[Contasure Needleless: a single incision tot for the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence]. / Contasure needleless: TOT de una sola incision para el tratamiento de la incontinencia de urinaria de esfuerzo.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to describe the surgical technique, and assess the complications and middle-term results of the Contasure Needleless (Neomedic International), a single incision TOT sling for the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The main concept of this device is that it is not a mini-sling, it has 138% more surface area. We are analyzing the results of a minimally invasive solution that is a TOT like sling with the same known benefits of a TOT and the advantages of a single incision technique. The surface area to support the urethra of the Needleless is very similar to the surface area of the TOT. (16% less surface area of tissue ingrowths) It is 100% macroporous polypropylene without any additional material. METHODS: 120 patients were evaluated retrospectively. They were all treated of SUI with the Contasure Needleless.Female patients were evaluated under clinical study protocol consisting in cough test, urodynamic and Quality Of Life questionnaire, before and after the procedure. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patients with genuine SUI and patients with SUI plus concomitant procedures as prolapse. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: patients with ISD and or neurogenic incontinence. Anesthesia used: general (30%) or epidural (70%), patients with associated pathology. PROCEDURE: The 114 mm long and tension-free mesh was placed beneath the midurethra. The central part is 12 mm wide. The sling can be repositioned during surgery due to the 22 mm wide T-Pocket Positioning System located at the 2 edges. These pockets fixed the sling to the surrounding tissue in order to have the proper tissue in growth and anchoring. A 20mm sub urethral incision was made to dissect the paraurethral spaces only up to the ischiopubic ramus. A surgical forceps with the T-pocket folded was inserted into the dissected spaces and penetrates at the contra lateral side, like the standard transobturator technique. The forceps was introduced until the fascia of the Internal Obturator muscle was perforated. Then the forceps is opened to extend the pocket inside the muscle fibers for fixation. RESULTS: 120 patients with a mean age of 55 years (from 36 to 79) and a mean number of deliveries of 3 (0-7). Follow-up period: 24 months. SUCCESS RATE: 100 patients (84%) Improved rate: 10 patients (8%) Failure rate: 10 (8%) Mean operating time of sling procedure alone: 9 minutes (4-12). COMPLICATIONS: 3 patients had mesh extrusion solved with estrogens and 2 patients required short term catheterization due to voiding difficulties and no patients had inguinal pain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest that the Contasure Needleless can be considered a minimally invasive TOT with no-needles and maintaining the same cure rate than our TOT cases at 2 years follow up.

Inactivation of p16 by CpG hypermethylation in renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Renal carcinoma develops as a consequence of the accumulation of several genetic aberrations. Alterations in the p16 gene have been described in many tumors. Methylation of its promoter in CpG islands is the most common mechanism of inactivation of this gene. The aim of this study was to establish whether p16 gene methylation leads to a loss of the encoded protein in 57 patients with renal carcinoma, and if this aberration has any value in predicting disease progression in these patients. METHODS: Gene promoter methylation was determined by deoxyribonucleic acid treated with sodium bisulfite to subsequently amplify methylated and unmethylated regions rich in CpG islands. The p16 protein product was detected for immunohistochemical examination. RESULTS: Hypermethylation of the p16 gene was detected in 22.9% of the patients, none of whom had the protein product. A lack of p16 protein was confirmed in 52.9% of the tumors, indicating another genetic alteration or posttranscriptional modifications preventing the codification of this protein. Through multivariate analysis of overall survival, gene methylation was found to have independent prognostic value: the absence of alteration confers an undefined risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: Of the molecular modifications described for renal carcinoma, aberrations in the p16 gene are frequent. In these patients, methylation of the p16 gene promoter seems to afford a protective effect against the risk of death.

[Changes in detrusor contractility in bladder hyperreflexia]. / Afectación de la contractilidad del detrusor en la hiperreflexia vesical.

OBJECTIVES: Classically, it was understood detrusor contractility was affected in bladder areflexia but not in hyperreflexia. We aim to demonstrate that there is some detrusor contractility affectation in bladder hyperreflexias, although it may seem paradoxical at first sight. METHODS: Neuro-urologic study was performed in a series of 68 consecutive patients with bladder hyperreflexia (neurogenic detrusor hyperactivity), referred to the unit of functional urology for urodynamic evaluation. All patients underwent clinical history, post void residual determination, cystomanometry, voiding pressure-flow test, videourodynamics and selective EMG of the periurethral sphincter. Detrusor contractile potency was measured with W 80-20. Terminology follows the ICS standard. Data processing was performed using the statistical software SPSS 12.0. RESULTS: This series includes 14 males (58.8%) and 28 females (41.2%), of all ages (adults more frequent). 88.2% of the cases had acquired neurological diseases (trauma 30.9%; medical 33.8%; degenerative 35.3%), and 11.8% congenital neurological diseases (myelodysplasia). Most frequent type of neurological lesion was detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia: 59 cases (79.4%); 22 patients (32.4%) had undergone previous treatment of their vesicourethral dysfunction. The amplitude of detrusor involuntary contractions was wider in detrusor-bladder neck dyssynergia. Detrusor isotonic contractility (W 80-20) was significantly affected, mainly in neurological lesions of traumatic nature and less in degenerative lesions (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that bladder contractility is affected in bladder hyperreflexias (neurogenic detrusor hyperactivity), more important in traumatic lesions without relationship with the type of neurological associated lesion, which could be related to a bladder structural change, or with a change in the central neurological tracts (without requirement of presence of dyssynergia).

[Cystocele and stress urinary incontinence associated with lower urinary tract obstruction]. / Incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo asociada a obstrucción del tracto urinario inferior en el cistocele.

OBJECTIVES: The association of stress urinary incontinence secondary to urethral hypermobility and lower urinary tract obstruction in the same patient with cystocele is rare, and even represents a contradiction. The objective of our work is to treat to define the characteristics that identify this entity, in comparison with isolated stress urinary incontinence or lower urinary tract obstruction in patients with cystocele. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study in 1168 cases of cystocele in which urodynamic studies were performed. All patients underwent history and neurological and uro-gynecologycal physical examination. The urodynamic study included uroflowmetry, cystomanometry, voiding pressure/flow tests and voiding cystourethrograms. All data were collected in an Excel 2000 database and statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS software. RESULTS: A- General data: 25 cases qualified for the study in group I (isolated stress urinary incontinence with urethral hypermobility); 24 cases in group II (lower urinary tract obstruction); and 14 cases in group III (astress urinary incontinence associated with lower urinary tract obstruction). The proportion of each group in the whole group of cystoceles corresponded to a 4/1/0.05 ratio respectively. Mean age was 58.4 years for group I, 68.2 for group II and 71.2 for group III. A Statistically significant lower age was demonstrated for group I (p < 0.0005). B- The symptom "sensation of vaginal lump" was less frequent in group I (32%). A significant difference was demonstrated (p = 0.02). C- Group I showed a lower increase of daily voiding frequency (32%), p = 0.02. D- Group I showed less night-time voiding frequency (1 episode)(p < 0.04). E- Urinary incontinence with cough was less frequent in group 1 (84%) (p = 0.0004). F- Group I had more bladder capacity (243.6 ml) (p < 0.05).G- Group I showed less urethral resistances (URA = 37.9 cm H2O) (p = 0.01). H- W80-W20 was higher in group I: 1.3 W/m2 (p < 0.05). I- The symptom "sensation of vaginal lump appeared more often in group II (70.8%) (p = 0.02). J- Radiological degree of cystocele was greater in group II1 (1.7) (p < 0.05). K- Detrusor hyperactivity was more frequent in group III (64.3%) (p = 0.00009). L- No significant differences were found between groups II-III when comparing type of obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: The group of isolated stress urinary incontinence (group I) is characterized by a younger age, less frequency of sensation of vaginal lump, less daily frequency and nocturia, and urodynamic data of greater bladder capacity, lower urethral resistance and normal detrusor contractility. The group of isolated lower urinary tract obstruction (group II) could be characterized by a more frequent sensation of vaginal lump and increase of the radiological cystocele. The group of stress urinary incontinence associated with lower urinary tract obstruction had a higher percentage of cases of detrusor hyperactivity. All these data might enable a proper identification of different risk elements in the groups.