The Gender Divide: The Impact of Surgeon Gender on Surgical Practice Patterns in Urology.

PURPOSE: There is a perception in urology that female urologists encounter gender based role assignments and are often pigeonholed into caring for more female patients and female specific urological issues than their male colleagues. We assessed the influence of surgeon gender on patient gender demographics by exploring the surgical case logs of American urologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six-month case logs of certifying urologists from 2003 to 2012 were obtained from the ABU (American Board of Urology). We reviewed case logs based on CPT codes of common urological procedures, focusing on 6 index gender neutral and gender specific procedure groups, including treatment of nephrolithiasis, nephrectomy, resection of bladder tumors, treatment of stress urinary incontinence, elective sterilization and treatment of prostate cancer. RESULTS: Among a cohort of 6,166 urologists 1,011,800 cases were logged. Female surgeons operated on a significantly higher percent of female patients than their male peers (54.4% vs 32.5%, p <0.01). Female surgeons performed significantly more female specific procedures, such as slings, than their male counterparts (18 vs 10 per year, p <0.001). Male urologists performed significantly more male specific procedures than their female colleagues, including 3 times as many vasectomies (32 vs 12 per year, p <0.001) and more than twice as many prostatectomies (15 vs 6 per year, p <0.001). These trends were consistent across all subspecialties and geographic regions (p <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Female surgeon gender has a significant influence on patient gender demographics among index urological procedures. As the number of women in urology grows, increasing attention to gender biases is necessary to understand how these disparities will shape the clinical landscape.

National practice patterns of treatment of erectile dysfunction with penile prosthesis implantation.

PURPOSE: The increase in medical options to manage erectile dysfunction has changed how urologists approach erectile dysfunction. We reviewed contemporary trends in penile prosthesis implantation in the United States with an emphasis on practice patterns, demographics and temporal changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Annualized case log data of penile prosthesis surgeries from certifying and recertifying urologists from 2003 to 2012 were obtained from the American Board of Urology. CPT code 54400 was used to identify malleable prosthesis surgeries and CPT codes 54401 and 54405 were used to identify inflatable prosthesis surgeries. To evaluate the association between surgeon characteristics and practice patterns we used the chi-square test. RESULTS: The surgical cohort included 6,615 urologists who placed a total of 9,558 penile prostheses during the study period. Only 23.9% of urologists reported performing a penile prosthesis operation. Of the prostheses 75% were placed by surgeons who completed 4 or fewer such operations per year. Of urologists who recorded logs 1.5% considered themselves to be specialists in andrology and yet they were responsible for a disproportionate 10% of all prostheses implanted (OR 5.9, p <0.0001). The proportion of inflatable penile prostheses compared to malleable prostheses increased twelvefold in 10 years. The number of logged prosthesis surgeries was skewed toward more implants placed by the most experienced urologists than by new urologists (OR 1.92, p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although specialists and high volume surgeons perform a disproportionate number of implant surgeries, low volume surgeons place most penile prostheses in the United States. Additional research is needed to determine best practices to achieve optimal patient outcomes in penile prosthesis surgery.

Contemporary surgical trends in the management of upper tract calculi.

PURPOSE: Upper tract nephrolithiasis is a common surgical condition that is treated with multiple surgical techniques, including shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We analyzed case logs submitted to the ABU by candidates for initial certification and recertification to help elucidate the trends in management of upper tract urinary calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Annualized case logs from 2003 to 2012 were analyzed. We used logistic regression models to assess how surgeon specific attributes affected the way that upper tract stones were treated. Cases were identified by the CPT code of the corresponding procedure. RESULTS: A total of 6,620 urologists in 3 certification groups recorded case logs, including 2,275 for initial certification, 2,381 for first recertification and 1,964 for second recertification. A total of 441,162 procedures were logged, of which 54.2% were ureteroscopy, 41.3% were shock wave lithotripsy and 4.5% were percutaneous nephrolithotomy. From 2003 to 2013 there was an increase in ureteroscopy from 40.9% to 59.6% and a corresponding decrease in shock wave lithotripsy from 54% to 36.3%. For new urologists ureteroscopy increased from 47.6% to 70.9% of all stones cases logged and for senior clinicians ureteroscopy increased from 40% to 55%. Endourologists performed a significantly higher proportion of percutaneous nephrolithotomies than nonendourologists (10.6% vs 3.69%, p <0.0001) and a significantly smaller proportion of shock wave lithotripsies (34.2% vs 42.2%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Junior and senior clinicians showed a dramatic adoption of endoscopic techniques. Treatment of upper tract calculi is an evolving field and provider specific attributes affect how these stones are treated.

Stool-based biomarkers of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC) is associated with significant morbidity, yet underlying mechanisms and diagnostic biomarkers remain unknown. Pelvic organs exhibit neural crosstalk by convergence of visceral sensory pathways, and rodent studies demonstrate distinct bacterial pain phenotypes, suggesting that the microbiome modulates pelvic pain in IC. Stool samples were obtained from female IC patients and healthy controls, and symptom severity was determined by questionnaire. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by16S rDNA sequence analysis. Machine learning by Extended Random Forest (ERF) identified OTUs associated with symptom scores. Quantitative PCR of stool DNA with species-specific primer pairs demonstrated significantly reduced levels of E. sinensis, C. aerofaciens, F. prausnitzii, O. splanchnicus, and L. longoviformis in microbiota of IC patients. These species, deficient in IC pelvic pain (DIPP), were further evaluated by Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) analyses, and DIPP species emerged as potential IC biomarkers. Stool metabolomic studies identified glyceraldehyde as significantly elevated in IC. Metabolomic pathway analysis identified lipid pathways, consistent with predicted metagenome functionality. Together, these findings suggest that DIPP species and metabolites may serve as candidates for novel IC biomarkers in stool. Functional changes in the IC microbiome may also serve as therapeutic targets for treating chronic pelvic pain.

Practice Expectations Compared to Reality for Women in Urology: A National Survey.

INTRODUCTION: We determined the patient gender distribution for practicing male and female urologists in the U.S. compared to current resident expectations. METHODS: Two mirrored surveys were distributed to AUA members practicing in the U.S. Questions were asked regarding years in training and practice, subspecialty, gender representation of patients and job satisfaction. Answer choices were based on a 5-point balanced Likert scale. RESULTS: Overall there were 894 respondents, including 704 practicing urologists and 190 urology residents, of whom women accounted for 14%. This figure reflects current AUA demographic data. Only 15.2% of female residents expected that once in practice more than 60% of their patients would be women compared to 45.5% of practicing female physicians who indicated that more than 60% of their patients are women. When stratified by fellowship training the 38.5% of female physicians who were trained in a specialty other than female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery and pediatrics still most commonly saw more than 60% female patients compared to 0.8% of male physicians. Overall satisfaction with the gender balance of patients was 76.0% for female physicians and 70.9% for male physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Female urologists report seeing greater numbers of female patients than their male counterparts and specialty training only modestly alters this gap. Current female residents may underestimate the number of women they will eventually see in practice based on current trends in our survey. However, overall satisfaction with the gender balance of patients seen is high.

Characteristics of Certifying Urologists Performing Cystectomies in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: The surgical volume and training of the surgeon performing radical cystectomy can have a significant impact on bladder cancer outcomes. We hypothesize significant variability in the training and volume of surgeons performing radical cystectomy in the United States. METHODS: The 6-month case log data of urologists certifying between 2003 and 2013 were obtained from the American Board of Urology. Cases specifying an ICD-9 code for bladder cancer and a CPT code for radical cystectomy were analyzed for surgeon specific variables. RESULTS: A total of 5,335 radical cystectomies in the case log system were performed by 2,102 urologists, with 289 (5.4%) performed laparoscopically or robotically. Median urologist age was 42 years (range 36 to 50). Median number of cystectomies performed was 2 (IQR 1-3) with the top 10% of urologists performing 5 or more cystectomies. Half of cystectomies were performed by a urologist who performed only 1 during the certification period. On multivariable analysis stated specialty of oncology and nonprivate practice type were associated with top 10% cystectomy volume. For minimally invasive cystectomy 54% of surgeons logged only a single minimally invasive cystectomy. Factors predictive of performing minimally invasive cystectomy on multivariable analysis were male gender, more recent certifying year and original certification year, endourology and urolithiasis specialization, and Northeast practice region. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high level of complexity associated with the surgical management of bladder cancer with radical cystectomy, the majority of cystectomies seem to be performed by low volume surgeons who have most often applied for their first certification with the American Board of Urology.

Preoperative nuclear renal scan underestimates renal function after radical nephrectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare expected and actual renal function after nephrectomy. Nuclear renal scan estimates differential kidney function and is commonly used to calculate expected postoperative renal function after radical nephrectomy. However, the observed postoperative renal function is often different from the expected. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 136 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy or nephroureterectomy and had a preoperative renal scan with calculated differential function. RESULTS: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) values, preoperative and postoperative, were calculated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. The expected postoperative GFR based on renal scan was compared with the actual postoperative GFR. The average age of patients undergoing surgery was 58.6 years, and the indication for surgery was for benign causes in 59 (44%) patients and cancer in 76 (56%) patients. The average preoperative creatinine and estimated GFR were 1.0 mg/dL and 69.9 mL/min/1.73 m(2). At a median follow-up of 3.3 months, the actual postoperative GFR exceeded the expected GFR by an average of 12.1% (interquartile range, 2.6%-25.2%). When stratified by preoperative GFR >90, 60-90, and <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively, the observed GFR exceeded the expected GFR by 4.3%, 12.6%, and 14.9%, respectively (P = .16). This trend was maintained when GFR was plotted over time. CONCLUSION: After nephrectomy, the remaining kidney exceeded the expected postoperative GFR by 12% in this cohort of patients with preoperative renal scans. Patients with existing renal insufficiency had the greatest compensatory response, and this was durable over time.

Patterns of performance of retroperitoneal lymph node dissections by American urologists: most retroperitoneal lymph node dissections in the United States are performed by low-volume surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the current patterns of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) performance among practicing US urologists. METHODS: Six-month case log data of urologists certifying between 2003 and 2013 were obtained from the American Board of Urology. Cases specifying both an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for testis cancer and a Current Procedural Terminology code for RPLND were analyzed for surgeon-specific variables. RESULTS: Among 8545 certifying urologists, 290 (3.4% of all) urologists logged 553 RPLNDs in the case log system with 21 (3.6%) performed laparoscopically. Median number of RPLNDs logged annually was 1 (range, 1-59; interquartile range, 1-1) with 3 urologists performing 23% of all RPLNDs. Seventy-five percent of urologists logged a single RPLND. Urologists who logged 2 RPLNDs in a year were in the top 25% of performers with over half (52%) of all RPLNDs performed by urologists who logged 1 or 2 RPLND. On univariate regression analysis, oncology specialization (odds ratio, 5.1 [95% confidence interval, 2.2-11.6; P = .0001]) and non-private practice type (odds ratio, 2.8 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.1; P = .03]) were predictive of top 10% (≥ 3 cases) surgeon RPLND volume. CONCLUSION: Despite the critical importance of the surgical quality for outcomes of patients with testis cancer, the majority of surgeons performing RPLND are certifying for the first time and log only 1 RPLND.