Urologic morbidity associated with placenta accreta spectrum surgeries: single-center experience with a multidisciplinary team.

BACKGROUND: Hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum may be associated with urologic morbidity, including intentional or unintentional cystostomy, ureteral injury, and bladder fistula. Although previous retrospective studies have shown an association between placenta accreta spectrum and urologic morbidities, there is still a paucity of literature addressing these urologic complications. OBJECTIVE: We sought to report a systematic description of such morbidity and associated factors. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective study of all histology-proven placenta accreta spectrum deliveries in an academic center between 2011 and 2020. Urologic morbidity was defined as the presence of at least one of the following: cystotomy, ureteral injury, or bladder fistula. Variables were reported as median (interquartile range) or number (percentage). Analyses were made using appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests. Multinomial regression analysis was performed to assess the association of adverse urologic events with the depth of placental invasion. RESULTS: In this study, 58 of 292 patients (19.9%) experienced urologic morbidity. Patients with urologic morbidity had a higher rate of placenta percreta (compared with placenta accreta and placenta increta) than those without such injuries. Preoperative ureteral stents were placed in 54 patients (93.1%) with and 146 patients (62.4%) without urologic injury (P=.003). After adjusting for confounding variables, multinomial regression analysis revealed that the odds of having adverse urologic events was 6.5 times higher in patients with placenta percreta than in patients with placenta accreta. CONCLUSION: Greater depth of invasion in placenta accreta spectrum was associated with more frequent and severe adverse urologic events. Whether stent placement confers any protective benefit requires further investigation.

Management of mammalian bites to the external genitalia: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To review existing publications to determine the approaches for the medical and operative management of mammalian bites to the external genitalia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Review guidelines were followed. Four databases were searched. Articles were independently screened and analysed by two reviewers. Publications were included if detailed summaries of genitalia bites and management were documented. Discrepancies were resolved by a third reviewer. Data were extracted from the final article cohort. RESULTS: A total of 42 articles were included in this scoping review with 67 cases of mammalian bites to the genitalia reported in the cohort. The most common injury site was the penis (44.9%). Dog and human bites were the most common type of mammalian bites (61.2% and 26.9%, respectively). In all, 13.4% of cases were managed with medical therapy while 86.6% of cases required surgical intervention. The most common intervention was wound irrigation, debridement, and primary closure (32.8%). Although uncommon, other operative approaches included skin flaps (7.5%) and grafts (4.5%), re-implantation (4.5%), urethroplasty/repair (7.5%), penectomy (3.0%), scrotoplasty (3.0%), and perineal urethrostomy (1.5%). The reported complication rate was 19.4%. The mean follow-up time was 39.9 months. CONCLUSION: Trauma related to mammalian bites is associated with high utilisation of healthcare resources and cost. Although management of such bites to the genitalia is controversial, surgical intervention is often warranted ranging from simple debridement of devitalised tissue to complex reconstructive surgery. This review underscores the need for further investigation of mammalian bites to the genitalia to improve surgical options and monitor for long-term complication rates.

Clinical Outcomes of a False-Positive Antenatal Diagnosis of Placenta Accreta Spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: Antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is critical to reduce maternal morbidity. While clinical outcomes of women with PAS have been extensively described, little information is available regarding the women who undergo cesarean delivery with a presumptive PAS diagnosis that is not confirmed by histopathologic examination. We sought to examine resource utilization and clinical outcomes of this group of women with a false-positive diagnosis of PAS. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with prenatally diagnosed PAS cared for between 2015 and 2020 by our multidisciplinary PAS team. Maternal outcomes were examined. Univariate analysis was performed and a multivariate model was employed to compare outcomes between women with and without histopathologically confirmed PAS. RESULTS: A total of 162 patients delivered with the preoperative diagnosis of PAS. Of these, 146 (90%) underwent hysterectomy and had histopathologic confirmation of PAS. Thirteen women did not undergo the planned hysterectomy. Three women underwent hysterectomy but pathologic examination did not confirm PAS. In comparing women with and without pathologic confirmation of PAS, the false-positive PAS group delivered later in pregnancy (34 vs. 33 weeks of gestation, p = 0.015) and had more planned surgery (88 vs. 47%, p = 0.002). There was no difference in skin incision type or hysterotomy placement for delivery. No significant difference in either the estimated blood loss or blood components transfused was noted between groups. CONCLUSION: Careful intraoperative evaluation of women with preoperatively presumed PAS resulted in a 3/149 (2%) retrospectively unnecessary hysterectomy. Management of women with PAS in experienced centers benefits patients in terms of both resource utilization and avoidance of unnecessary maternal morbidity, understanding that our results are produced in a center of excellence for PAS. We also propose a management protocol to assist in the avoidance of unnecessary hysterectomy in women with the preoperative diagnosis of PAS. KEY POINTS: · Evaluation and delivery planning of patients with suspected placenta accreta spectrum in experienced centers provides acceptable outcomes.. · Under specific circumstances, delivery of placenta may be attempted if placenta accreta is suspected.. · Patients with suspected placenta accreta rarely undergo unindicated hysterectomy..

Maternal outcomes in unexpected placenta accreta spectrum disorders: single-center experience with a multidisciplinary team.

OBJECTIVE: In a 2015 Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network study, only half of placenta accreta spectrum cases were suspected before delivery, and the outcomes in the anticipated cases were paradoxically poorer than in unanticipated placenta accreta spectrum cases. This was possibly because the antenatally suspected cases were of greater severity. We sought to compare the outcomes of expected vs unexpected placenta accreta spectrum in a single large US center with multidisciplinary management protocol. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study carried out between Jan. 1, 2011, and June 30, 2018, of all histology-proven placenta accreta spectrum deliveries in an academic referral center. Patients diagnosed at the time of delivery were cases (unexpected placenta accreta spectrum), and those who were antentally diagnosed were controls (expected placenta accreta spectrume). The primary and secondary outcomes were the estimated blood loss and the number of red blood cell units transfused, respectively. Variables are reported as median and interquartile range or number (percentage). Analyses were made using appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Fifty-four of the 243 patients (22.2%) were in the unexpected placenta accreta spectrum group. Patients in the expected placenta accreta spectrum group had a higher rate of previous cesarean delivery (170 of 189 [89.9%] vs 35 of 54 [64.8%]; P < .001) and placenta previa (135 [74.6%] vs 19 [37.3%]; P < .001). There was a higher proportion of increta/percreta in expected placenta accreta spectrum vs unexpected placenta accreta spectrum (125 [66.1%] vs 9 [16.7%], P < .001). Both primary outcomes were higher in the unexpected placenta accreta spectrum group (estimated blood loss, 2.4 L [1.4-3] vs 1.7 L [1.2-3], P = .04; red blood cell units, 4 [1-6] vs 2 [0-5], P = .03). CONCLUSION: Our data contradict the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units results and instead show better outcomes in the expected placenta accreta spectrum group, despite a high proportion of women with more severe placental invasion. We attribute this to our multidisciplinary approach and ongoing process improvement in the management of expected cases. The presence of an experienced team appears to be a more important determinant of maternal morbidity in placenta accreta spectrum than the depth of placental invasion.

Multidisciplinary team learning in the management of the morbidly adherent placenta: outcome improvements over time.

BACKGROUND: Morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) is a serious obstetric complication causing mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether outcomes of patients with MAP improve with increasing experience within a well-established multidisciplinary team at a single referral center. STUDY DESIGN: All singleton pregnancies with pathology-confirmed MAP (including placenta accreta, increta, or percreta) managed by a multidisciplinary team between January 2011 and August 2016 were included in this retrospective study. Turnover of team members was minimal, and cases were divided into 2 time periods so as to compare 2 similarly sized groups: T1 = January 2011 to April 2014 and T2 = May 2014 to August 2016. Outcome variables were estimated blood loss, units of red blood cell transfused, volume of crystalloid transfused, massive transfusion protocol activation, ureter and bowel injury, and neonatal birth weight. Comparisons and adjustments were made by use of the Student t test, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, analysis of covariance, and multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 118 singleton pregnancies, 59 in T1 and 59 in T2, were managed during the study period. Baseline patient characteristics were not statistically significant. Forty-eight of 59 (81.4%) patients in T1 and 42 of 59 (71.2%) patients in T2 were diagnosed with placenta increta/percreta. The median [interquartile range] estimated blood loss (T1: 2000 [1475-3000] vs T2: 1500 [1000-2700], P = .04), median red blood cell transfusion units (T1: 2.5 [0-7] vs T2: 1 [0-4], P = .02), and median crystalloid transfusion volume (T1: 4200 [3600-5000] vs T2: 3400 [3000-4000], P < .01) were significantly less in T2. Also, a massive transfusion protocol was instituted more frequently in T1: 15/59 (25.4%) vs 3/59 (5.1%); P < .01. Neonatal outcomes and surgical complications were similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that patient outcomes are improved over time with increasing experience within a well-established multidisciplinary team performing 2-3 cases per month. This suggests that small, collective changes in team dynamics lead to continuous improvement of clinical outcomes. These findings support the development of centers of excellence for MAP staffed by stable, core multidisciplinary teams, which should perform a significant number of these procedures on an ongoing basis.

Maternal morbidity in patients with morbidly adherent placenta treated with and without a standardized multidisciplinary approach.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a standardized multidisciplinary treatment approach in patients with morbidly adherent placenta, which includes accreta, increta, and percreta, is associated with less maternal morbidity than when such an approach is not used (nonmultidisciplinary approach). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients from 3 tertiary care hospitals from July 2000 to September 2013. Patients with histologically confirmed placenta accreta, increta, and percreta were included in this study. A formal program that used a standardized multidisciplinary management approach was introduced in 2011. Before 2011, patients were treated on a case-by-case basis by individual physicians without a specific protocol (nonmultidisciplinary group). Estimated blood loss, transfusion of packed red blood cells, intraoperative complications (eg, vascular, bladder, ureteral, and bowel injury), neonatal outcome, and maternal postoperative length of hospital stay were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Of 90 patients with placenta accreta, 57 women (63%) were in the multidisciplinary group, and 33 women (37%) were in the nonmultidisciplinary group. The multidisciplinary group had more cases with percreta (P = .008) but experienced less estimated blood loss (P = .025), with a trend to fewer blood transfusions (P = .06), and were less likely to be delivered emergently (P = .001) compared with the nonmultidisciplinary group. Despite an approach of indicated preterm delivery at 34-35 weeks of gestation, neonatal outcomes were similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The institution of a standardized approach for patients with morbidly adherent placentation by a specific multidisciplinary team was associated with improved maternal outcomes, particularly in cases with more aggressive placental invasion (increta or percreta), compared with a historic nonmultidisciplinary approach. Our standardized approach was associated with fewer emergency deliveries.

The impact of proximal stone burden on the management of encrusted and retained ureteral stents.

PURPOSE: Managing the encrusted and retained ureteral stent is a potentially complex challenge. To improve surgical planning, we hypothesized that proximal stone burden is the most important factor associated with complicated removal, and that computerized tomography more accurately estimates stone burden than plain film x-ray of the kidneys, ureters and bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records were reviewed of patients undergoing surgical removal of an encrusted and retained ureteral stent or nephrostomy at Ben Taub General Hospital from 2007 to 2009. Preoperative imaging consisted of a plain x-ray of the kidneys, ureters and bladder and/or computerized tomography of the abdomen/pelvis. Each encrusted tube was assessed using the FECal (forgotten, encrusted, calcified) grading system and associated stone burden was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors associated with the need for multiple surgeries. RESULTS: A total of 55 encrusted and retained ureteral stents and 1 nephrostomy were removed from 52 patients. Mean tube duration was 24.9 months. Most tubes were removed endoscopically (94.2%). Of the patients 21.2% required multiple surgical procedures to remove each tube. Computerized tomography graded stone burden more accurately than plain x-ray of the kidneys, ureters and bladder (94.9% vs 64.4%, p = 0.01). Plain x-ray of the kidneys, ureters and bladder underestimated proximal stone burden in 44.4% of patients who underwent multiple surgeries. When dividing stone burden into 3 categories (0 to 100, 101 to 400 and greater than 401 mm(2)) only proximal stone burden correlated with multiple surgeries and surgical complications (p = 0.01 for both). On multivariate analysis only proximal stone burden was associated with multiple surgeries to remove each tube (OR 12.1, 95% CI 1.5-95.9, p = 0.02 for 101 to 400 mm(2) and OR 18.1, 95% CI 1.7-192.8, p = 0.02 for greater than 401 mm(2)). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with encrusted and retained ureteral stents accurate determination of the proximal stone burden, preferably by computerized tomography, is important for surgical counseling and planning.

A 26-Year-old Woman With Dysuria and Hematuria.

In this case, we present imaging findings characteristic of chronic genitourinary schistosomiasis. Schistosoma haematobium, a blood fluke endemic to Africa and the Middle East, is a prominent cause of hematuria and bladder cancer in regions lacking adequate water sanitation. Luminal calcifications of the genitourinary tract, that is, of the bladder and/or ureters, from deposition of fluke eggs are a classic sign of chronic S. haematobium infection and should raise suspicion for the disease even when urine or serological tests are negative. It is important to recognize these findings on CT or, in resource-limited settings, plain film to allow for prompt, effective treatment.

The Changing Epidemiology and Microbiology of Patients With Prostate Abscess: Increase in Staphylococcal Infection.

BACKGROUND: Prostatic abscesses are rare and have been most commonly associated with gram-negative bacteria; however, Staphylococcus aureus has emerged as a leading cause, particularly in persons who are immunocompromised. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients discharged from Ben Taub Hospital with a diagnosis of prostatic abscess during January 2011-January 2019. Demographic, clinical, microbiologic, and radiographic data were abstracted from the patients' charts and analyzed for comorbidities, causative organisms, clinical course, and outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 32 patients with a prostatic abscess during the study period. S. aureus was the most common causative organism (18/32, 56%). Most patients (24/32, 75%) were admitted to a general medicine service, and the median length of stay was 9 days. Twenty-one patients (66%) were treated with a combination of surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy; 11 (34%) were treated with antibiotics alone. All patients treated with antibiotics alone had full clinical recovery. Two patients (6.3%) died, both of whom had septic shock secondary to disseminated S. aureus infection. CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic abscesses are rare and can be difficult to diagnose, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. S. aureus is a frequent causative organism especially in persons with diabetes mellitus or other immunocompromising conditions. Hematogenous spread of S. aureus infection to the prostate appears common. Prostatic abscesses can serve as the nidus of disseminated S. aureus infection.

Resident operative experience in general surgery, plastic surgery, and urology 5 years after implementation of the ACGME duty hour policy.

OBJECTIVE: Resident duty hour restrictions were implemented in 2002-2003. This study examines changes in resident surgical experience since these restrictions were put into place. METHOD: Operative log data for 3 specialties were examined: general surgery, urology, and plastic surgery. The academic year immediately preceding the duty hour restrictions, 2002-2003, was used as a baseline for comparison to subsequent academic years. Operative log data for graduating residents through 2007-2008 were the primary focus of the analysis. Examination of associated variables that may moderate the relationship between fewer duty hours and surgical volume was also included. RESULTS: Plastic surgery showed no changes in operative volume following duty hour restrictions. Operative volume increased in urology programs. General surgery showed a decrease in volume in some operative categories but an increase in others. Specifically the procedures in vascular, plastic, and thoracic areas showed a consistent decrease. There was no increase in the percentage of programs' graduates falling below minimum requirements. Procedures in pancreas, endocrine, and laparoscopic areas demonstrated an increase in volume. Graduates in larger surgical programs performed fewer procedures than graduates in smaller programs; this was not the case for urology or plastic surgery programs. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of duty hours has not resulted in an across the board decrease in operative volume. Factors other than duty hour reforms may be responsible for some of the observed findings.

Leptomeningeal Disease as a Rare Complication of Primary Penile Urethral Cancer.

Primary penile urethral cancer is a rare genitourinary malignancy arising from the epithelial lining of the urethra. Our patient is a 63-year-old male with newly diagnosed penile urethral carcinoma who presented with headache and was found to have leptomeningeal disease on imaging and cerebral spinal fluid analysis. He was treated with systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy with some response and improvement in symptoms. This is the first reported case of leptomeningeal disease as a complication of penile urethral carcinoma. Recognition and prompt treatment are important; however, overall prognosis of this entity remains poor.

Outreach and Influence of Surgical Societies' Recommendations on Minimally Invasive Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic-An Anonymized International Urologic Expert Inquiry.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outreach and influence of the main recommendations of surgical governing bodies on adaptation of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery (MIS) procedures during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in an anonymized multi-institutional survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: International experts performing MIS were selected on the basis of the contact database of the speakers of the Friends of Israel Urology Symposium. A 24-item questionnaire was built using main recommendations of surgical societies. Total cases/1 Mio residents as well as absolute number of total cases were utilized as surrogates for the national disease burden. Statistics and plots were performed using RStudio v0.98.953. RESULTS: Sixty-two complete questionnaires from individual centers performing MIS were received. The study demonstrated that most centers were aware of and adapted their MIS management to the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance to surgical bodies' recommendations. Hospitals from the countries with a high disease burden put these adoptions more often into practice than the others particularly regarding swabs as well as CO2 insufflation and specimen extraction procedures. Twelve respondents reported on presumed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission during MIS generating hypothesis for further research. CONCLUSION: Guidelines of surgical governing bodies on adaptation of MIS during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate significant outreach and implementation, whereas centers from the countries with a high disease burden are more often poised to modify their practice. Rapid publication and distribution of such recommendation is crucial during future epidemic threats.

Survey of American College of Surgeons Committee on trauma members on firearm injury: Consensus and opportunities.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, there is a perceived divide regarding the benefits and risks of firearm ownership. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Injury Prevention and Control Committee designed a survey to evaluate Committee on Trauma (COT) member attitudes about firearm ownership, freedom, responsibility, physician-patient freedom and policy, with the objective of using survey results to inform firearm injury prevention policy development. METHODS: A 32-question survey was sent to 254 current U.S. COT members by email using Qualtrics. SPSS was used for χ exact tests and nonparametric tests, with statistical significance being less than 0.05. RESULTS: Our response rate was 93%, 43% of COT members have firearm(s) in their home, 88% believe that the American College of Surgeons should give the highest or a high priority to reducing firearm-related injuries, 86% believe health care professionals should be allowed to counsel patients on firearms safety, 94% support federal funding for firearms injury prevention research. The COT participants were asked to provide their opinion on the American College of Surgeons initiating advocacy efforts and there was 90% or greater agreement on 7 of 15 and 80% or greater on 10 of 15 initiatives. CONCLUSION: The COT surgeons agree on: (1) the importance of formally addressing firearm injury prevention, (2) allowing federal funds to support research on firearms injury prevention, (3) retaining the ability of health care professionals to counsel patients on firearms-related injury prevention, and (4) the majority of policy initiatives targeted to reduce interpersonal violence and firearm injury. It is incumbent on trauma and injury prevention organizations to leverage these consensus-based results to initiate prevention, advocacy, and other efforts to decrease firearms injury and death. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level I; therapeutic care, level II.

Carcinosarcoma of the prostate with multiple metastases: case report and review of the literature.

A case of carcinosarcoma of the prostate in a previously healthy 65-year-old man is reported. The tumor was initially diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, but the prostatectomy specimen showed a 717-g prostate, with evidence of adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma without heterologous structures. By 3-month follow-up, local recurrence, and liver, lung, and bone metastases had developed in the patient. He died of disease 10 months postoperatively. Carcinosarcoma of the prostate is a very rare but highly aggressive cancer with limited therapeutic options that should be treated with surgery and managed symptomatically. We believe this article is the forty-second case reported in the literature.

SIU/ICUD Consultation on Urethral Strictures: Posterior urethral stenosis after treatment of prostate cancer.

Posterior urethral stenosis can result from radical prostatectomy in approximately 5%-10% of patients (range 1.4%-29%). Similarly, 4%-9% of men after brachytherapy and 1%-13% after external beam radiotherapy will develop stenosis. The rate will be greater after combination therapy and can exceed 40% after salvage radical prostatectomy. Although postradical prostatectomy stenoses mostly develop within 2 years, postradiotherapy stenoses take longer to appear. Many result in storage and voiding symptoms and can be associated with incontinence. The evaluation consists of a workup similar to that for lower urinary tract symptoms, with additional testing to rule out recurrent or persistent prostate cancer. Treatment is usually initiated with an endoscopic approach commonly involving dilation, visual urethrotomy with or without laser treatment, and, possibly, UroLume stent placement. Open surgical urethroplasty has been reported, as well as urinary diversion for recalcitrant stenosis. A proposed algorithm illustrating a graded approach has been provided.