Antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty may offer no benefit.

PURPOSE: Patients often receive antibiotic prophylaxis after urethroplasty to minimize the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of UTIs after urethroplasty and its impact on urethral and incisional healing. METHODS: Patients undergoing urethroplasty by a single surgeon from 2000 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis and postoperative prophylaxis for 30 days or until catheter removal. We reviewed urine cultures obtained within 30 days after urethroplasty in symptomatic patients, and rates of stricture recurrence and wound complications. A positive culture was defined as > 1000 cfu/mL of an organism. RESULTS: 398 patients were included with a mean age of 43.5 years at time of surgery. We identified 102 positive urine cultures (25.6%) within 30 days of urethroplasty. 78 stricture recurrences (19.6%) occurred at an average of 3 years after surgery and 18 (4.5%) experienced a wound complication, with a 52 month mean follow-up. There were no significant differences in stricture recurrence (p = 0.36) or wound complications (p = 0.42) between patients who had a positive and negative urine culture. On multivariate analysis, positive urine cultures (HR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6-1.8, p = 0.88) were not associated with stricture recurrence, while lichen sclerosis (HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1-9.2, p = 0.03) and previous urethroplasty (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.6, p = 0.03) were. CONCLUSION: Bacterial colonization and UTIs despite antimicrobial prophylaxis are common in urethroplasty patients. This, however, does not appear to impair urethral healing or influence wound healing, suggesting that postoperative prophylaxis may in fact offer no benefit.

A Pilot Study Assessing Aspects of Sexual Function Predicted to Be Important After Treatment for Prostate Cancer in Gay Men: An Underserved Domain Highlighted.

Purpose: Existing questionnaires assessing sexual function after prostate cancer (PCa) were developed in predominantly heterosexual male cohorts and may measure function incompletely in gay men. We sought to determine if there are sexual function domains relevant to gay men that are not captured by the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) sexual function assessment. Methods: Fifty-three gay men with PCa responded to an online survey regarding the applicability of the sexual function domain in the validated EPIC questionnaire. They were then queried about whether the prostate is a source of sexual pleasure and the importance of measuring sexual satisfaction as it relates to receptive anal intercourse. Results: A majority of gay men with PCa found the EPIC sexual function tool to be applicable when measuring erectile function (76.5%). Of the men queried, 64.2% felt that the prostate is a source of sexual pleasure and 52.8% felt it important to measure sexual satisfaction associated with receptive anal intercourse. A larger proportion of gay men who engaged in receptive anal intercourse, compared with those who did not engage in receptive anal intercourse, felt that the prostate is a source of sexual pleasure (100% vs. 57.1%), and thought it important to measure sexual satisfaction as it relates to receptive anal intercourse after PCa treatment (90.0% vs. 45.2%). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to create a validated questionnaire to measure sexual satisfaction from receptive anal intercourse to help care for men engaging in receptive anal intercourse after PCa treatment.

Incidence of Skin and Respiratory Immune-Related Adverse Events Correlates With Specific Tumor Types in Patients Treated With Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) increase antitumor activity by unblocking regulators of the immune response. This action can provoke a wide range of immunologic and inflammatory side effects, some of which can be fatal. Recent studies suggest that CPI-induced immune-related adverse events (irAEs) may predict survival and response. However, little is known about the mechanisms of this association. This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of tumor diagnosis and preexisting clinical factors on the types of irAEs experienced by cancer patients treated with CPIs. The correlation between irAEs and overall survival (OS) was also assessed. All cancer patients treated with atezolizumab (ATEZO), ipilimumab (IPI), nivolumab (NIVO), or pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) at Virginia Mason Medical Center between 2011 and 2019 were evaluated. irAEs were graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Version 5) and verified independently. Statistical analyses were performed to assess associations between irAEs, pre-treatment factors, and OS. Of the 288 patients evaluated, 59% developed irAEs of any grade, and 19% developed irAEs of grade 3 or 4. A time-dependent survival analysis demonstrated a clear association between the occurrence of irAEs and OS (P < 0.001). A 6-week landmark analysis adjusted for body mass index confirmed an association between irAEs and OS in non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) (P < 0.03). An association between melanoma and skin irAEs (P < 0.01) and between NSCLC and respiratory irAEs (P = 0.03) was observed, independent of CPI administered. Patients with preexisting autoimmune disease experienced a higher incidence of severe irAEs (P = 0.01), but not a higher overall incidence of irAEs (P = 0.6). A significant association between irAEs and OS was observed in this diverse patient population. No correlation was observed between preexisting comorbid conditions and the type of irAE observed. However, a correlation between skin-related irAEs and melanoma and between respiratory irAEs and NSCLC was observed, suggesting that many irAEs are driven by a specific response to the primary tumor. In patients with NSCLC, the respiratory irAEs were associated with a survival benefit.

The Cost of Prostate Biopsies and their Complications: A Summary of Data on All Medicare Fee-for-Service Patients over 2 Years.

INTRODUCTION: We define the cost of a contemporary prostate biopsy and the rate and incremental impact of complications on costs. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all Medicare fee-for-service claims for prostate biopsies in the United States from January 31, 2014 to December 1, 2015 was performed. Costs of each biopsy episode (including 30 days after each biopsy) were calculated. The effects of complications, biopsy setting and subsequent inpatient hospitalization were explored. RESULTS: The average cost of the 234,819 biopsies reviewed was $2,020 and 46% of biopsy costs occurred in the 30 days following each biopsy. Biopsies performed in the office setting comprised 66% of the total and were least costly ($1,750) compared to biopsies performed in ambulatory surgical centers ($2,260) and outpatient hospital settings ($2,730, both p <0.001). Biopsies performed in the office setting were associated with fewer complications (10%) compared to the outpatient hospital (19%) or ambulatory surgical center settings (12%, both p <0.001). An uncomplicated biopsy episode cost an average of $1,740, which increased to $4,060 when at least 1 complication occurred (difference +$2,320, p <0.001). The largest charges incurred were related to inpatient admissions, which added $13,840 to the cost of a prostate biopsy (p <0.001) but were rare, constituting only 2.8% of biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of costs during prostate biopsy episodes occur due to complications that occur in the days following a biopsy. These data should be used as benchmarks to incentivize interventions to reduce complications and subsequent admissions following biopsies.

Abdominal Versus Standard Placement of the Sacral Nerve Stimulator Implantable Pulse Generator.

OBJECTIVES: To determine patient factors prompting anterior abdominal wall placement of the sacral nerve stimulator implantable pulse generator and investigate revision and infection rates for buttock (standard) and abdominal placement. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of consecutive sacral nerve stimulation procedures by a single surgeon from 2012 to 2017 at a single institution. RESULTS: 75 patients underwent sacral nerve stimulation--60 with standard and 15 with abdominally placed implantable pulse generators. The mean age and body mass index of the standard group was higher than that of the abdominal group and the majority was female. A greater proportion of patients in the abdominal group had a neurological diagnosis and was wheelchair-dependent. Overall, a total of 20 patients underwent 38 revision surgeries. The indications for revision surgery were pain, loss of efficacy, or lead migration. The standard group accounted for more revisions than the abdominal group (34vs 4 cases, P = .048), with no revisions due to pain in the abdominal group. The infection rate (2% vs 13%, P = .10), average time from implantation to revision, and operative duration were not statistically different between groups. CONCLUSION: In a subset of patients who were wheelchair-dependent or lacked gluteal fat, placement of the implantable pulse generator in the anterior abdominal wall resulted in no revisions due to pain. Operative duration and infection rates were similar between abdominal and standard placement. Abdominal placement with extended length leads could be considered as a primary or revision option in these select patients.

Prostate cancer in sexual minorities and the influence of HIV status.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in men in the USA, but the effect of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment on men in a sexual minority group, including men who have sex with men and transgender women, is poorly understood. Efforts to study this population are complicated, as cancer registries do not routinely collect information on sexual orientation. As a result, epidemiological data regarding this population have come from small studies that have included disparate rates of prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Qualitative studies indicate that prostate cancer is experienced differently by sexual minorities, with distinct health-care needs that arise owing to differences in sexual practices, social support systems and relationships with the medical community. Notably, sexual minorities have been reported to experience poorer health-related quality of life outcomes than heterosexual men, and tend to have less robust social support systems, experience increased psychological distress caused by sexual dysfunction (areas of which are unmeasured after treatment), experience isolation within the health-care system and express increased levels of dissatisfaction with treatment. The incidence of prostate cancer actually seems to be decreased in men from sexual minorities living with HIV, despite there being no differences in screening and treatment, with poor cancer-specific mortality. Although the literature on patients with prostate cancer in men from sexual minority groups has historically been sparse, peer-reviewed research in this area has grown considerably during the past decade and has become an important field of study.

Urologic Emergencies.

Urologic emergencies can involve the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, penis, scrotum, or testicles. History and physical examination are essential to diagnosis, whereas imaging is increasingly used to confirm diagnoses. Acute urinary retention should be relieved with Foley placement. Penile emergencies include paraphimosis, which can be treated by foreskin reduction, whereas penile fracture and priapism require urologic intervention. Fournier gangrene and testicular torsion are scrotal emergencies requiring emergent surgery. Nephrolithiasis, although painful, is not an emergency unless there is concern for concomitant urinary tract infection, both ureters are obstructed by stones, or there is an obstructing stone in a solitary kidney.

Discrepancies in staging, treatment, and delays to treatment may explain disparities in bladder cancer outcomes: An update from the National Cancer Data Base (2004-2013).

INTRODUCTION: We sought to characterize national disparities in the diagnosis of advanced stage bladder cancer. Among patients with advanced disease, we explored disparities in overall survival, treatment, and time to treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We queried the National Cancer Data Base for patients diagnosed with bladder urothelial carcinoma. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between covariates and diagnosis of advanced disease (AJCC stage III-IV). We used Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, and Cox proportional analyses to evaluate disparities in overall survival for patients with advanced disease. Receipt of treatment and delays to treatment were compared between subgroups. RESULTS: Among our cohort of 328,560 patients, 7.6% were diagnosed with advanced disease. Female sex, black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and living in a region of lower income and education were all associated with increased odds of advanced disease. Female sex (HR = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.12-1.20; P<0.001), black race (HR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04-1.18; P = 0.002), and lower regional income levels (fourth quartile compared to first: HR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.16; P = 0.016) portended worse overall survival. Chemotherapy (HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.53-0.57; P<0.001) and radical cystectomy (HR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.59-0.64, P<0.001) improved survival. Females, black patients, and patients from regions of lower income and education were less likely to receive treatment and less likely to receive treatment within 12 weeks of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: There are several disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced bladder cancer. Overall survival for certain groups may benefit from earlier diagnosis and improved timely access to potentially life prolonging treatment.

National comparison of oncologic quality indicators between open and robotic-assisted radical cystectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Despite increased adoption of robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), no national data have validated its oncologic efficacy compared to the "standard" open radical cystectomy (ORC). Positive surgical margins (PSM) and lymph node (LN) yield during radical cystectomy (RC) have an established relationship with bladder cancer outcomes. Here, we propose these 2 as quality indicators for RC and assess their differences to compare the oncologic efficacy between RARC and ORC. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Data Base for the years 2010 to 2012, all patients who underwent ORC or RARC were analyzed. Baseline demographic and cancer stage information were compared as well as unadjusted rates of PSM and LN yield. Survival effect of each indicator was assessed. Using propensity score adjustment, rates of PSM and LN yield were compared between RARC and ORC. RESULTS: A total of 12,036 patients are included who underwent RC, 20% (2,397) of which were performed robotically. Percentage RARC of total RC increased from 16.2% to 23.3% over the 3 study years. Compared to ORC, patients who underwent RARC were no different in age but were more often men (78.4% vs. 73.6%, P<0.001), had less-advanced cancer stage, and were more likely to have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (20.9% vs. 14.5%, P<0.001). Most RARC procedures were performed at academic medical centers (66.1%). Unadjusted rates of PSM were lower in the RARC group (10.8% vs. 13.2%, P = 0.002) whereas median LN yield was higher in RARC patients (16 [interquartile range 9, 25] vs. 11 [interquartile range 5, 19], P<0.001). After propensity score covariate adjustment, there was no significant difference in PSM rate between RARC and ORC (-1.12% difference, [95% CI:-2.8, 0.32%]. However, RARC was associated with a higher node yield (+3.32 LN, [95% CI: 2.61, 4.03]) than ORC (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The RARC is becoming more prevalent. In a national cohort, RARC was performed more often on men, with lower stage cancer, who were more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Controlling for these factors, RARC had comparable PSM rates but slightly higher LN yield than ORC.

Simultaneous urethrocutaneous and urethrocavernous fistula after proximal corporospongiosal shunt for priapism.

Proximal corporospongiosal shunts are used for the most refractory cases of priapism. Here, we present the case of a 58-year-old man whose priapism was only partially responsive to phenylephrine injections and distal shunting. Proximal shunting was required, and he subsequently developed fistulization of the proximal penile urethra into the skin and the corpora cavernosa. The formation of simultaneous urethrocutaneous and urethrocavernous fistulae is a rare complication of proximal corporospongiosal shunts that can be initially managed with urinary diversion with a suprapubic tube.

Frozen elephant trunk repair for descending thoracic aortic dissection in a man with a hostile left pleural cavity.

The frozen elephant trunk procedure is a hybrid, single-staged alternative to conventional surgery for repairing diffuse pathologic conditions of the thoracic aorta. This approach is particularly advantageous in patients who have pathologic conditions of the left side of the chest, because the descending thoracic aorta can be repaired without entering a hostile pleural cavity. We present the case of a 67-year-old man who had undergone repair of acute type A aortic dissection. He presented with aneurysmal dilation of the descending thoracic aorta secondary to chronic dissection, a large acute dissection of the proximal ascending aorta, and a large paraesophageal hernia that made him a poor candidate for conventional, 2-staged open aortic repair. We describe the hybrid frozen elephant trunk technique that we used to repair the aorta, and its broader advantages.

Should paroxysmal atrial fibrillation be treated during cardiac surgery?

OBJECTIVES: Randomized controlled trials of permanent atrial fibrillation ablation surgery have shown improved outcomes compared with control patients undergoing concomitant cardiac surgery. Little has been reported regarding patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. We hypothesized that treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation during cardiac surgery would not adversely affect the perioperative risk and would improve the midterm outcomes. METHODS: From April 2004 to June 30 2012, 4947 patients (excluding those with transcatheter aortic valve implants, left ventricular assist devices, trauma, transplantation, and isolated atrial fibrillation surgery) underwent cardiac surgery, and 1150 (23%) had preoperative atrial fibrillation. Of these, 552 (48%) had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Three groups were compared using propensity score matching: treated (n = 423, 77%), untreated (n = 129, 23%), and no atrial fibrillation (n = 3797). RESULTS: The treated patients had 30-day mortality similar to that of the untreated patients and those without atrial fibrillation. They had fewer perioperative complications (26% vs 46%, P = .001), greater freedom from atrial fibrillation at the last follow-up visit (81% vs 60%, P = .007), and lower mortality (hazard ratio 0.47, P = .007) compared with the untreated patients. Compared with those without atrial fibrillation, the treated patients had fewer perioperative complications (25% vs 48%, P < .001), lower freedom from atrial fibrillation at the last follow-up visit (84% vs 93%, P = .001), and similar mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant surgical ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was not associated with increased perioperative risk. The treated patients had greater late freedom from atrial fibrillation and midterm survival compared with the untreated patients, and similar midterm survival compared with the patients without atrial fibrillation. These results suggest that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation warrants treatment consideration in select patients undergoing cardiac surgery.