Current process and outcomes of the surgical management of LUTS due to benign prostatic enlargement: how consistent are we? - results from the multi-institutional audit of surgical management of BPE (AuSuM BPE) in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: In view of changing landscape of surgical treatment for LUTS secondary to BPE, this audit was undertaken to assess key aspects of the processes and outcomes of the current interventional treatments for BPE, across different units in the UK. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A multi-institutional snapshot audit was conducted for patients undergoing interventions for LUTS/BPE over 8-week period. Using Delphi process two-part proforma was designed to capture data. RESULTS: 529 patients were included across 20 NHS trusts in England and Wales. Median age was 73 years. Indications for surgery were acute retention (47%) and LUTS (45%). 80% of patients had prior medical therapy. TURP formed the commonest procedure. 27% patients had <23 hour hospital stay. Immediate (21%) and delayed (18%) complications were Clavien-Dindo <2 category. High proportion of patients reported residual symptoms. Type and indication of surgery were significant predictor of complications, length of stay and failure of TWOC outcomes, on multivariate analyses. There were variations in departmental processes, 50% centres used PROMs. CONCLUSION: Monopolar TURP still remains the commonest intervention for BPE. Most departments are adopting newer technologies. The audit identified opportunities for development of consistent, effective and patient centric practices as well as need for large-scale focused studies.

The resonance® metallic ureteric stent in the treatment of chronic ureteric obstruction: a safety and efficacy analysis from a contemporary clinical series.

BACKGROUND: We evaluate the efficacy and safety of metallic ureteric stenting using the Cook Resonance® stent in the treatment of chronic ureteric obstruction of benign and malignant aetiology. Published experience of using this stent in this context is limited. We add to the body of literature on this topic. METHODS: All patients who had a Resonance® metallic stent inserted between April 2009 and November 2014 in our institution were identified from a prospectively maintained stent-database. Primary outcome was relief of ureteric obstruction, defined by successful clinical and radiological treatment of hydronephrosis/hydroureter. Secondary outcome measures included operative time, radiological exposure, total stent dwell time (defined as the cumulative time in months for which a Resonance® metallic stent was in situ), and early and late complications. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients underwent 52 stent insertion episodes (SIE). Median age was 58 years (range 39-90). Stent insertion resulted in successful treatment of hydronephrosis/hydroureter in 96% (2 SIE resulted in failure to relieve ureteric obstruction). Median operative time was 21 min (range 12-90) Median radiation exposure was 815.3 cGy/cm2 (range 192.9-5366.3). Median stent dwell time was 19.5 months (range 6-52) in non-malignant and 12 months (range 2-48) in malignant ureteric obstruction. One stent migrated proximally during insertion and had to be retrieved using an antegrade approach. 5 patients re-admitted with haematuria: all resolved without intervention or blood transfusion. 3 episodes of post-operative urinary infection were recorded; all were successfully treated with oral antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Metallic ureteric stenting using the Resonance® stent is safe and effective for treating ureteric obstruction from both malignant and benign causes. The success rate in our series is 96%.

An update on the management of Wilms' tumour.

AIMS: To review the management of Wilms' tumour. METHODS: A search of the literature was performed using the PubMed database (1966 to May 2006) with the search terms 'Wilms' and either 'tumour/tumor' or 'cancer' or 'carcinoma'. This was augmented by manual searches of publications. FINDINGS: The success of clinical trials in Wilms' tumour patients over the past 30 years has led to an overall survival of 85% and the introduction of less aggressive chemotherapeutic regimes for patients. Large randomised controlled trials have been published on the management of Wilms' tumour by various collaborative groups, including the National Wilms' Tumour Study Group (NWTSG) in North America and the Société Internationale d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (SIOP) plus the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) in Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Controversy exists as to the best approach to the management of these children with regard to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Challenges remain in the identification of histological and molecular risk factors for the stratification of treatment intensity.

Fournier's gangrene and its emergency management.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a rare but life threatening disease. Although originally thought to be an idiopathic process, FG has been shown to have a predilection for patients with diabetes as well as long term alcohol misuse; however, it can also affect patients with non-obvious immune compromise. The nidus is usually located in the genitourinary tract, lower gastrointestinal tract, or skin. FG is a mixed infection caused by both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial flora. The development and progression of the gangrene is often fulminating and can rapidly cause multiple organ failure and death. Because of potential complications, it is important to diagnose the disease process as early as possible Although antibiotics and aggressive debridement have been broadly accepted as the standard treatment, the death rate remains high.

Medical and surgical management of priapism.

Priapism is a pathological condition of penile erection that persists beyond, or is unrelated to, sexual stimulation. Pathologically and clinically, two subtypes are seen-the high flow (non-ischaemic) variety and the low flow (ischaemic) priapism. The low flow type is more dangerous, as these patients are susceptible to greater complications and the long term recovery of erectile function is dependent on prompt and urgent intervention. Many of the causes of priapism are medical, including pharmacological agents, and as such, priapism should be considered as a medical and surgical emergency.

Nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem-cell transplantation for metastatic renal cell cancer: a review and update.

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, immunotherapy appears to be effective in 15-20% of cases, with interleukin-2 becoming the standard therapy for this disease. As a consequence of the immune susceptibility of RCC, other avenues of immunotherapy are being explored, such as nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation (NST). A number of trials have shown NST to be effective in varying degrees, causing partial or complete regression. Although nonmyeloablative conditioning is safer than myeloablative conditioning, its role has yet to be clearly proven as many studies have shown variable effect. Alongside this limitation, transplant-related toxicity also forms obstacles. Regardless of the limitation of NST, further refinement of the technique, with appropriate patient selection, may lead to this being an effective therapeutic choice for a significant number of individuals.

Molecular changes in prostatic cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed and potentially devastating cancers in men, throughout the world. However, the clinical manifestation of this disease varies greatly, from indolent tumours, requiring little or no treatment, to those aggressive cancers which require radical therapies. Prostate cancer, like all other cancers, develops and progresses as a consequence of an accumulation of genetic changes. While several putative genes have been isolated for the development of breast, ovarian and colon cancer, the aetiology and pathogenesis of prostate cancer remains poorly understood. In this review, we discuss important genetic markers in early, metastatic and hormone refractory prostate cancer which may, in the future, be used as markers for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as targets for therapeutic intervention.

Penile cancer: an overview.

Carcinoma of the penis affects 1 in 100,000 men per year in most developed countries. It accounts for less than 1% of adult malignancies in Europe and the USA. Survival is excellent if diagnosed early, but most men present up to 1 year after the initial lesion is noted. Unfortunately the treatment of metastatic disease is still disappointing.

Testicular torsion unravelled.

Testicular torsion is a true vascular emergency-prompt diagnosis and surgical management is critical. If treatment is not instigated within 4-6 hours of the onset of pain, irreversible testicular infarction may result, necessitating orchidectomy. This review presents the key features, management principles and medicolegal considerations of this serious condition.

Patient information leaflets for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: questionnaire survey.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the level of information provided in extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) patient information leaflets in the London and East of England Deaneries DESIGN: All trusts in the London and East of England Deanery who offer an ESWL service were contacted and leaflets were compared SETTING: London and East of England Deanery PARTICIPANTS: Alan Askari, Iqbal Shergill MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Examination of key information that was communicated to ESWL patients via leaflets RESULTS: 12 trusts responded across the two deaneries. There was significant variation in the amount of information provided in the leaflets with some leaflets not containing an adequate level of instruction or information to patients CONCLUSIONS: The authors propose that a national standardised information leaflet should be incorporated with the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) procedure specific information leaflet for ESWL procedures.

Trans-obturator tape for incontinence: a 3-year follow-up.

AIM: To assess operative and functional outcomes, including morbidity, after using the trans-obturator tape for stress incontinence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The first 24 consecutive patients undergoing trans-obturator tape insertion in a single centre were included in this retrospective study. All patients were female with a mean age of 63 (range 40-83) years. Fifteen patients (62.5%) suffered from pure stress incontinence, and 9 patients (37.5%) had mixed incontinence. Of the latter, 2 patients also had nocturnal enuresis. Each patient was followed up for between 3 and 12 months postoperatively and again at 36 months. The patients were assessed by clinical examination, ultrasound for residual urinary volume, and subjective satisfaction which was assessed at 3 and 12 months. At 36 months, all patients completed a validated incontinence questionnaire (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire: ICIQ) which assessed female lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact on the quality of life. RESULTS: All operations were performed under epidural anaesthesia in day surgery, and the mean operative time was 20 (range 15-38) min. Nineteen patients (79.2%) showed significant improvement postoperatively, with 16 of those (66.6%) being completely cured of their incontinence. The remaining 5 patients (20.8%) were considered to have had failed procedures. There were no vascular, bladder, or urethral injuries. One patient had perforation of the vaginal fornix, and 3 patients developed vaginal erosion. CONCLUSIONS: The trans-obturator tape is a safe and effective treatment for stress incontinence and has a low morbidity after a 3-year follow-up period; however, it should only be performed by clinicians with the relevant surgical expertise and experience in treating female incontinence.

Autonomic dysreflexia: a medical emergency.

Autonomic dysreflexia is an important clinical diagnosis that requires prompt treatment to avoid devastating complications. The condition may present itself to all members of medical and surgical specialties, who may not be accustomed to treating it. It is the clinician's responsibility to have a basic understanding of the pathophysiology of the condition and the simple steps required to treat it.

Intratesticular cysts and malignant potential: conservative management is an option.

Benign intratesticular cysts are rare, but recognition is essential to prevent unnecessary surgical intervention. The diagnostic dilemma is to differentiate these cysts from testicular malignancy. As they are extremely uncommon, experience of their management is limited and controversial. We present a case of a simple intratesticular cyst and discuss the diagnostic and management principles.

Testicular torsion: a twist to the tale.

Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency that requires prompt exploration if testicular viability is to be maintained. Although rare, it is essential to be aware that it may occur despite previous fixation (orchidopexy). Testicular torsion occurring after previous orchidopexy is rare, but recognition of this possibility is essential to prevent testicular infarction and subsequent orchidectomy. During scrotal exploration a wide variety of methods for orchidopexy exist. We present a case of testicular torsion despite previous fixation and discuss the merits of various techniques available for orchidopexy.