Gender-affirming care in urology: emergency care of the gender-affirming surgical patient-what the primary urologist needs to know.

OBJECTIVE: To present a narrative review of fundamental information needed to manage postoperative complications in patients who have undergone genital gender-affirming surgery (GAS). METHODS: A narrative review was performed using the following keywords: 'gender-affirming surgery', 'complications', 'emergency', 'postoperative'. Articles were included after being reviewed by two primary authors for relevance. Four clinicians with significant experience providing both primary and ongoing urological care to patients after GAS were involved in article selection and analysis. RESULTS: The most common feminising genital GAS performed is a vaginoplasty. The main post-surgical complications seen by urologists include wound healing complications, voiding dysfunction, postoperative bleeding, vaginal stenosis, acute vaginal prolapse and graft loss, rectovaginal fistula, and urethrovaginal fistula. The most common masculinising genital GAS options include metoidioplasty and phalloplasty. Complications for these surgeries include urethral strictures, urethral fistulae, and urethral diverticula. Penile implants may also accompany phalloplasties and their complications include infection, erosion, migration, and mechanical failure. CONCLUSION: Genital GAS is increasing, yet there are still many barriers that individuals face not only in accessing the surgeries, but in receiving follow-up care critical for optimal outcomes. Improved education and training programmes would be helpful to identify and manage postoperative complications. Broader cultural level changes are also important to ensure a safe, gender-inclusive environment for all patients.

The landscape of Medicare policies for gender-affirming surgeries in Canada: an environmental scan.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have described barriers to gender-affirming surgery (GAS) in Canada; however, few have explored why these barriers persist. To address this knowledge gap, we sought to describe documents related to public health insurance (Medicare) for GAS to identify the types of procedures covered, variations in coverage across provinces and territories, and changes in policy over time. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using an environmental scan approach. We queried 23 government websites, the Google search engine, and an online legal database between July 2022 and April 2024 to gather gray literature documents related to GAS and Medicare. Variables from relevant documents were compiled to create a present, at-glance overview of GAS Medicare coverage for all provinces and territories and a timeline of policy changes across Canada.  RESULTS: Eight provinces and three territories had documents or websites related to GAS Medicare coverage (85%). We identified 15 GAS procedures that were covered variably across Canada. Yukon (n = 14) covered the most types of GAS, while Quebec and Saskatchewan covered the least (n = 6). Mastectomy and genital surgeries were covered across Canada, but other GAS were rarely covered. Five provinces and territories provided coverage for travel-related costs. Our GAS Medicare timeline showed differential expansion of GAS coverage in Canada over the last 25 years. CONCLUSIONS : We provide previously unreported information regarding GAS Medicare coverage in Canada. We hope our findings will help patients and healthcare providers navigate a complicated public healthcare system. We also highlight barriers within GAS Medicare documents and make recommendations to alleviate those barriers.

Hypergranulation management following penile inversion vaginoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize current knowledge regarding management of hypergranulation in the context of gender-affirming vaginoplasty. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: There have been no studies to date examining hypergranulation treatment options following vaginoplasty. Evidence from the literature on this complication in other settings and the opinions of authorities and experts in this area were used to inform this review. MAIN MESSAGE: Hypergranulation is a common complication of vaginoplasty, but many care providers may not know how to identify or treat it. This short report will review hypergranulation after vaginoplasty, including risk factors, identification, and treatment options such as douching, silver nitrate, and topical steroids. CONCLUSION: By increasing clinicians' knowledge of this pervasive complication, patients' postsurgical care and outcomes can be improved.

Outcomes of penile inversion vaginoplasty and robotic-assisted peritoneal flap vaginoplasty in obese and nonobese patients.

AIM: To explore the impact of body mass index (BMI) on the outcomes of gender-affirming vaginoplasty. METHODS: A cohort consisting of all gender-affirming vaginoplasties in our practice between September 27th, 2018, and September 1st, 2022 were identified, and data were retrospectively collected. Patients were classified as obese if their BMI was ≥30 kg/m2 at the time of surgery and nonobese if their BMI was <30 kg/m2 . Complications were assigned a Clavien-Dindo grade and grouped as Grade ≥2 versus Grade ≤1. Patient-reported functional outcomes of intact erogenous sensation, tactile sensation, ability to achieve penetrative vaginal intercourse, and cosmetic satisfaction were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 58 patients with a mean follow-up time of 6.9 months were included. Seventeen patients (mean BMI = 36.8 kg/m2 ) were classified as obese and 41 patients (mean BMI = 25.1 kg/m2 ) were classified as nonobese. No significant differences in outcomes were identified in the obese versus nonobese groups in terms of the incidence of complications. Patient-reported functional outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Similar results can be achieved with gender-affirming vaginoplasty in obese patients when compared to their nonobese counterparts. Eligibility for this procedure should not be restricted based on BMI alone.

Patient reported symptoms and adverse outcomes seen in Canada's first vaginoplasty postoperative care clinic.

IMPORTANCE: Vaginoplasty is a relatively common gender-affirming surgery with approximately 200 Ontarians seeking this surgery annually. Although Ontario now offers vaginoplasty in province, the capacity is not meeting demand; the majority of trans and gender-diverse patients continue to seek vaginoplasty out of province. Out-of-province surgery presents a barrier to accessing postsurgical follow-up care leaving most patients to seek support from their primary care providers or providers with little experience in gender-affirming surgery. OBJECTIVE: To provide an account of the common postoperative care needs and neovaginal concerns of Ontarians who underwent penile inversion vaginoplasty out of province and presented for care at a gender-affirming surgery postoperative care clinic. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective chart review of the first 80 patients presenting to a gender-affirming surgery postoperative care clinic who had undergone vaginoplasty at an outside surgical center was performed. Descriptive analyses were performed for all variables. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 80 individuals with the mean age of 39 years (19-73). Most patients had surgery at another surgical center in Canada (76.3%). Many patients (22.5%) accessed care in the first 3 months after surgery, with the majority (55%) seeking care within the first perioperative year. Most patients (61.3%) were seen for more than one visit and presented with more than two symptoms or concerns. Common patient-reported symptoms during clinical visit included pain (53.8%), dilation concerns (46.3%), and surgical site/vaginal bleeding (42.5%). Sexual function concerns were also common (33.8%) with anorgasmia (11.3%) and dyspareunia (11.3%) being the most frequent complications. The most common adverse outcomes identified by health care providers included hypergranulation (38.8%), urinary dysfunction (18.8%), and wound healing issues (12.5%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Findings from chart review offer valuable insights into the postoperative needs and neovaginal concerns of Ontarians who have had vaginoplasty out of province. This study demonstrates the need for routine postoperative care in patients undergoing vaginoplasty. Patients experience numerous symptoms and concerns that often correlate with clinical findings and require multiple follow-up appointments. Health care providers may benefit from further education on the more common nonsurgical issues identified in this study.

Gender-affirming vaginoplasty: Technical considerations in patients with genital skin deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Gender dysphoria affects over 1 million American adults. Vaginoplasty is a critical step in gender affirmation, and many patients have insufficient genital skin for full-depth penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV). We reviewed the literature for technical considerations addressing this and present our data supporting the use of peritoneal flaps (Davydov technique). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive review of modern literature was conducted. Second, we present a retrospective case review of our experience with PIV, including data from procedures utilizing peritoneal flaps. RESULTS: We identified 20 original articles, including retrospective and prospective case and cohort studies. Approaches included the application of local soft tissue grafts and flaps, peritoneal flaps, and intestinal segments. Between June 2018 and February 2021, 47 patients at our institution, underwent PIV for the treatment of gender dysphoria. Nineteen of those patients underwent robotic-assisted peritoneal flap procedure in addition to PIV. In this cohort, the mean follow-up was 200.6 ± 124.8 days. Mean neovaginal depth was 13.1 ± 3.0 cm intra-operatively and 11.0 cm at the last follow-up. Twenty-six percent of complications were Clavien Grade 1 or 2; others included wound dehiscence (30.4%), perianal and urethral fistula (13.0%), and neovaginal stenosis (8.7%). The majority of patients reported satisfactory results in terms of sexual function with intact tactile and erogenous sensation. Almost half were able to have penetrative vaginal intercourse at the last follow-up. We did not aim to perform statistical calculations to compare the outcomes of PIV with and without robotic-assisted peritoneal flap augmentation, as the groups were not constructed in that manner. However, it is evident that anatomical and functional results as well as the distribution of postoperative complications seem similar. CONCLUSION: Vaginoplasty is indicated in a growing population of patients with a wide range of medical histories and anatomic variations. Genitourinary reconstructive surgeons must have several methods to achieve full-depth vaginoplasty in cases of inadequate genital skin. Peritoneal flaps serve as a versatile, safe, and functionally advantageous solution.

International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for sexual health in men with lower urinary tract (LUT) and pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: The terminology for sexual health in men with lower urinary tract (LUT) and pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction has not been defined and organized into a clinically based consensus terminology report. The aim of this terminology report is to provide a definitional document within this context that will assist clinical practice and research. METHODS: This report combines the input of the members of sexual health in men with LUT and PF Dysfunction working group of the International Continence Society (ICS), assisted at intervals by external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a sub-classification were developed to give coding to definitions. An extensive process of 18 rounds of internal and external review was involved to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by collective opinion (consensus). The Committee retained evidence-based definitions, identified gaps, and updated or discarded outdated definitions. Expert opinions were used when evidence was insufficient or absent. RESULTS: A terminology report for sexual health in men with LUT and PF dysfunction, encompassing 198 (178 NEW) separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in all the different speciality groups involved. Conservative and surgical managements are major additions and appropriate figures have been included to supplement and clarify the text. Emerging concepts and measurements, in use in the literature and offering further research potential, but requiring further validation, have been included as an appendix. Interval (5-10 years) review is anticipated to keep the document updated. CONCLUSION: A consensus-based terminology report for sexual health in men with LUT and PF dysfunction has been produced to aid clinical practice and research. The definitions that have been adopted are those that are most strongly supported by the literature at this time or are considered clinical principles or consensus of experts' opinions.

Patients' perspectives on informational needs surrounding gender-affirming vaginoplasty.

This study aimed to investigate the informational preferences of patients undergoing gender-affirming vaginoplasty during their surgical journey. An anonymous survey was sent to 30 such patients who had the procedure between September 2018 and September 2020. The survey included Likert-scale questions about the importance of various topics and inquired about their preferred sources and formats for receiving this information. The responses of 17 individuals (56.7% response rate) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis. Key findings indicated that all topics in the survey were rated as moderately important or higher. Specifically, for 29 out of 30 pre-operative topics (96.7%), participants preferred written information, and for 27 topics (90.0%), they favored receiving information directly from their surgeon. Thematic analysis revealed five main themes: recovery process, satisfaction, trust in healthcare providers, information delivery, and neovaginal dilation and depth. In conclusion, individuals undergoing gender-affirming vaginoplasty have significant informational needs. They prefer to receive information from their surgical team, supplemented by written resources and verbal discussions. Notably, the importance of understanding neovaginal dilation and being aware of possible complications emerged as a key concern. The study also highlighted the importance of cultural competence and trust-building with healthcare providers, underscoring the need for more inclusive care practices.

Survey of the quality and origins of websites on penile low-intensity shockwave therapy in Canada.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to establish the quality of patient-facing websites advertising low-intensity shockwave therapy (LISWT) for erectile dysfunction (ED) and Peyronie's disease (PD) patients in Canada. METHODS: Canadian websites offering LIWST for ED or PD were identified using online web searches. The characteristics of these websites were reviewed, along with examining the presence of HONCode certification, assigning a brief DISCERN score (a tool designed to evaluate health information online) and readability scores. We also examined the LIWST technology advertised, as well as benefits of LIWST cited by the websites. RESULTS: Twenty-five unique websites linked to 46 clinics were identified and reviewed. Twenty-four percent of websites were run by a urologist. Other specialties offering LISWT included general practitioners, anesthesiologists, naturopaths, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, and registered massage therapists. Twenty-four percent of the websites advertised the use of a focused shockwave generator. Forty percent of the websites had peer-reviewed references. The average brief DISCERN score was 14 (standard deviation 3.4). There was no association between the physician-or non-physician-led websites and the use of peer-reviewed references, readability scores, the number of clinic locations, or higher brief discern scores. CONCLUSIONS: LISWT is readily advertised online for ED and PD patients in Canada; however, only a minority use a focused shockwave generator. There is a wide diversity of practitioners offering LISWT. Websites offering LISWT are generally of poor quality and do not provide adequate information for patients to make educated treatment decisions.

Urinary complications after penile inversion vaginoplasty in transgender women Systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV) remains the gold standard technique for vaginoplasty, a gender-affirming feminizing surgery, but has been associated with urinary complications; however, there is little literature synthesizing urinary complications after PIV surgery, and there is a need to compile these complications to counsel patients pre- and postoperatively on managing surgical expectations. In this systematic review, we summarize the prevalence of urinary complications following PIV. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Scopus databases in July 2020. The primary outcome was the prevalence of urinary and surgical complications in patients after penile inversion vaginoplasty. Pooled prevalence was determined from extrapolated data. ROBINS-I tool was used to assess study quality. The study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD 42020204139). RESULTS: Of 843 unique records, 27 articles were pooled for synthesis, with 3388 patients in total. Overall patient satisfaction ranged from 80-100%. The most common urological complications included poor/splayed stream (11.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.7-19.3), meatal stenosis (6.9%, 95% CI 2.7-12.7), and irritative symptoms (frequency, urgency, nocturia) (11.5%, 95% CI 2.6-25.1). Other urinary complications included retention requiring catheterization (5.1%, 95% CI 0.3-13.8), incontinence (8.7%, 95% CI 3.4-15.6), urethral stricture (4.6%, 95% CI 1.2-9.8), and urinary tract infection (5.6%, 95% CI 2.7-9.4). Most pooled studies had moderate risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that there is a low prevalence of urinary complications following PIV. Overall, there is a need for standardization of data in transgender surgical care to better understand surgical outcomes and improve postoperative management.

Prediction of adverse maternal outcomes in pre-eclampsia: development and validation of the fullPIERS model.

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal deaths. These deaths mainly result from eclampsia, uncontrolled hypertension, or systemic inflammation. We developed and validated the fullPIERS model with the aim of identifying the risk of fatal or life-threatening complications in women with pre-eclampsia within 48 h of hospital admission for the disorder. METHODS: We developed and internally validated the fullPIERS model in a prospective, multicentre study in women who were admitted to tertiary obstetric centres with pre-eclampsia or who developed pre-eclampsia after admission. The outcome of interest was maternal mortality or other serious complications of pre-eclampsia. Routinely reported and informative variables were included in a stepwise backward elimination regression model to predict the adverse maternal outcome. We assessed performance using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Standard bootstrapping techniques were used to assess potential overfitting. FINDINGS: 261 of 2023 women with pre-eclampsia had adverse outcomes at any time after hospital admission (106 [5%] within 48 h of admission). Predictors of adverse maternal outcome included gestational age, chest pain or dyspnoea, oxygen saturation, platelet count, and creatinine and aspartate transaminase concentrations. The fullPIERS model predicted adverse maternal outcomes within 48 h of study eligibility (AUC ROC 0·88, 95% CI 0·84-0·92). There was no significant overfitting. fullPIERS performed well (AUC ROC >0·7) up to 7 days after eligibility. INTERPRETATION: The fullPIERS model identifies women at increased risk of adverse outcomes up to 7 days before complications arise and can thereby modify direct patient care (eg, timing of delivery, place of care), improve the design of clinical trials, and inform biomedical investigations related to pre-eclampsia. FUNDING: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; UNDP/UNFPA/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction; Preeclampsia Foundation; International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research; and Child and Family Research Institute.

Oxygen saturation as a predictor of adverse maternal outcomes in women with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the role of respiratory assessment by cardiorespiratory symptoms and/or oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2) in predicting adverse maternal outcomes in women admitted to hospital with preeclampsia. METHODS: These data derive from an international, prospective multicentre cohort study, PIERS (Pre-eclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk), which assesses predictors of adverse outcomes in women admitted to tertiary perinatal units with preeclampsia. Univariate and multivariate analyses of cardiorespiratory symptoms and pulse oximetry were performed to assess their ability to predict a combined adverse maternal outcome developed through international Delphi consensus. RESULTS: SpO2 successfully predicted adverse maternal outcomes; the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC ROC) was 0.71 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.77). Combining the symptoms of chest pain and/or dyspnea with pulse oximetry improved this predictive ability (AUC ROC 0.73; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.78). When SpO2 was stratified into risk groups using inflection points on the ROC curve, the highest risk group (SpO2 90% to 93%) had an odds ratio of 18.1 (95% CI 8.2 to 40.2) for all outcomes within 48 hours when compared with the baseline group (SpO2 98% to 100%). CONCLUSION: Assessing SpO2 aids in the assessment of maternal risk in women admitted to hospital with preeclampsia. An SpO2 value of ≤ 93% confers particular risk. The symptom complex of chest pain and/or dyspnea adds to the association.

Female Sexual Dysfunction - Awareness and Education Among Resident Physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a better understanding of the strengths and deficiencies of female sexual health education and the attitudes toward female sexual health amongst urology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and family medicine trainees. Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is characterized as distress related to sexual pain, interest/arousal, or orgasm. Despite the high prevalence of FSD there are few clinical resources available for patients and providers in Canada. METHODS: An anonymous online survey explored trainee knowledge of, and experiences with, female sexual dysfunction. Questions regarding male sexual dysfunction (MSD) were included as a comparison. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen residents participated in the survey and 107 were included in the final analysis. Respondents receive significantly more teaching and exposure to MSD compared to FSD in medical school and residency (when obstetrics and gynecology excluded). Ninety-six percent of respondents agreed that FSD is an important educational topic in residency, while only 12% felt their residency program provides adequate teaching and exposure to FSD. CONCLUSIONS: Although physician trainees recognize the importance of education related to FSD, the majority report little time being allocated to it in their training programs.

Availability of platelet-rich plasma for treatment of erectile dysfunction and associated costs and efficacy: A review of current publications and Canadian data.

INTRODUCTION: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an increasingly used unconventional treatment option for erectile dysfunction (ED). The validity of PRP as a potential treatment for ED has been proposed in limited human trials. Furthermore, the costs associated with PRP for ED treatment are not readily promoted to patients. The goal of this review was to determine the efficacy and costs of PRP based on currently available literature and Canadian data. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review of available PRP studies and current published data pertaining to cost, availability, and provider clinics globally was conducted using the PubMed database. Physicians offering genital PRP in Canada were identified using internet searches and PRP provider directories. Physician qualifications, clinic locations, and cost information were obtained from provider websites and telephone calls to identified clinics. RESULTS: Availability of PRP injections offered for treating ED is increasing globally. There are currently no peer-reviewed publications to substantiate anecdotal evidence pertaining to the efficacy of PRP as a viable treatment option for ED patients. Our results indicate 19 providers for PRP injections in Canada, costing on average $1777 CAD per injection. No providers were affiliated with academic institutions and providers varied in their area of clinical speciality and training. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, there is currently no research underway investigating the clinical efficacy of PRP for ED treatment despite its broad availability and significant cost. Patients should be informed of the lack of substantiated efficacy and safety data, as the reliability of PRP treatments requires further evaluation.

Surgeon-specific factors affecting treatment decisions among Canadian urologists in the management of pT1a renal tumours.

INTRODUCTION: The ubiquitous use of diagnostic imaging has resulted in an increased incidental detection of small renal masses (SRM). Patient- and tumour-related factors affect treatment decisions greatly; however, with multiple treatment options available, surgeon-specific characteristics and biases may also influence treatment recommendations. We determine the impact of surgeon-specific factors on treatment decisions in the management of SRM in Canada. METHODS: An online survey study was conducted among Canadian urologists currently registered with the Canadian Urological Association. The questionnaire collected demographic information and recommended treatments for 6 SRM index cases involving theoretical patients of various ages (51-80 years) and comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 110 urologists responded (17% response rate) to the survey. Of these, 18% were over 65 years old and 45% were from academic centres. With increasing patient age and comorbidity, active surveillance and thermal ablative therapies were more the recommended treatment. Laparoscopic/robotic surgery was more commonly recommended by academic urologists and those under 65. Recommending surgery (radical nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy) for both elderly (about 80 years old) index patients correlated with surgeon age (surgeons over 65, p < 0.001), surgeons with no oncologic fellowship training (p = 0.021), surgeons with a non-academic practice (p = 0.003), surgeons with a personal history of cancer (p = 0.038) and surgeons with a family history of cancer death in the last 10 years (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: There are various factors that influence the management options offered to patients with SRMs. Our results suggest that surgeon age, personal history of cancer, practice-type and other surgeon-specific variables may affect treatments offered among urologists across Canada.