Does the introduction of pre-operative cardiopulmonary exercise testing in radical cystectomy delay or alter surgical care?

Objectives: To assess if the introduction of routine pre-operative cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in radical cystectomy has delayed surgical intervention. Materials and Methods: A prospective database of patients undergoing radical cystectomy in our local health network was maintained. A retrospective analysis of two years (2018-2020) included 38 patients. Of these, 15 patients had CPET pre-operatively, and a direct comparison was performed. Results: The mean time from diagnosis to cystectomy was 95 days in patients who did not have CPET compared to 110 days for those who did (p = 0.32), with comparable rates of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (62.5% and 64.29%). Average length of stay was 18.6 days compared with 13.87 (p = 0.16), favouring the CPET group. The CPET group also had a lower readmission rate within 30 days (13.33% compared with 21.05%, p = 0.35). Cause-specific mortality within 90 days was 10.2% and within the study timeframe was 36.84% (estimated 5-year mortality rate 43-65%). Within the CPET group, eight had an anaerobic threshold (AT) of <11 ml/kg/min (range 6.3-10.5): Of these, 50% had Clavien-Dindo complications of grade 2 or higher and the 90-day mortality rate was 37.5% (cf. 0% in those with AT > 11 ml/kg/min in this series). Conclusion: CPET is a valuable risk evaluation tool. This study suggested that CPET contributed to a minor non-significant delay to surgery, however was associated with reduced length of stay and readmission rates, and was a valuable risk evaluation tool. We found that CPET AT <11 ml/kg/min is associated with higher rates of patient morbidity and perioperative mortality.

Tumour innervation and neurosignalling in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer progression has been shown to be dependent on the development of autonomic nerves into the tumour microenvironment. Sympathetic nerves activate adrenergic neurosignalling that is necessary in early stages of tumour progression and for initiating an angiogenic switch, whereas parasympathetic nerves activate cholinergic neurosignalling resulting in tumour dissemination and metastasis. The innervation of prostate cancer seems to be initiated by neurotrophic growth factors, such as the precursor to nerve growth factor secreted by tumour cells, and the contribution of brain-derived neural progenitor cells has also been reported. Current experimental, epidemiological and clinical evidence shows the stimulatory effect of tumour innervation and neurosignalling in prostate cancer. Using nerves and neurosignalling could have value in the management of prostate cancer by predicting aggressive disease, treating localized disease through denervation and relieving cancer-associated pain in bone metastases.

Transurethral prostate resection in patients with hypocontractile detrusor--what is the predictive value of ultrastructural detrusor changes?

PURPOSE: Men with detrusor failure and chronic urinary retention have a lower voiding success rate and higher postoperative morbidity following transurethral prostatectomy than those with bladder outlet obstruction. Current investigations, including urodynamics, may be unable to predict the response to surgical treatment. We identified ultrastructural features on detrusor biopsy that correlated with the postoperative voiding outcome in patients with a hypocontractile detrusor undergoing transurethral prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detrusor biopsies were obtained from 17 patients with urodynamic evidence of bladder outlet obstruction or a hypocontractile detrusor undergoing transurethral prostatectomy and from 5 controls. Specimens were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Ten individual detrusor ultrastructural features were analyzed. Findings were compared with preoperative and postoperative clinical parameters. RESULTS: Failure to void after transurethral prostatectomy was significantly associated with the ultrastructural features of variation in muscle cell size, muscle cell shape, collagenosis and abnormal fascicles. These 4 features were significantly associated with each other, defining a distinctive pattern of detrusor failure. For transurethral prostatectomy failure the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of all 4 features together were 60%, 91%, 75% and 84%, respectively. Three or 4 features on detrusor biopsy predicted voiding failure. CONCLUSIONS: Detrusor ultrastructural analysis is highly predictive of voiding outcome following transurethral prostatectomy in patients with detrusor failure. Patients with ultrastructural features previously described as part of the myohypertrophy pattern do not have a primary diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction but rather detrusor failure secondary to bladder outlet obstruction.

Ultrasound measurement of bladder wall thickness in the assessment of voiding dysfunction.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound measurement of bladder wall thickness has been proposed as a useful diagnostic parameter in patients with bladder outlet obstruction and other voiding dysfunctions. We assessed bladder wall thickness measurement as a noninvasive test in patients with suspected bladder outlet obstruction or overactive bladder syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Transabdominal ultrasound measurement of bladder wall thickness was performed during urodynamic study in 180 patients with nonneurogenic voiding dysfunction. Two measurements of anterior bladder wall thickness, 1 cm apart in the midline and averaged, were obtained at 200 ml filling. Bladder wall thickness findings were correlated with urodynamic diagnoses. RESULTS: A total of 180 patients with an average age of 62 years (range 20 to 94) were recruited, comprising 73 males and 107 females. Of the patients 69 had normal urodynamics, 39 had bladder outlet obstruction, 38 had increased bladder sensation on cystometry and 34 had detrusor overactivity. Bladder wall thickness was 1.1 to 4.5 mm in all groups. Males had a slightly thicker bladder wall than females (mean 2.1 vs 1.9 mm, p = 0.064). Mean bladder wall thickness in patients with normal urodynamics, bladder outlet obstruction, detrusor overactivity and increased bladder sensation was 2.0, 2.1, 1.9 and 1.8 mm, respectively. No significant difference was found between the groups (ANOVA p = 0.064, not significant). In particular there was no difference in bladder wall thickness between patients with normal urodynamics, and those with bladder outlet obstruction (p = 0.31) or detrusor overactivity (p = 0.309). CONCLUSIONS: Bladder wall thickness is remarkably uniform in patients with nonneurogenic voiding dysfunction. Therefore, it cannot reliably predict bladder outlet obstruction or detrusor overactivity. Bladder wall thickness measurement does not provide an alternative to urodynamic studies for diagnosing voiding dysfunction.

Day-only laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a regional teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Day-only laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DOLC) has been demonstrated to be a safe and feasible procedure. The aim of the present study was to introduce DOLC to a busy teaching hospital without a separate day-surgery facility, to identify any problems associated with early discharge, and to determine patient satisfaction. METHODS: Over a 2-year period, all patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under one surgeon were prospectively studied. Patients satisfying criteria for DOLC were offered the procedure. All patients were sent anonymous satisfaction surveys postoperatively. RESULTS: One hundred and one patients underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomies and 41 of these patients were booked for DOLC. Thirty-three (80%) were successfully discharged the same day and there were no complications related to early discharge. Only two of eight unplanned admissions were because of postoperative pain or nausea. Thirty-two (78%) of DOLC patients replied to our survey and of those, 24 (78%) were satisfied with their length of stay. The extra strain placed on day-stay ward resources was reflected in patient survey comments on their care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the evidence that DOLC is safe and feasible. However, in a busy teaching hospital with tight budget constraints and no separate day-surgery facility we found many patients satisfied with their length of stay but not always with the quality of care they received on the day-stay ward. The latter was insufficiently equipped to handle procedures of this complexity. So although in theory DOLC has many advantages, we are unable to institute this as routine practice at this time.