Critical appraisal of management of rectal injury during radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To critically evaluate the perioperative management of rectal injury during radical prostatectomy. METHODS: Rectal injuries were identified from the departmental morbidity and mortality records and radical prostatectomy databases. The electronic patient records were reviewed for management and outcomes. RESULTS: From January 1997 to August 2007, 11 452 men underwent radical prostatectomy. Of these men, 10 183 underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and 1269, laparoscopic retropubic prostatectomy (LRP) with or without robotic assistance. Rectal injury occurred in 18 men-12 in the RRP group (0.12%) and 6 in the LRP group (0.47%). Of these rectal injuries, 16 were recognized intraoperatively and primarily repaired in multiple layers without a diverting colostomy. A pedicle of omentum was used as an interposing layer in 4 of these cases. Despite primary repair, 2 patients without omental interposition developed a rectourethral fistula. In 1 man in the RRP group, the fistula closed with prolonged catheterization (9 weeks). In the other patient, in the LRP group, the fistula persisted; thus, a diverting colostomy was performed. Eventually, a transrectal advancement flap was required. Two rectal injuries (1 each in the RRP and LRP groups) were unrecognized during radical prostatectomy but were discovered within 4 days. Despite conservative management, the rectourethral fistulas persisted in both men, requiring subsequent repair with a transrectal advancement flap. CONCLUSIONS: Rectal injury is an infrequent complication of radical prostatectomy. When recognized intraoperatively and primarily repaired, rectourethral fistula was prevented in 87.5% of men. Primary repair performed with vascularized tissue interposition prevented rectourethral fistula development. In men with unrecognized rectal injury, the rectourethral fistula tended to persist and eventually required delayed surgical repair.

Clinical significance and treatment of biochemical recurrence after definitive therapy for localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation therapy are the established and definitive interventions for clinically localized prostate cancer. These treatment modalities are yet subject to failure observed first by biochemical recurrence, defined by increases in the serum PSA level. We investigated the significance of biochemical recurrence after definitive therapy and the available salvage therapy options for cancer recurrence. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, and applicable studies addressing biochemical recurrence and salvage options after radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy were reviewed. RESULTS: After radical prostatectomy, a detectable serum PSA level indicates biochemical recurrence. Whether to administer salvage therapy locally or systemically depends largely on prognostic factors including PSA doubling time, Gleason's score, pathologic stage, and the time interval between radical prostatectomy and biochemical recurrence. Early initiation of salvage therapy has been shown to significantly impact on cancer outcomes. After external beam radiation therapy, no single PSA level can define biochemical recurrence. Instead, it has been defined by increases in the PSA level above the nadir. Following radiation therapy, PSA doubling time and Gleason score play important roles in determining the need for local versus systemic salvage therapy. CONCLUSIONS: After the diagnosis of biochemical recurrence, it is critical to perform a timely clinical assessment using the prognostic factors mentioned above. Prompt initiation of salvage therapy may prevent subsequent clinical progression and prostate cancer-specific mortality.

Can ischemic preconditioning ameliorate renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in a single-kidney porcine model?

PURPOSE: Ischemic preconditioning (IP) refers to the phenomenon of a brief ischemia-reperfusion event providing resistance to injury from subsequent ischemic periods. We sought to determine the effect of a specific preconditioning regimen on ischemia-reperfusion renal injury in a single-kidney porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immediately following right laparoscopic nephrectomy, 12 female pigs had complete left hilar dissections and 1 of 2 interventions: (1) 60 minutes of complete WI (WI; n = 6) or (2) 10 minutes of IP followed by 60 minutes of complete WI (IP; n = 6). IP consisted of 5 minutes of clamping followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion. Serum creatinine (sCr) was obtained preoperatively and on postoperative day (POD) 1, 2, 6, 9, and 14. Mean sCr was compared by group. The left kidney was harvested on POD 14 for blinded histologic review. RESULTS: Mean sCr values were significantly increased at all time points in the WI and IP groups compared with baseline. Peak postoperative sCr was noted on POD 1 in both groups after which there was a downward trend. The WI and IP groups had similar mean sCr values at all time points. The study groups were histologically indistinguishable with no difference in the degree of tissue injury. CONCLUSIONS: A simple intervention which successfully prevents renal warm-ischemic damage would expand the number of surgeons and patients who benefit from laparoscopic NSS. There is no evidence that this preconditioning regimen ameliorated the ischemia-reperfusion injury. Endeavors are ongoing to determine if alternative preconditioning regimens may be beneficial.

Cysteine-rich LIM-only proteins CRP1 and CRP2 are potent smooth muscle differentiation cofactors.

Cysteine-rich LIM-only proteins, CRP1 and CRP2, expressed during cardiovascular development act as bridging molecules that associate with serum response factor and GATA proteins. SRF-CRP-GATA complexes strongly activated smooth muscle gene targets. CRP2 was found in the nucleus during early stages of coronary smooth muscle differentiation from proepicardial cells. A dominant-negative CRP2 mutant blocked proepicardial cells from differentiating into smooth muscle cells. Together with SRF and GATA proteins, CRP1 and CRP2 converted pluripotent 10T1/2 fibroblasts into smooth muscle cells, while muscle LIM protein CRP3 inhibited the conversion. Thus, LIM-only proteins of the CRP family play important roles in organizing multiprotein complexes, both in the cytoplasm, where they participate in cytoskeletal remodeling, and in the nucleus, where they strongly facilitate smooth muscle differentiation.