Transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) can be performed either by a transperitoneal (TP) or a retroperitoneal (RP) approach. However, the superiority of one approach over the other is not established. Hence, the primary aim of this review was to compare perioperative outcomes between these two surgical approaches. METHODS: Literature was systematically searched to identify studies reporting perioperative outcomes following TP RAPN and RP RAPN. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023399496). The primary outcome was comparing complication rates between the two approaches. RESULTS: This review included 22 studies, 5675 patients, 2524 in the RP group, and 3151 in the TP group. The overall complications were significantly lower in the RP group [Odds ratio (OR) 0.80 (0.67, 0.95), p = 0.01]. However, the rate of major complications was similar between the two groups. The operative time was significantly shorter with the RP group [Mean Difference (MD)-16.7 (- 22.3, - 11.0), p = < 0.0001]. Estimated blood loss (EBL) and need for blood transfusion (BT) were significantly lower in the RP group. There was no difference between the two groups for conversion to radical nephrectomy [OR 0.66 (0.33, 1.33), p = 0.25] or open surgery [OR 0.68 (0.24, 1.92, p = 0.47] and positive surgical margins [OR 0.93 (0.66, 1.31, p = 0.69]. Length of stay (LOS) was shorter in the RP group [MD - 0.27 (- 0.45, - 0.08), p = < 0.00001]. CONCLUSIONS: RP approach, compared to TP, has significantly lower complication rates, EBL, need for BT and LOS. However, due to the lack of randomized studies on the topic, further data is required.

Gender disparity in prevalence of mental health issues in Kerala: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Kerala is a state in south India, appreciated for its education, better health indicators and quality of life. However, there is a proportionately high prevalence of mental health illnesses and suicides reported in the state. It is unclear if there is any disparity in the gender categories in this. With this systematic review, we aim to systematically study the gender disparity in the prevalence of mental health (MH) issues among adolescents, younger and older adults in Kerala. METHODS: A search strategy was built and several databases like Pubmed, Cochrane, Scopus, EMBASE, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and ProQuest were used alongside grey literature to identify relevant articles. The study was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines following a prespecified protocol. After relevant data extraction, the estimates were pooled using random effects model due to the high heterogeneity assessed by tau-squared, Cochran Q, and prediction interval. Subgroup analyses, and meta-regression were used to reduce heterogeneity. We also identified the influence and heterogeneity contributed by individual studies using influence plots, Baujat plot, clustering, and performed several sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Twenty articles were included in the review and meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio of mental health illnesses amongst females compared to males in Kerala was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.0 - 1.73) and falls within a prediction interval of 0.38 to 4.53. The individual studies showed high heterogeneity (I2 = 92%, p = p < 0.01) and hence, subgroup analysis was done for several prespecified subgroups based on etiology, geography, demography, study settings, and age groups. Heterogeneity was significantly reduced by subgrouping based on etiology, study setting and age (p, 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.001). In etiologic subgrouping the highest pooled odds was in comorbidities associated MH issues (2.54) and least in non-specific (0.97). In age subgrouping, the highest pooled odds was in elderly (2.53) and least in adolescents (0.63). The odds was highest in health care facility (2.21) and least in educational institution (0.78) based studies. Meta-regression based on the size of the study failed to reduce heterogeneity. INTERPRETATIONS: A gender disparity was evident in the prevalence of mental health issues, with a higher Odds in females especially among the elderly and adults. A Gender transformative approach in legislative, health systems and policy frameworks will be the answer to this.

Perioperative and functional outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: Descriptive analysis of Indian study group on partial nephrectomy database.

Introduction: There is an unmet need for high-quality data for Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in the Indian population. Indian study group on partial nephrectomy (ISGPN) is a consortium of Indian centers contributing to the partial nephrectomy (PN) database. The current study is a descriptive analysis of perioperative and functional outcomes following RAPN. Methods: For this study, the retrospective ISGPN database was reviewed, which included patients who underwent RAPN for renal masses at 14 centers across India from September 2010 to September 2022. Demographic, clinical, radiological, perioperative, and functional data were collected and analyzed. Ethics approval was obtained from each of the participating centers. Results: In this study, 782 patients were included, and 69.7% were male. The median age was 53 years (interquartile range [IQR 44-62]), median operative time was 180 min (IQR 133-240), median estimated blood loss was 100 mL (IQR 50-200), mean warm ischemia time was 22.7 min and positive surgical margin rates were 2.5%. The complication rate was 16.2%, and most of them were of minor grade. Trifecta and pentafecta outcomes were attained in 61.4% and 60% of patients, respectively. Conclusions: This is the largest Indian multi-centric study using the Indian Robotic PN Collaborative database to evaluate the outcomes of robot-assisted PN, and has proven its safety and efficacy in the management of renal masses.

Lower thoracic schwannoma presenting as pseudotumor cerebri: a case report.

Primary Spinal tumors presenting as increased intracranial pressure is a rare and intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spinal schwannoma with unique presentation of pseudotumour cerebri (PTC) is extremely rare. Here, we describe a case of 48 years old male patient who presented to us with six months' history of headache and visual disturbances and was found to have bilateral papilledema. CT scan of brain was normal and CSF opening pressure on Lumbar puncture (LP) was 30 cm of H2O with raised protein level. His headache and visual symptoms settled down after LP (Lumbo-peritoneal) shunt was performed. Three days postoperatively, patient complained of hypoesthesia and weakness of left leg that became an established complain after 2 weeks. A Lumbosacral MRI was performed with concerns of any postoperative complications of LP Shunt, which revealed IDEM spinal tumour at D11-D12 level. Patient underwent second surgery for excision of tumor. We reviewed the relevant literatures and discuss the possible mechanism of such atypical presentation of spinal tumors.

Trifecta and pentafecta outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in a multi-institutional cohort of Indian patients.

Introduction: The literature on studies reporting trifecta or pentafecta outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in Indian patients is limited. The primary aim of this study was to report and evaluate the factors predicting trifecta and pentafecta outcomes following RAPN in Indian patients using the multicentric Vattikuti collective quality initiative (VCQI) database. Methods: From the VCQI database for patients who underwent RAPN, data for Indian patients were extracted and analyzed for factors predicting the achievement of trifecta and pentafecta following RAPN. Trifecta was defined as the absence of complications, negative surgical margins, and warm ischemia period shorter than 25 min or zero ischemia. Pentafecta covers all the trifecta criteria as well as >90% preservation of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and no stage upgrade of chronic kidney disease at 12 months. Results: In this study, among 614 patients, the trifecta was achieved in 374 patients (60.9%) and pentafecta was achieved in 24.2% of the patients. Patients who achieved trifecta had significantly higher mean age (54.1 vs. 51.0 years, P = 0.005), body mass index (BMI) (26.7 vs. 26.03 kg/m2, P = 0.022), and smaller tumor size (38.6 vs. 41.4 mm, P = 0.028). The preoperative eGFR (84.2 vs. 91.9 ml/min, P = 0.012) and renal nephrometry score (RNS) (6.96 vs. 7.87, P ≤ 0.0001) were significantly lower in the trifecta group. Comparing patients who achieved pentafecta to those who did not, we noted a statistically significant difference between the two groups for tumor size (36.1 vs. 41.5 mm, P = 0.017) and RNS (6.6 vs. 7.7, P = 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, BMI and RNS were associated with trifecta outcomes. Similarly, only RNS was identified as an independent predictor of pentafecta. Conclusions: RNS and BMI were independent predictors of the trifecta. At the same time, RNS was identified as an independent predictor of pentafecta following RAPN.

'Pee'BuSt Trial: A single-centre prospective randomized study comparing functional and anatomic outcomes after augmentation urethroplasty with penile skin graft versus buccal mucosa graft for anterior urethral stricture disease.

PURPOSE: To assess the surgical outcomes of augmentation urethroplasty (AU) using penile skin graft (PSG) compared to buccal mucosa graft (BMG) in anterior urethral stricture disease. METHOD: Between January 2018 and January 2019, 100 patients with anterior urethral stricture planned for AU were randomized into PSG or BMG arms (CTRI/2018/07/015028). Anatomic and functional variables were compared pre-operatively and post-operatively. Primary outcome was success rate at 18 months and it was defined if any of the three criteria were met, i.e. either maximum urinary flow (Qmax) > 15 ml/s or urethral calibration of 16 French or ability to traverse the repair with 17 French cystoscope. Secondary outcomes were functional parameters such as International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Score, Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EJD), and Urethral Stricture Surgery-Patient Related Outcome Measure (USS-PROM). RESULTS: Pre-operative variables were comparable between both the arms. Median duration of follow-up was 22 months (18-24 months). At 18 months, the success rates of AU with PSG and BMG were comparable (89% v/s 91%; p = 0.70, 95% CI-0.33 to 5.21). The improvements in Qmax (p = 0.06), IPSS (p = 0.43) and USS-PROM (p = 0.49) were comparable between the two arms. There was no statistically significant difference in the IIEF-Erectile domain (p = 0.07), IIEF-Orgasmic domain (p = 0.11) and MSHQ-EJD (p = 0.20) following AU at 18 months. Clavien-Dindo grade I complications were 12.7% in PSG and 16.7% in BMG. CONCLUSION: This study provides level 1 evidence of no statistical significant difference in outcomes of AU using BMG or PSG.

Perioperative outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perioperative outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) in patients with age ≥ 70 years to age < 70 years. METHODS: Using Vattikuti Collective quality initiative (VCQI) database for RAPN we compared perioperative outcomes following RAPN between the two age groups. Primary outcome of the study was to compare trifecta outcomes between the two groups. Propensity matching using nearest neighbourhood method was performed with trifecta as primary outcome for sex, body mass index (BMI), solitary kidney, tumor size and Renal nephrometery score (RNS). RESULTS: Group A (age ≥ 70 years) included 461 patients whereas group B included 1932 patients. Before matching the two groups were statistically different for RNS and solitary kidney rates. After propensity matching, the two groups were comparable for baselines characteristics such as BMI, tumor size, clinical symptoms, tumor side, face of tumor, solitary kidney and tumor complexity. Among the perioperative outcome parameters there was no difference between two groups for operative time, blood loss, intraoperative transfusion, intraoperative complications, need for radical nephrectomy, positive margins and trifecta rates. Warm ischemia time was significantly longer in the younger age group (18.1 min vs. 16.3 min, p = 0.003). Perioperative complications were significantly higher in the older age group (11.8% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.041). However, there was no difference between the two groups for major complications. CONCLUSION: RAPN in well-selected elderly patients is associated with comparable trifecta outcomes with acceptable perioperative morbidity.

Comparison of perioperative outcomes following transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: a propensity-matched analysis of VCQI database.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perioperative outcomes following retroperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPRAPN) and transperitoneal robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (TPRAPN). METHODS: With this Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative (VCQI) database, study propensity scores were calculated according to the surgical access (TPRAPN and RPRAPN) for the following independent variables, i.e., age, sex, side of the surgery, RENAL nephrometry scores (RNS), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum creatinine. The study's primary outcome was the comparison of trifecta between the two groups. RESULTS: In this study, 309 patients who underwent RPRAPN were matched with 309 patients who underwent TPRAPN. The two groups matched well for age, sex, tumor side, polar location of the tumor, RNS, preoperative creatinine and eGFR. Operative time and warm ischemia time were significantly shorter with RPRAPN. Intraoperative blood loss and need for blood transfusion were lower with RPRAPN. There was a significantly higher number of intraoperative complications with RPRAPN. However, there was no difference in the two groups for postoperative complications. Trifecta outcomes were better with RPRAPN (70.2% vs. 53%, p < 0.0001) compared to TPRAPN. We noted no significant change in overall results when controlled for tumor location (anteriorly or posteriorly). The surgical approach, tumor size and RNS were identified as independent predictors of trifecta on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: RPRAPN is associated with superior perioperative outcomes in well-selected patients compared to TPRAPN. However, the data for the retroperitoneal approach were contributed by a few centers with greater experience with this technique, thus limiting the generalizability of the results of this study.

Umbilical port versus epigastric port for gallbladder extraction in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with trial sequential analysis.

BACKGROUND: After laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gallbladder can be extracted either from epigastric/subxiphoid port or umbilical port. We conducted systematic review of randomized controlled trials comparing the two. METHODS: PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted with pre-specified study protocol registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019128662). Multiple databases were searched from inception till 14 September 2019 using search terms "gallbladder", "specimen", "extraction', "extract", "cholecystectomy", "epigastric port", "subxiphoid port" "umbilical port". Outcomes assessed were postoperative pain (visual analog scale at 24 h postoperatively), port-site hernia, port-site infection, operative time and gallbladder retrieval time. Data were analyzed using random-effects models with risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous variables and mean difference (MD) for continuous variables. RESULTS: Of 280 articles retrieved, 9 RCT's with 1036 participants were included. Quality of included studies was judged to be "moderate" to "low". There was no difference in postoperative pain at 24 h (p = 0.76), total operative time (p = 0.11), gallbladder retrieval time (p = 0.72) or surgical site infection (p = 0.93). Umbilical port retrieval was associated with significantly higher risk of port-site herniae (RR 2.68, 95%CI:1.06-6.80, p = 0.04). After sensitivity analysis, operative time was significantly shorter with epigastric retrieval (p = 0.0007). Trial sequential analysis showed that current studies were successful in achieving optimum information size for primary outcome. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in postoperative pain and infections between umbilical and epigastric port retrieval. Umbilical port retrieval was associated with significantly higher risk of developing port-site hernia and could also be associated with longer operative time. Epigastric port may be favorable for gallbladder retrieval in multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Impact of pathological factors on survival in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: There is an ongoing need to identify various pathological factors that can predict various survival parameters in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). With this review, we aim to scrutinize the impact of several pathological factors on recurrence free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with UTUC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic electronic literature search of various databases was conducted for this review. Studies providing multivariate hazard ratios (HR) for various pathological factors such as tumor margin, necrosis, stage, grade, location, architecture, lymph node status, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), carcinoma in situ (CIS), multifocality and variant histology as predictor of survival parameters were included and pooled analysis of HR was performed. RESULTS: In this review, 63 studies with 35.714 patients were included. For RFS, all except tumor location (HR 0.94, p=0.60) and necrosis (HR 1.00, p=0.98) were associated with worst survival. All the pathological variables except tumor location (HR 0.95, p=0.66) were associated with worst CSS. For OS, only presence of CIS (HR 1.03, p=0.73) and tumor location (HR 1.05, p=0.74) were not predictor of survival. CONCLUSIONS: We noted tumor grade, stage, presence of LVI, lymph node metastasis, hydronephrosis, variant histology, sessile architecture, margin positivity and multifocality were associated with poor RFS, CSS and OS. Presence of CIS was associated with poor RFS and CSS but not OS. Tumor necrosis was associated with worst CSS and OS but not RFS. Tumor location was not a predictor of any of the survival parameters.

Comparison of efficacy of three commonly used alpha-blockers as medical expulsive therapy for distal ureter stones: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The efficacy of alpha-blockers as medical expulsive therapy (MET) is well established. However, it is not known which of the three most commonly used alpha-blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin and silodosin) is the most efficacious. With this study we aimed to assess the efficacy of the three commonly used alpha-blockers as MET for distal ureter stones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this review, we searched multiple databases such as PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Embase, OviD SP, CINAHL, and web of science to identify all the relevant randomized studies comparing the efficacy of tamsulosin, alfuzosin, and silodosin. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews for network meta-analysis (PRISMA-NMA) were followed while conducting this review and the study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020175706). RESULTS: In this review, 31 studies with 7077 patients were included. Compared to placebo all the treatment groups were more effective for both stone expulsion rate (SER) and stone expulsion time (SET). For both SER and SET, silodosin had the highest SUCRA (94.8 and 90.4) values followed by alfuzosin (58.8 and 64.9) and tamsulosin (46.2 and 44.5). The incidence of postural hypotension was similar with all the drugs, whereas, the incidence of retrograde ejaculation was significantly higher for silodosin. Overall confidence for each comparison group in this review ranged from "very low" to "moderate" according to the CINeMA approach. CONCLUSION: Among the three commonly used alpha-blockers silodosin is the most efficacious drug as MET for lower ureter stones followed by alfuzosin and tamsulosin.

Development and internal validation of preoperative and postoperative nomograms predicting quadrifecta outcomes following robotic radical prostatectomy.

Introduction: Literature on the factors predicting functional and oncological outcomes following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is sparse for the Indian population. Hence, the primary objective of this study was to develop preoperative and postoperative nomograms predicting these outcomes in patients with prostate cancer undergoing RARP. Methods: This retrospective analysis identified the predictors of quadrifecta outcomes, i.e., the patients who did not have complications, were continent, had negative surgical margins, and were biochemical recurrence free with at least 1 year of follow-up following RARP. We excluded the return of sexual potency as the majority of the patients in our series were sexually inactive preoperatively. We used the backward stepwise logistic regression analysis method to identify the predictors of quadrifecta. Preoperative and postoperative nomograms using these predictors were developed and validated with bootstrapping, goodness of fit, calibration plot, decision curve analysis (DCA), and theits receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Of the 688 patients who underwent RARP, 399 were included in this study, and 123 (30.8%) of these achieved the quadrifecta outcomes. Preoperative nomogram was developed using four variables, i.e., prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), biopsy Gleason score, and clinical stage. Postoperative nomogram included PSA, CCI, pathological tumor stage, tumor grade, and positive lymph node. Both the models were internally valid on bootstrapping, calibration plots, and goodness of fit. On the ROC analysis, preoperative and postoperative nomograms had an area under the curve of 0.71 and 0.79, respectively. On the DCA, at a threshold probability of 5%, both the models showed a net benefit. Conclusions: We developed and validated accurate nomograms for predicting quadrifecta outcomes following RARP for the Indian population.

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for moderate to highly complex renal masses. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Multiple studies have been published recently assessing feasibility of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for moderate to highly complex renal masses. Some studies have even compared partial nephrectomy (PN) performed through various modalities such as open PN (OPN) versus RAPN and laparoscopic PN (LPN) versus OPN. The primary aim of this review was to analyze perioperative outcomes such as warm ischemia time (WIT), duration of surgery, estimated blood loss (EBL), complications, blood transfusion, length of stay, and margin status following RAPN for complex renal masses. Another objective was to compare perioperative outcomes following various surgical modalities, i.e., OPN, LPN, or RAPN. Methods: Literature search was conducted to identify studies reporting perioperative outcomes following RAPN for moderate (Radius, Endophytic/Exophytic, Nearness, Anterior/posterior location [RENAL] score 7-9 or Preoperative Aspects of Dimension used for anatomic classification [PADUA] score 8-9) to high complexity renal masses (RENAL or PADUA score ≥ 10). Meta-analysis of robotic versus OPN and robotic versus LPN was also performed. Study protocol was registered with PROPSERO (CRD42019121259). Results: In this review, 22 studies including 2,659 patients were included. Mean duration of surgery, WIT, and EBL was 132.5-250.8 min, 15.5-30 min, and 100-321 ml, respectively. From pooled analysis, positive surgical margin, need for blood transfusion, minor and major complications were seen in 3.9%, 5.2%, 19.3%, and 6.3% of the patients. No significant difference was noted between RAPN and LPN for any of the perioperative outcomes. Compared to OPN, RAPN had significantly lower EBL, complications rate, and need for transfusion. Conclusions: RAPN for moderate to high complexity renal masses is associated with acceptable perioperative outcomes. LPN and RAPN were equal in terms of perioperative outcomes for complex masses whereas, OPN had significantly higher blood loss, complications rate, and need for transfusion as compared to RAPN.

Perioperative outcomes following robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for complex renal masses: A Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative database study.

Introduction: Outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) depend on tumor complexity, surgeon experience and patient profile among other variables. We aimed to study the perioperative outcomes of RAPN for patients with complex renal masses using the Vattikuti Collective Quality Initiative (VCQI) database that allowed evaluation of multinational data. Methods: From the VCQI, we extracted data for all the patients who underwent RAPN with preoperative aspects and dimensions used for an anatomical (PADUA) score of ≥10. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to ascertain predictors of trifecta (absence of complications, negative surgical margins, and warm ischemia times [WIT] <25 min or zero ischemia) outcomes. Results: Of 3,801 patients, 514 with PADUA scores ≥10 were included. The median operative time, WIT, and blood loss were 173 (range 45-546) min, 21 (range 0-55) min, and 150 (range 50-3500) ml, respectively. Intraoperative complications and blood transfusions were reported in 2.1% and 6%, respectively. In 8.8% of the patients, postoperative complications were noted, and surgical margins were positive in 10.3% of the patients. Trifecta could be achieved in 60.7% of patients. Clinical tumor size, duration of surgery, WIT, and complication rates were significantly higher in the group with a high (12 or 13) PADUA score while the trifecta was significantly lower in this group (48.4%). On multivariate analysis, surgical approach (retroperitoneal vs. transperitoneal) and high PADUA score (12/13) were identified as predictors of the trifecta outcomes. Conclusion: RAPN may be a reasonable surgical option for patients with complex renal masses with acceptable perioperative outcomes.

Safety and efficacy of bipolar versus monopolar transurethral resection of bladder tumor: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor is the standard of care for the management of patients with bladder mass. Primary objective of this study was to compare safety and efficacy of the two energy modalities used for TURBT (monopolar and bipolar). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic literature search of various electronic databases was conducted to include all the randomized studies comparing two groups. Standard PRISMA (Preferred reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines were pursued for this review and study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019139987). RESULTS: In the present review, eight RCTs including 1147 patients were included. Resection time, hospital stay and catheter duration were significantly shorter with bipolar group. There was no significant difference in incidence of obturator reflex (OR 0.65, CI [0.35, 1.2], p = 0.17), whereas incidence of bladder perforation was significantly higher in the monopolar group (6.4% versus 3.3%, p = 0.01. However, sensitivity analysis including 3 high quality studies revealed equal incidence of bladder perforations. Need for blood transfusion was similar in the two groups but fall in hemoglobin was significantly lower in bipolar group (MD - 0.45 CI [- 0.72, - 0.18], p = 0.0009). Bipolar group was found to have significantly lower incidence of tissue artifacts due to thermal energy on pathological examination (OR 0.27 CI [0.15, 0.47], p < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Bipolar and monopolar devices are equally safe in terms of obturator jerk and bladder perforation. Bipolar group was significantly better as compared to monopolar for hospital stay, catheter duration and fall in hemoglobin; however, the clinical relevance of most of these parameters is little.

Lidocaine lubricant jelly does not reduce pain perception during female urethral catheterization: A systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The use of lubrication before performing urethral catheterization has been recommended. However, the benefit of using lidocaine gel over plain lubricant gel in reducing pain perception during female urethral catheterization is unclear. With this review, we aimed to compare the pain perception during female urethral catheterization with or without lidocaine lubricant gel. METHODS: In this study, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing 2% lidocaine gel and plain lubricant gel in reducing pain perception during female catheterization. Standard Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed while conducting this review (CRD42020207312). RESULTS: In this review, six RCTs with 464 participants were included. The overall risk of bias for these studies was low. Pain score was presented as standard mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). In the overall and subgroup analysis (according to types of pain scores) no significant difference was found between the use of lidocaine and plain lubricant jelly (SMD -0.24 95% CI [-0.96 0.47]). On trial sequential analysis (TSA), by setting alpha = 5% and beta = 20% for moderate evidence the information size calculated was 440 participants. The cumulative Z-score crossed the TSA line proving the reliability of the results. According to Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation, the evidence is "moderately" certain. CONCLUSION: The use of 2% lidocaine gel in female catheterization does not provide a significant reduction in pain perception as compared to plain lubricant gel.

Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the kidney in adults: Experience of managing 12 cases with systematic review and pooled analysis of literature.

INTRODUCTION: Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) of the kidney is unusual in adults. These tumours are diagnosed mainly on histopathology and that too sometimes has limitations. With this study, we aimed to review our clinical and histopathological data of patients with renal PNET and reviewing the world literature. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed our database from January 2006 to July 2018 to include all the cases of primary PNET of the kidney. We also performed systematic literature search to identify all the relevant series on renal PNET. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients including 5 men and 7 women were managed during the above mentioned period. Out of these 7 patients, 2 patients had metastasis at diagnosis, one had locally advanced disease, 6 underwent radical nephrectomy, 5 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (two currently receiving) and only 1 patient received adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). On Immunohistochemistry (IHC), CD99 and FLI1 were positive in all the patients. Median survival was 10 months. In our review 10 studies were included, 38.6% of the patients had metastatic disease and 10.7% had locally advanced disease at diagnosis. Overall mean survival was 33.75 months. CD99 and FLI1 were positive in 94.3% and 78.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PNET remains a pathological diagnosis and IHC has important place in diagnosis of PNET. Locally advanced and metastatic disease is common at diagnosis leading to overall poor survival.

Comparison of efficacy of various drugs used for medical expulsive therapy for distal ureter stones: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Medical expulsive therapy has been found to be effective for distal ureteric stones; however, which drug is most efficacious in terms of stone expulsion rate (SER) and stone expulsion time (SET) is not known. With this review we aimed to compare the efficacy of various drug treatments for distal ureter stones used as medical expulsive therapy in terms of SER and SET. METHODS: Systematic literature search was conducted to include all the randomised study comparing various drug interventions for lower ureter stones. Standard preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis for network meta-analysis (PRISMA-NMA) were pursued. RESULTS: In this review, 50 randomised studies with 12,382 patients were included. For stone expulsion rate (SER), compared with placebo all the treatment groups were more effective except nifedipine and sildenafil. According to the SUCRA values obtained, naftopidil plus steroid was the highest rank and nifedipine lowest. For stone expulsion time (SET), compared with placebo only tadalafil plus silodosin, nifedipine plus steroid, alfuzosin, silodosin, tadalafil and tamsulosin were more effective. SUCRA values were highest for tadalafil plus silodosin and least for naftopidil plus steroid. From subgroup analysis with individual drugs for SER, SUCRA values were highest for naftopidil followed by silodosin and SET was highest for silodosin and least for naftopidil. CONCLUSION: For lower ureter stone, tadalafil plus silodosin is the best combination and silodosin best individual drug considering the SET and SER. Nifedipine as monotherapy is no more effective than control group.

Development and validation of a novel prediction model for predicting renal function recovery after diversion in patients with obstructive uropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a novel prediction model predicting renal function recovery following diversion in patients with obstructive uropathy (OU) to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: After a systematic literature search, a novel prediction model called PGIMER Obstructive Uropathy Score (POUS) was constructed including five variables: age (<60 or >60 years), duration of symptoms (<4 or >4 weeks), presence of solitary functioning kidney, baseline hemoglobin levels and venous blood pH. This model was then validated in a prospective, observational single-center study of patients presenting with OU caused by various etiologies. Patients with OU and raised serum creatinine (>2 mg/dL) presenting to our ED were included. Renal function recovery was defined as creatinine value <1.5 mg/dL at 4 weeks following diversion. RESULTS: In this study, 174 consecutive patients with OU were recruited, and 74 (42.5%) patients had renal function recovery. All the variables included in the POUS were noted to be statistically significant on univariate analysis. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only POUS was identified as an independent predictor of renal function recovery. On receiver operating curve analysis, the area under the curve for POUS was 0.832 for predicting recovery. A POUS of 5 or more had specificity and sensitivity of 83% and 73.6%, respectively, in predicting renal function recovery. The goodness of fit and calibration plots showed good concordance of the predicted values with the observed values. CONCLUSIONS: The POUS model is an accurate and simple-to-use tool for predicting renal function recovery. POUS model requires external validation prior to clinical use in different populations.

Comment on "Pooled analysis of Xpert bladder cancer based on the 5 mRNAs for rapid diagnosis of bladder carcinoma".

This article is a commentary on an article published in World Journal of Surgical Oncology by Liu et al. With this study, authors evaluated diagnostic accuracy of Xpert bladder cancer monitor in detecting recurrences. With this article, we highlight the strengths and limitations of the study.