted around the end.

Hilar clamping versus off-clamp laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for T1b tumors.

Purpose Of Review: An off-clamp, or zero-ischemia, approach to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy has been a proposed means of preserving global renal function by preventing ischemia to normal renal parenchyma. However, for clinical stage T1b tumors this provides a unique challenge as the large size of these tumors further complicates an already difficult procedure. This review provides an overview of outcomes for laparoscopic partial nephrectomies performed with or without hilar clamping for clinical stage T1b tumors.

Ablation of bull prostate using novel bipolar radiofrequency ablation probe.

Purpose: We describe the use of a novel bipolar radiofrequency (RF) system for the destruction of prostate tissue in an ex vivo model.

Materials And Methods: A bipolar RF delivery system (Trod Medical, France) was linked to a 500 kHz generator. Eight lesions were created in an ex vivo bull prostate model using 7-mm (n = 4) and 10-mm probes (n = 4).

Aetiology of non-diagnostic renal fine-needle aspiration cytologies in a contemporary series.

Objectives: To determine the aetiology of non-diagnostic renal fine-needle aspiration cytologies (FNACs) in a contemporary series.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database of renal FNACs performed between 1995 and 2005. There were 118 patients with renal lesions that underwent FNAC.

Number of needle passes does not correlate with the diagnostic yield of renal fine needle aspiration cytology.

Background And Purpose: Renal Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has gained popularity due to increasing options in management of renal lesions such as energy ablation and active surveillance. The diagnostic yield of renal FNAC varies between 40-90%. We hypothesized that adequate and diagnostic FNA samples would be associated with higher number of needle passes and higher number of slides examined.

Myofascial dysfunction associated with chronic pelvic floor pain: management strategies.

Myofascial pain as a cause of chronic pelvic pain with or without pelvic organ pathology is well-documented in the literature. Causes of this pain are multifactorial, including specific pelvic organ pathologies, neuromuscular disorders, and psychologic causes. Management of this myofascial component of chronic pelvic pain involves a multidisciplinary approach including physicians, physical therapists, neurologists, and psychiatrists.