Randomized trials of PSA screening.

BACKGROUND: The role of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in prostate cancer (PCa) screening has evolved over recent decades with multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) spurring guideline changes. At present, controversy exists due to the indolent nature of many prostate cancers and associated risks of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. This review examines major RCTs evaluating PSA screening to inform clinical practices. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We summarize findings from primary RCTs investigating PSA screening's impact on PCa mortality and incidence: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), and the Cluster Randomized Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer (CAP). RESULTS: The PLCO Trial randomized men to annual PSA and DRE screening or usual care, reporting no significant difference in PCa mortality between groups at 17 years (RR 0.93, [95% CI: 0.81-1.08]), yet significantly increased detection and concomitant decreased detection in Gleason 6 (RR 1.17, [95% CI: 1.11-1.23]) and 8-10 disease (RR 0.89, [95% CI: 0.80-0.99]) in the screening group, respectively. The ESPRC Trial randomized men across seven European countries to PSA screening every 2-4 years or usual care, noting a 20% reduction in PCa mortality at 9 years (RR 0.81, [95% CI: 0.65-0.98]) and significant decrease in metastatic disease at 12 years (RR 0.70, [95% CI: 0.60-0.82]). The CAP Trial assessed a single PSA screening test's impact on PCa mortality yielding no significant difference in PCa mortality at 10 years (RR 0.96, [95% CI: 0.85-1.08]). Limitations amongst studies included high contamination between study arms and low compliance with study protocols. CONCLUSIONS: While the CAP and initial PLCO trials showed no significant reduction in PCa mortality, the ERSPC demonstrated a 21% reduction at 13 years, with further benefits at extended follow-up. Differences in outcomes are attributed to variations in trial design, contamination, adherence rates, and PSA thresholds. Future studies are needed focus on optimizing screening intervals, targeting high-risk populations, and incorporating non-invasive diagnostic tools to improve screening efficacy and reduce associated harms.

Association of Unmet Social Needs With Missed In-Person Urology Clinic Appointments.

INTRODUCTION: Social determinants of health (SDH) are nonbiologic influencers of disease and health care disparities. This study focused on understanding the association between SDH and urology clinic "no-show" visits within a diverse urban population. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients scheduled for urology clinic visits from October 2015 to June 2022 who completed a 10-question social needs screener. For each patient, demographic variables, and number of missed clinic appointments were abstracted. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association of unmet social needs and no-shows. RESULTS: Of 5761 unique patients seen in clinic, 5293 completed a social needs screener. Respondents were most commonly male (62.8%), Hispanic (50.3%), English-speaking (75.5%), and insured by Medicare (46.0%). Overall, 8.2%, 4.6%, and 6.1% reported 1, 2, and 3+ unmet social needs, respectively. Most patients (61.7%) had 0 no-shows; 38.3% had 1+ no-shows. Between the 0 and 1+ no-show groups, we found significant differences with respect to gender (P =.05), race/ethnicity (P = .002), preferred language (P = .006), insurance payer (P < .001), SDH status (P = .003), and total number of unmet social needs (P = .006). On multivariable analysis, patients concerned about housing quality (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50, P = .002), legal help (OR = 1.53, P = .009), and with 3+ unmet social needs (OR = 1.39, P = .006) were more likely to have 1+ no-shows. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet social needs were associated with increased no-show urology clinic visits. Routine social needs screening could identify at-risk patients who would benefit from services. This may be particularly pertinent for patients with urgent diagnoses or those requiring frequent office visits where missing appointments could impact morbidity and mortality.

Biparametric versus multiparametric MRI for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer in a diverse, multiethnic population.

PURPOSE: There is not yet satisfactory performance data comparing multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) versus biparametric MRI (bpMRI) for detecting prostate cancer (PCa), particularly in high-risk populations. We compared both protocols for detecting overall PCa and clinically significant PCa (CS-PCa; defined as Grade Group ≥ 2) in a multiethnic urban population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical record data from men who underwent image-guided fusion prostate biopsy (FB) between 2016 and 2021 at our institution. Patient characteristics, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scores, and FB outcomes were analyzed based on MRI protocol. Multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to examine associations of bpMRI versus mpMRI for detecting overall PCa and CS-PCa in targeted lesions, among all patients and stratified by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Overall, 566 men (44.0% Non-Hispanic Black [NHB]; 27.0% Hispanic) with 975 PI-RADS 3-5 lesions on MRI underwent FB. Of these, 312 (55%) men with 497 lesions underwent mpMRI and 254 (45%) men with 478 lesions underwent bpMRI. On multivariate analyses among all men, the odds of detecting overall PCa (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.05-3.11, p = 0.031) and CS-PCa (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.16-4.00, p = 0.014) on FB were higher for lesions identified on bpMRI than mpMRI. When stratified by race/ethnicity, the odds of detecting overall PCa (OR = 1.86; p = 0.15) and CS-PCa (OR = 2.20; p = 0.06) were not statistically different between lesions detected on bpMRI or mpMRI. CONCLUSION: BpMRI has similar diagnostic performance to mpMRI in detecting overall and CS-PCa within a racially/ethnically diverse population. BpMRI can be utilized for evaluating suspected CS-PCa among NHB and Hispanic men.

Implementation of a shared research database to increase medical student awareness and involvement in urology research A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to assess the effect of a shared institutional research database on medical students' scholarly work, perceived research competency, and self-reported satisfaction. METHODS: An institutional inventory database was created on Google Sheets with a listing of available mentors and a description of their ongoing research projects. The inventory database was shared with interested students and faculty. Students who agreed to participate were surveyed pre- and post-inventory. Survey questions assessed student demographics, prior research experience, and their perception of research competency and satisfaction. The number of presentations, publications, and articles pre- and post-inventory were also abstracted. Survey responses were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: A total of 20 students were surveyed pre-inventory and at a median followup of six months (5-7) post-inventory. There was a significant increase in scholarly presentations and publications post-inventory (p<0.05 for all). Furthermore, post-inventory, students reported feeling more confident in establishing an academic career, finding good mentors, managing their relationship with their mentor, managing professional challenges, and effectively showcasing themselves professionally and describing their research (p<0.05 for all). More than 65% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the database was easy to use, accessible, transparent, and would like a similar database created for other specialty departments. CONCLUSIONS: After performing mentorship-guided research through an institutional research database, medical students felt more confident in their ability to perform research and produced more scholarly work. Therefore, we recommend a research database be created across all institutional departments to foster interest in conducting research.

Electronic Health Record Usage Patterns Across Surgical Subspecialties.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to utilize metrics from physician action logs to analyze surgeon clinical, volume, electronic health record (EHR) efficiency, EHR proficiency, and workload outside scheduled time as impacted by physician characteristics such as years of experience, gender, subspecialty, academic title, and administrative title. METHODS: We selected 30 metrics from Epic Signal, an analytic tool in Epic that extracts metrics related to clinician documentation. Metrics measuring appointments, messages, and scheduled hours per day were used as a correlate for volume. EHR efficiency, and proficiency were measured by scores built into Epic Signal. Metrics measuring time spent in the EHR outside working hours were used as a correlate for documentation burden. We analyzed these metrics among surgeons at our institution across 4 months and correlated them with physician characteristics. RESULTS: Analysis of 133 surgeons showed that, when stratified by gender, female surgeons had significantly higher EHR metrics for time per day, time per appointment, and documentation burden, and significantly lower EHR metrics for efficiency when compared to male surgeons. When stratified by experience, surgeons with 0 to 5 years of experience had significantly lower EHR metrics for volume, time per day, efficiency, and proficiency when compared to surgeons with 6 to 10 and more than 10 years of experience. On multivariate analysis, having over 10 years of experience was an independent predictor of more appointments per day, greater proficiency, and spending less time per completed message. Female gender was an independent predictor of spending more time in notes per appointment and time spent in the EHR outside working hours. CONCLUSION: The burden associated with volume, proficiency, efficiency, and workload outside scheduled time related to EHR use varies by gender and years of experience in our cohort of surgeons. Evaluation of physician action logs could help identify those at higher risk of burnout due to burdensome medical documentation.

Performance of cognitive vs. image-guided fusion biopsy for detection of overall and clinically significant prostate cancer in a multiethnic population.

PURPOSE: Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy remains the most used method for the detection of prostate cancer. We recently reported that detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (cs-CaP) using image-guided fusion biopsies (IGFB) varied by race/ethnicity, which calls for further comparison between cognitive fusion biopsy (CFB) and IGFB among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic populations. Therefore, the aim of our study is to compare the rates of detection of cs-CaP and overall CaP by CFB and IGFB in a multiethnic community. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional review of men who underwent MRI-transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy at our diverse, urban academic medical center. Agreement and discordance between fusion biopsies and systematic biopsies for detection of cs-CaP and overall CaP were determined using Kappa statistics. Univariate and multivariate mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to find associations between fusion modalities and prostate cancer detection. RESULTS: In total, 710 men underwent fusion prostate biopsies between December 2015 and June 2021. Upon univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, there was no significant association between IGFB vs. CFB and risk of overall CaP (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.36-1.21, P = 0.18) or cs-CaP (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.30-1.08, P = 0.09). We found moderate agreement between fusion and systematic biopsies for both CFB (κ = 0.56) and IGFB (κ = 0.52) in cs-CaP. CONCLUSIONS: CFB and IGFB offer similar detection rates of cs-CaP in a multiethnic population. CFB represents an effective and accessible means of accurately diagnosing prostate cancer.

A Green Prescription: Integrating Environmental Sustainability in Urology Guidelines.

Against the background of the climate crisis, there is an urgent need to include environmental sustainability recommendations in clinical practice guidelines. We highlight five domains for which suitable recommendations could help in mitigating the environmental impact of urology practice. PATIENT SUMMARY: Climate change is an urgent issue that requires global action. Guidelines published by urological societies should include recommendations for minimizing the impact of urology practice on the environment.

Transplant Ureter Inguinal Herniation Treated by Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair.

Introduction: We report the case of a transplanted ureter obstructed by an inguinal herniation treated by a robotic-assisted approach. Case Report: This is a case of a 63-year-old male who had a kidney transplant with a graft on the left pelvis in September 2014, and presented to the clinic for evaluation of bilateral inguinal hernia. On physical examination he had bilateral palpable inguinal hernias, with the right one larger and only partially reducible. Computed tomography scan showed portion of urinary bladder and transplant ureter in the left inguinal hernia and mild hydroureteronephrosis in the transplanted kidney. Patient underwent catheterization of the transplant ureter where indocyanine green was injected for proper transplant ureter identification with the Firefly filter and robotic assisted hernia repair. Surgery was uneventful and patient was discharged home the same day with no further complications. Conclusion: The robotic approach using the Firefly filter was shown to be safe during the dissection to avoid injury to the transplant ureter.

Predictors of Timely and Delayed Urological Evaluation Following Referral for Elevated Prostate-specific Antigen in a Diverse, Urban, High-risk Population.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate predictors of timely urological evaluation among men referred for initial elevated PSA in a diverse, high-risk, urban community. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all men aged 50+ referred to urology within our healthcare network between January 2018 and December 2021 for initial elevated PSA. Time to initial urological evaluation was categorized as timely (within 4 months of referral), late (after 4 months), or absent (no urology evaluation). Demographic and clinical variables were abstracted. A multivariable multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to identify predictors of timely vs late vs absent urological evaluation controlling for age, referral year, household income, distance to care, and PSA at referral. RESULTS: A total of 1,335 men met inclusion criteria; 589 (44.1%), 210 (15.7%), and 536 (40.1%) had timely, late, and absent urological evaluation, respectively. The majority were non-Hispanic Black (46.7%), English-speaking (84.0%), and married (54.6%). Median time to initial urological evaluation differed significantly between timely and late groups (16 vs 210 days, P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed the following to be significant predictors of timely urological evaluation: non-Hispanic Black (OR=1.59, P = .03), Hispanic (OR=2.07, P = .001), Spanish-speaking (OR=1.44, P = .03), or former-smokers (OR=1.31, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: In our diverse community, men who are non-Hispanic White or English-speaking have a decreased odds of timely urological evaluation after a referral for elevated PSA in our diverse patient population. Our study underscores cohorts that may benefit from implementation of institutional safeguards such as patient navigation systems to facilitate and ensure appropriate follow-up upon referral for elevated PSA.

Management of large kidney stones in the geriatric population.

PURPOSE: The aim of this review is to highlight the unique factors that predispose geriatric patients to nephrolithiasis and to compare the utility and efficacy of surgical techniques in this specific patient population. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were reviewed, and studies were organized according to surgical treatments. RESULTS: Few prospective studies exist comparing kidney stone removal in the elderly to younger cohorts. In addition, various age cut-offs were used to determine who was considered elderly. Most studies which analyzed Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) found a slightly higher rate of minor complications but comparable stone free rate and operative time. For ureteroscopy (URS) and extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), there were minimal complications observed and no difference in clinical success in the elderly. All surgical techniques were presumed to be safe in the elderly and most found no difference in stone-free rates. CONCLUSIONS: Unique attributes of the geriatric population contribute to stone formation and must be considered when determining appropriate management modalities. This review provides an overview of the utility and efficacy of PCNL, URS and ESWL in the elderly, as well as a porposed algorithm for management in this population.

Should Men Eat More Plants? A Systematic Review of the Literature on the Effect of Plant-Forward Diets on Men's Health.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of the literature on plant-based and plant-forward diets and the prevention/treatment of the following common men's health conditions: prostate cancer (PCa), erectile dysfunction (ED), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses system criteria were utilized to search PubMed and Medline databases for the following search terms: "Diet (Mesh)" OR "Diet Therapy (Mesh)" AND "Prostatic Hyperplasia (Mesh)" OR "Prostatic Neoplasm (Mesh)" OR "Erectile Dysfunction (Mesh)." Articles in English published from 1989 to 2022 using human participants were analyzed, data summarized, and assessed for bias. RESULTS: Studies reporting on plant-based or vegetable-forward diets (Mediterranean) as an intervention were included. Cohort and cross-sectional studies using food frequency questionnaires or diet classification indices to quantify plant-based food intake patterns were included in the study. Ultimately, 12 PCa articles, 4 BPH articles, 6 ED articles, and 2 articles related to both BPH and ED were reviewed. Overall, the literature suggests plant-forward diets confer a protective effect on the men's health conditions reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the literature on the impact of plant-forward diets on urologic conditions includes a heterogenous range of dietary patterns and study designs. The greatest amount of research has evaluated the application of plant-forward diets for PCa. While there is currently a lack of high-quality evidence for the use of plant-forward diets as prevention and/or treatment for PCa, ED, or BPH, reported outcomes suggest a consistent small beneficial impact alongside well-established benefits for common chronic conditions.

Low risk is low risk, regardless of race or ethnicity: Outcomes of prostate cancer active surveillance and factors associated with reclassification in a racially diverse cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Active surveillance (AS) is the standard for very low- and low-risk prostate cancer. Although risk factors for pathologic reclassification while on AS have been identified, results are mixed for non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic ethnicity. We aim to further explore how race and ethnicity may be affecting AS participation and outcomes in a primarily urban, diverse, and vulnerable population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients eligible for AS from 2005-2020 were reviewed. Demographics, race/ethnicity, prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, and pathologic characteristics were analyzed between patients enrolled in AS and those that underwent immediate therapy. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates. Cox proportional hazards models were used to develop prediction models for clinical reclassification. RESULTS: A total of 471 men were eligible for AS. Of those, 188 (39.9%) enrolled in AS while 283 (60.1%) underwent immediate radical therapy. No significant differences were found in racial/ethnic composition between the AS and immediate treatment groups. In our AS cohort, 79 (42.0%) experienced clinical reclassification and underwent deferred treatment. BCR rates were similar between treatment groups. Race/ethnicity were not found to be predictors of clinical reclassification, while metrics at diagnostic biopsy such as elevated PSA, higher PSA density, and lower prostate volume increased reclassification odds. CONCLUSIONS: In our diverse population, NHB race and Hispanic ethnicity were not significant predictors of adverse reclassification while on AS. Our findings support utilizing other metrics taken at initial biopsy to identify high-risk patients such as PSA, prostate volume, and PSA density.

Accuracy of prostate cancer screening recommendations for high-risk populations on YouTube and TikTok.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate content quality and racial/ethnic representation, particularly of high-risk cohorts, of prostate cancer screening videos on YouTube (YT) and TikTok (TK). Materials and Methods: The top 50 videos populated for the search term 'prostate cancer screening' on YT and TK that met inclusion criteria were retrieved in a cache-cleared browser. Three reviewers analysed all videos using validated criteria for the quality of consumer health information (DISCERN and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]). High quality was defined as follows: DISCERN ≥ 4, PEMAT understandability ≥75% and PEMAT actionability ≥75%. A 5-point Likert scale was used to demonstrate the level of misinformation compared to American Urological Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Perceived race and ethnicity of people in the videos were assessed by consensus approach. Results: TK videos were shorter (median 3.7 vs. 0.5 min, p < 0.001) and had more views per month (5437.5 vs. 19.3, p = 0.03) than YT videos. Perceived Black and Hispanic representation was present in 10% and 6% of YT videos and 20% and 12% of TK videos, respectively. High-risk racial/ethnic groups were explicitly discussed in 46% of YT videos and 8% of TK videos. A total of 98% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had low- to moderate-quality consumer health information, and 88% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had moderate to high levels of misinformation based on screening guidelines. Conclusions: YT and TK videos about prostate cancer screening are widely viewed but do not provide quality consumer health information. Black and Hispanic men remain under-represented on both platforms, and high-risk racial groups were not discussed in most videos despite the importance for screening criteria. The low understandability and actionability, significant misinformation and lack of diversity in online videos support the need for higher quality videos with adequate attention to high-risk ethnic cohorts.

Urine Cytology Rarely Escalates Clinical Management in the Surveillance of Non-muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The use of urine cytology in the surveillance of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is widely variable in clinical practice. We studied the impact of surveillance urine cytology on clinical decision making during NMIBC surveillance. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients surveilled for clinical NMIBC from 2013 to 2020 with at least one follow-up cytology result after diagnosis. Patients were classified into risk categories according to American Urological Association (AUA) NMIBC guidelines. Data were obtained regarding tumor recurrence pathology and the frequency and findings of surveillance cystoscopies and urine cytologies. Positive (suspicious, malignant) and negative (atypical or negative for malignant cells) cytology results were correlated with cystoscopy and pathology findings when obtained within 3 months of the cytology specimen to determine if cytology impacted plan of care. RESULTS: Two hundred fourteen patients with NMIBC were followed for a median of 34 months, with 1045 urine cytologies collectively obtained over the surveillance period. There were no positive urine cytologies among patients with low-risk NMIBC; therefore, cytology did not change management in this cohort. The potential for cytology to escalate management for patients of any risk group (ie, positive cytology in the absence of positive cystoscopy or pathology findings) occurred in 30 (2.9%) cases. However, clinical decision making was only altered in 4 cases (0.4% of all cytologies). CONCLUSIONS: Less than 1% of urine cytology specimens collected during NMIBC surveillance impacted clinical management, none of whom had low-risk disease. The use of urine cytology for surveillance of low-risk NMIBC should continue to be strongly discouraged, as it did not change management in any such cases.

Implementation and Usability of an Electronic Medical Record-based Ureteral Stent Tracker.

OBJECTIVE: To design and implement a simple electronic medical record-based ureteral stent tracker. To assess its impact on stent dwell time and stent-related complications. METHODS: Patients with stents placed 12 months before and 6 months after stent tracker implementation were identified at 3 urban hospitals. Those with stents-on-strings and intentional chronic indwelling stents (greater than 90 days) were excluded. Patient demographics, stent characteristics (eg, indication, string, dwell time), and clinical outcomes (eg, positive urine cultures, complications) were reviewed and compared between pre- and posttracker cohorts. A 12-question usability survey was administered to surgical nurses to assess usability. RESULTS: A total of 323 stents (173 pre- and 150 posttracker) were placed in 217 patients. The prestent tracker cohort had a longer mean dwell time (pre: 40.9 ± 59.1 days vs post: 28.8 ± 22.0 days, P = .02) and a higher retention rate >90 days (pre: 8.1% [14/173] vs post: 1.3% [2/150], P = .005). The 2 cohorts had no significant differences in positive urine culture rates, patient phone calls to providers, stent-related emergency department visits, or hospitalizations. The usability survey showed that 86.4% of surgical nurses found the tracker to be user-friendly and 95.5% reported that it added less than 1 minute of work per procedure. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an electronic medical record-based ureteral stent tracker decreased average stent dwell time and frequency of retained stents. Surgical nurses reported the tracker to be user-friendly and convenient. Stent trackers can improve the efficiency of postoperative removal of indwelling ureteral stents.

Imaging After Ureteroscopy: Practice Patterns, Patient Adherence and Impact on Subsequent Management in an Urban Academic Hospital System.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate practice patterns of post-ureteroscopy (URS) imaging, to assess predictors of imaging order, type and completion, and to analyze impact on patient management. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent URS for nephrolithiasis at a single institution between May, 2020 to May, 2021. Patient demographic, clinical and operative characteristics were reviewed, and surgeons' years in practice. Post-URS imaging studies less than 6 months post-operative were reviewed. Changes in patient management were defined as additional imaging tests ordered or subsequent unplanned surgery. Patient, provider and surgical variables were compared between those who had imaging ordered and those who did not. RESULTS: A total of 289 patients underwent URS. About 234 (81.0%) had post-operative imaging ordered; 147 (62.8%) completed them. Baseline demographics, stone and surgical variables were similar among those who did and did not have imaging ordered and among patients who completed imaging and did not. Pre-operative hydronephrosis was associated with ordering of post-operative imaging (OR = 4.08, P = .01). Urologists in practice less than 5 years were more likely to order post-operative imaging compared to those in practice for more than 5 years (<5: 90.6%, 15+: 53.7%; P <.001). Management changed for 52 of 147 (35.4%) patients who completed imaging; additional imaging was ordered for 38 patients (25.9%) and a second, unplanned surgery was performed for 14 (9.5%). CONCLUSION: The main predictive factor of ordering post-URS imaging was surgeons' time in practice and pre-operative hydronephrosis. Post-operative imaging changed management in 35.4% of patients. We recommend the development of guidelines encouraging routine imaging for patients following ureteroscopy.

Assessment of Patient Understanding Prior to Urological Procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient understanding of risks, benefits, and alternatives (R/B/A) prior to urological procedures using the teachback method. METHODS: Using a preprocedural phone interview, patients recalled general knowledge and R/B/A of a scheduled procedure. A scoring system compared patient responses to a standardized R/B/A list to analyze the level of understanding, graded as incomplete (<25%), partial (25-75%), or complete (>75%). Following the interview, additional education was provided if understanding was inadequate, and patients were queried regarding their satisfaction. RESULTS: Patients (n = 99) comprised 46% women; 32% Spanish speaking; Mean age was 64 ± 10.9 years. Procedures included were: intravesical botulinum toxin injection (24), mid-urethral sling (9), colpocleisis (4), prostate biopsy (24), ureteroscopy (16), transurethral resection prostate (11), transurethral resection bladder tumor (11). Across all procedures, the average percent of risks identified was 12%, benefits 63%, and alternatives 35%. No patients had complete understanding, but most had partial (73.7%). Patients had significantly higher level of understanding if they were female (P = 0.02), underwent the same procedure previously (P < 0.01) or any surgery within a year (P = 0.02), and were undergoing an in-office procedures (P = 0.03). After the teachback interview, most patients (90%) were satisfied with their understanding. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, patient understanding was alarmingly incomplete and there was substantial benefit in pre-procedural interviews. Our findings highlight the need for improvement in patient education prior to surgery and offers a potential solution using a teachback-based telephone interview.

Optimizing pain management following kidney stone surgery: can we avoid narcotics?

INTRODUCTION: Opioids are often used to manage postoperative pain. Non-narcotic alternatives have increasingly been used to reduce opioid usage. We conducted an open-label randomized non-inferiority clinical trial to compare non-opioid to opioid therapy for pain management after nephrolithiasis surgery. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective ureteroscopy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy between July 2018 and May 2021 were randomized to receive ketorolac (non-opioid) or oxycodone-acetaminophen (opioid). Each patient was surveyed one week postoperatively to assess pain outcomes. Patient demographics, surgical variables, number of pills used, constipation, and adverse events were also assessed. We evaluated whether non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia for postoperative pain, assuming a non-inferiority margin of 1.3 in pain score between groups. RESULTS: Analyses were based on 90 patients with postoperative pain data: 44 in the ketorolac group and 46 in the oxycodone-acetaminophen group. The groups were similar regarding demographics, type of surgery, ureteral stent placement, and stone burden. Non-inferiority of non-opioids compared to opioids was demonstrated for all outcomes. At follow-up, the average pain scores were 3.20 ± 1.94 (SD) in the non-opioid group and 4.17 ± 1.84 in the opioid group (difference = - 0.96; 95% CI: - 1.76, - 0.17, p = 0.018). The mean proportions of unused pills were similar between groups (p = 0.47) as were rates of constipation (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Non-opioid analgesia was non-inferior to opioid analgesia in pain management after kidney stone surgery. This trial contributes to the evidence that non-opioid analgesics should be considered an effective option for pain management following non-invasive urologic procedures.