Impact of Thulium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate on Erectile, Ejaculatory and Urinary Functions.

OBJECTIVE: To test the impact of Thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) on erectile and ejaculatory functions, on lower urinary tract symptoms and on quality of life (QoL). METHODS: From July 2013 to May 2015, we prospectively evaluated 177 patients with LUTS related to benign prostatic hyperplasia. All patients were assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Disease (MSHQ-EjD), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), QoL, PSA and uroflowmetry before and at 4 and 8 months after surgery. RESULTS: Erectile function did not show variation with IIEF-5 preoperative score 22.49 ± 1.8 and postoperative score 22.14 ± 3.1 (p = 0.195) and 22.18 ± 3.2 (p = 0.26) at 4 and 8 months after treatment. The ejaculatory function on the MSHQ-EjD test indicated the reduction of ejaculation, changing from 14.90 ± 6.88 to 5.51 ± 4.17 (p < 0.0001) and 5.38 ± 3.93 (p < 0.0001) at 4 and 8 months follow-up. IPSS score decreased from preoperative 21.12 ± 5.81 to 3.14 ± 3.16 (p < 0.0001) and 3.08 ± 3.12 (p < 0.0001) 4 and 8 months after surgery. PSA decreased from 4.50 ± 3.72 to 1.39 ± 1.04 (p < 0.0001) and 1.47 ± 1.14 ng/ml (p < 0.0001) at 4 and 8 months follow-up, while QoL score improved from 5.41 ± 0.69 to 0.57 ± 0.84 (p < 0.0001) and 0.51 ± 0.80 (p < 0.0001) at 4 and 8 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: ThuLEP does not affect erectile function and determines the resolution of LUTS with improvement of QoL. Loss of ejaculation did not impair the sexual intercourse activities of the patients.

Evaluation of the learning curve for thulium laser enucleation of the prostate with the aid of a simulator tool but without tutoring: comparison of two surgeons with different levels of endoscopic experience.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the learning curve for thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) for two surgeons with different levels of urological endoscopic experience. METHODS: From June 2012 to August 2013, ThuLEP was performed on 100 patients in our institution. We present the results of a prospective evaluation during which we analyzed data related to the learning curves for two surgeons of different levels of experience. RESULTS: The prostatic adenoma volumes ranged from 30 to 130 mL (average 61.2 mL). Surgeons A and B performed 48 and 52 operations, respectively. Six months after surgery, all patients were evaluated with the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, uroflowmetry, and prostate-specific antigen test. Introduced in 2010, ThuLEP consists of blunt enucleation of the prostatic apex and lobes using the sheath of the resectoscope. This maneuver allows clearer visualization of the enucleation plane and precise identification of the prostatic capsule. These conditions permit total resection of the prostatic adenoma and coagulation of small penetrating vessels, thereby reducing the laser emission time. Most of the complications in this series were encountered during morcellation, which in some cases was performed under poor vision because of venous bleeding due to surgical perforation of the capsule during enucleation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this analysis, we concluded that it is feasible for laser-naive urologists with endoscopic experience to learn to perform ThuLEP without tutoring. Those statements still require further validation in larger multicentric study cohort by several surgeon. The main novelty during the learning process was the use of a simulator that faithfully reproduced all of the surgical steps in prostates of various shapes and volumes.

Renal cell carcinoma with venous neoplastic thrombosis: a ten years review.

PURPOSE: To review the 10-year experience of our urological unit in the surgical management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with neoplastic tumor thrombosis focusing on postoperative survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We underwent a retrospective analysis of the patients treated for this pathology during the last decade 2002-2012, stratifying them by tumor thrombus level and histological subtype. Kaplan-Meyer curves were used to assess survival. RESULTS: Overall, 67 patients underwent surgery for RCC with neoplastic tumoral thrombosis in the period under review. 60 were clear cell RCC, 4 were urothelial papillary tumors of the renal pelvis and 3 were rare histotypes, as a nefroblastoma, a spinocellular tumor of the renal pelvis and an unclassifiable renal carcinoma. Thrombus level was I in 40 cases, II in 17, III in 2 and IV in 8 patients. We report the main postoperative complications and our survival data, with mean follow up of 36 months. Tumor stage is the most important variable in predicting survival. Patients with N0M0 disease had 70% survival at 36 months, instead of 20% for those with primitive metastatic tumor. CONCLUSION: Our survival results fit with the main reports in literature and our surgical management was completely in keeping with international guidelines. We did not observe relevany post-operative complications, except of hemorrhagic ones that occurred in 6 patients (9% of total) and were always successfully managed. Eighteen patients (26.87% of total) underwent caval filter positioning, without evidence of complications during its positioning or removal. Life expectancy was particularly low for the cases of RCC without clear cell histotype (7 cases in our series, 10.4% of total) that always was less than one year from surgery.

En Bloc Thulium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: Surgical Technique and Advantages Compared With the Classical Technique.

OBJECTIVE: To report a new technique for thulium laser enucleation of the prostate, which we called "en bloc" ThuLEP. METHODS: A full anatomic description of the technique is provided. We assessed operative variables of a 50-patient series, treated with the new "en bloc" ThuLEP, and compared them with another series of 50 patients (who had the same preoperative parameters) operated with the classical "3-lobe" technique, to assess the feasibility of the new one. All procedures were carried out by the same surgeon. RESULTS: In our experience, "en bloc" ThuLEP permits an easier enucleation of the adenoma, reduces operating time, and reduces the amount of energy delivered per adenoma gram compared with the classical technique. Further studies are needed to validate this technical evolution of prostatic enucleation and verify the reduction of postoperative irritative symptoms. CONCLUSION: "En bloc" ThuLEP may represent a valid alternative for prostatic adenoma enucleation, mostly in medium-sized prostates.

[The gynecologic ureter revisited]. / L'uretere ginecologico rivisitato.

From 1991 to 2001, 23 female patients were admitted to the Urologic Operative Unit of the Varese Hospital for urological lesions due to gynecological surgery. The mean age of the patients was 52 years. Out of them, 5 presented a complete division of the ureter after hysterectomy, 3 an inadvertently ligature of the ureter and 2 an angulation. In 12 cases a vesico-vaginal fistula was present, while a patient presented an uretero-vaginal fistula. The 5 patients with complete division of the ureter underwent: end-to-end anastomosis (3 patients); reimplantation (2 patients); psoas hitch (1 patient). In 3 patients with ureter ligation a reimplantation with psoas hitch was performed; in 2 cases with ureter angulation a double J stent was placed. The patient with an uretero-vaginal fistula underwent a reimplantation with psoas hitch while the patients with vesico-vaginal fistula were successfully treated by a combined transperitoneal and transvesical access, excision of the fistula tract and closure of the bladder and vaginal wall with omental interposition.