Ischaemic Priapism: A Complication of Self-Administered Hyaluronic Acid Gel as an Injectable Filler for Penile Augmentation.

BACKGROUND: Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) gel has emerged as a widely used soft tissue filler for surgeries. In penile reconstructive surgery, HA gel has been employed for penile or glans augmentation in selected patients diagnosed with micropenis. This augmentation technique involves injecting the gel into submucosal tissue and increasing the size of the penis for approximately 1 year. A few studies have investigated the possible complications correlated with medically assisted penile injections of HA gel. However, no previous reports have shown the complications of self-administered HA injection. This case report aims to present the first documented case of ischaemic priapism as a complication of self-administered HA injection. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 43-year-old male who self-administered a 20 mL injection of HA into the dorsal side of his penis. The injected material probably reached the corpora cavernosa, leading to priapism within a few hours. However, the patient did not seek medical attention until 72 h later. The first two initial conservative attempts of blood drainage were unsuccessful because the gel had obstructed vein drainage, causing the penis to remain in a state of priapism. The final treatment approach involved shunting, high enoxaparin doses and oral Effortil administration. CONCLUSIONS: While complications from medically assisted HA injections have been documented, this case report sheds light on the complications arising from self-administered penile injections. Priapism is a severe medical condition that requires immediate treatment to avoid potentially serious long-term consequences. Healthcare providers and patients must acknowledge its symptoms and its appropriate course of treatment, especially in the context of penile medical injections.

Is pre-biopsy serum prostate specific antigen retesting always justified? A study of the influence of individual and analytical factors on decision making for biopsy referral.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We investigated factors influencing pre-biopsy prostate-specific antigen (PSA) retesting as recommended by clinical guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 333 patients screened for prostate cancer (PCa) repeated PSA (Roche Cobas systems) after a median of 3.9 months, before performing biopsy. Multiple regression models were used to assess effects of patients' characteristics on PSA results and changes over time. RESULTS: PCa [n = 132 (40.7%)] and cancer-free [n = 192 (59.3%)] patients had similar rate of PSA positive results at baseline (84.8% vs. 83.9%, P = 0.931). Their rate of reversion to normal PSA after retesting was negligible (0.9% in PCa and 3.7% in PCa-free patients, P = 0.286). 31.1% of PCa and 31.3% of cancer-free patients (P = 0.426) showed a significant PSA increase after retesting. Age was a confounder since not only PSA increased in older PCa patients, but it was also related to PCa histological grade, in turn associated to PSA increase. In PCa-free patients, glandular inflammation, present in 1/3 of subjects, was also associated to higher PSA concentrations. CONCLUSION: When obtained with the same immunoassay under controlled analytical conditions, a PSA positive result is confirmed after retesting in the great majority of screened patients. Neither analytical factors nor intraindividual variability appeared to justify PSA retesting before biopsy referral.

Definition of Outcome-Based Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Thresholds for Advanced Prostate Cancer Risk Prediction.

We defined prostate-specific antigen (PSA) thresholds from a well calibrated risk prediction model for identifying and excluding advanced prostate cancer (PCa). We retrieved 902 biopsied patients with a pre-biopsy PSA determination (Roche assay). A logistic regression model predictive for PCa including the main effects [i.e., PSA, age, histological evidence of glandular inflammation (GI)] was built after testing the accuracy by calibration plots and Hosmer-Lemeshow test for goodness of fit. PSA thresholds were derived by assuming a diagnostic sensitivity of 95% (rule-out) and 80% (rule-in) for overall and advanced/poorly differentiated PCa. In patients without GI, serum PSA concentrations ≤ 4.1 (<65 years old) and ≤3.7 µg/L (≥65 years old) excluded an advanced PCa (defined as Gleason score ≥ 7 at biopsy), with a negative predictive value of 95.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 83.0-98.7] and 88.8% (CI: 80.2-93.9), respectively, while PSA > 5.7 (<65) and >6.1 µg/L (≥65) should address biopsy referral. In presence of GI, PSA did not provide a valid estimate for risk of advanced cancer because of its higher variability and the low pre-test probability of PCa. The proposed PSA thresholds may support biopsy decision except for patients with asymptomatic prostatitis who cannot be pre-biopsy identified.

Repair of a rectovesical fistula following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with Martius fat pad flap interposition: a proposal of a new technique.

Rectovesical fistula (RVF) is defined as an abnormal communication between the rectum and the urinary bladder, most commonly after an iatrogenic injury during pelvic surgery. Patients with RVF may have various clinical presentations, ranging from fecaluria, pneumaturia, to urine leakage through the anus. The quality of life for patients with this pathology is adversely affected owing to the associated psychological burden. Surgery is the preferred treatment given the low success rates reported for conservative or minimally invasive approaches. Herein, we present a case of a 65-year-old man with RVF after radical prostatectomy successfully treated by a transperineal approach using a modified Martius procedure.

Implantation of an adjustable continence therapy system using local anesthesia in patients with post-radical prostatectomy stress urinary incontinence: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether transrectal ultrasound guided ProACT system implantation in patients under local anesthesia and with stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy is feasible in a day hospital setting, and is safe and well tolerated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The procedure was used in 11 consecutive patients (mean age 69.9 years) with stress urinary incontinence after undergoing radical prostatectomy between November 2006 and July 2007. The ProACT system was implanted with a transrectal ultrasound guided procedure after administration of local anesthesia (40 ml ropivacaine 7.5 mg/ml) in perineal skin, subcutaneous tissue, pelvic diaphragm and laterally to the anastomosis. During surgery any reason for discomfort was collected. Pain was evaluated with the visual analogue scale, Numeric Pain Intensity Scale and Simple Descriptive Pain Intensity Scale. Transrectal ultrasound was performed 7 days after surgery to exclude device migrations due to early patient mobilization. RESULTS: The ProACT systems were successfully implanted in all patients under local anesthesia without any need for general anesthesia, and without perioperative surgical or anesthesia related complications. Subjective discomfort was minimal. Mean visual analogue scale was 13 mm (range 0 to 28). Mean Numeric Pain Intensity Scale was 1.4 points (range 0 to 4). On the Simple Descriptive Pain Intensity Scale 4 patients (36.3%) reported no pain, 5 (45.5%) reported mild pain and 2 (18.2%) reported moderate pain. Discharge from the hospital was possible for all patients after 6 hours. All transrectal ultrasound performed after 7 days excluded balloon migrations. CONCLUSIONS: Transrectal ultrasound guided ProACT system implantation with the patient under local anesthesia only is feasible, safe, well tolerated and may be performed as a day surgery procedure.

Multidetector CT imaging of complications after laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery (L-NSS) is increasingly performed to treat localised renal lesions. However, the associated morbidity is non-negligible, with a rate of major complications approaching 10 %. METHODS AND RESULTS: This paper provides an overview of indications, surgical techniques and results of L-NSS; explains the incidence, risk factors and manifestations of postoperative complications; discusses the preferred multidetector computed tomography (CT) acquisition techniques; illustrates the appearance of normal postoperative images following L-NSS; and reviews, with example images, the most common and unusual iatrogenic complications. These include haematuria, haemorrhage, vascular injuries, infections and urinary leaks. Most emphasis is placed on CT, which provides rapid, reliable triage and follow-up of iatrogenic complications after L-NSS, identifying occurrences that require transarterial embolisation or repeated surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Multidetector CT allows precise assessment of the surgical resection site; detection of pneumoperitoneum and subcutaneous emphysema; quantification of retroperitoneal blood; and identification of active bleeding, pseudoaneurysms, arterio-venous fistulas, abscess collections and extravasated urine. TEACHING POINTS: • Laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is increasingly performed to treat renal lesions. • Radiologists are increasingly requested to investigate suspected post-surgical NSS complications. • Post-NSS complications include haemorrhage, haematuria, vascular injuries, infections and urinary leaks. • Multidetector CT allows choice between conservative treatment, transarterial embolisation or surgery.

Transrectal ultrasound-guided implantation of Adjustable Continence Therapy (ProACT): surgical technique and clinical results after a mean follow-up of 2 years.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after radical prostatectomy (RP) with the male Adjustable Continence Therapy (ProACT) system, implanted using fluoroscopy for guidance, has been described with promising clinical results. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study aims to describe the surgical technique in detail and to evaluate the continence recovery and complication rate of a cohort of male patients with SUI after RP. All patients were treated with a modified technique that uses transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) for guidance and that may be performed under local anaesthesia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Between June 2005 and March 2009, we operated on 79 consecutive patients with post-RP urodynamic intrinsic sphincter deficiency. SURGICAL PROCEDURE: ProACT system implantation was performed with TRUS guidance under general or local anaesthesia. MEASUREMENTS: Perioperative data and adverse events were recorded in all patients. Outcome data (24-h pad test, number of pads per day (PPD) used by patients, a validated incontinence quality of life questionnaire) were analysed in the 62 of 79 patients who completed the postoperative system adjustments. In this group of patients, the mean follow-up is 25 mo. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: According to the 24-h pad test and the mean number of PPD used, 41 patients were dry (66.1%), 16 patients improved (25.8%), and 5 patients failed treatment (8%). The dry rate in previously irradiated patients was 35.7%. Complications included intraoperative bladder perforations (2 of 79; 2.5%), transient urinary retention (1 of 79; 1.2%), migrations (3 of 79; 3.8%), and erosions (2 of 79; 2.5%). According to the degree of incontinence, the dry rate in patients with mild, moderate, and severe incontinence was, respectively, 85%, 63.6%, and 33.3%. CONCLUSIONS: TRUS guidance for ProACT implantation results in success and complication rates that compare favourably with published data using fluoroscopy for guidance. Previous radiotherapy and severe incontinence seem to be a relative contraindication. Larger series and longer follow-up are progressing to establish long-term efficacy.